VIKTOR.
“You are fidgeting,” Maxwell says as we head towards the settlement in a black SUV.
Sven turns around from the passenger seat to glance at me before shifting his eyes towards my tapping legs.
I immediately still it.
“Anxiou to see your mate?” He asks with a smirk.
“Nervous, actually,” I answer as I look out the window. “Terrified really. She can be quite scary when she wants to be.”
“Has she forgiven you yet?” Fin asks from the driver’s seat.
“Nope. Still cold.”
“Come on, you are offering her three, plus you, four, powerful allies. She must be grateful,” Sven says
“Grateful, yes. Forgiving, no.”
“Damn, she sounds like a tough one.”
“She is,” I say with a smile
“Look at him,” Sven remarks as he turns back into his seat. “He is whipped.”
“Do bear in mind that I was there when you found your own mate, Sven. You behaved more a fool than I.”
“Hey!”
“Now now,” Maxwell speaks up with a laugh. “There is no need to bring out our embarrassing stories. We are all mature men here.”
“Sure. Mature men,” I mutter.
“Well, as mature as we can be,” he corrects
Fair enough.
“Viktor,” fun calls quietly from the front. “Are you sure she said that we are welcome?”
“Yeah, why do you ask?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just the fact that I have sighted more than three wolves watching us pass and I don’t think they were trying to hide themselves, makes me wonder about those that are actually hiding.”
“Really?” Sven asks as he strains to see them. “I don’t see anyone.”
“Maybe if you stopped poking at Viktor and focused on your surroundings, you will.”
“Oh, piss off,” he grouches.
“Viktor?” Maxwell calls my name. “Should we be worried?”
“Not really,” I reply. “She is just making sure that it is just us as I promised. Four of us and no one else. You have to understand, Maxwell, they are just as wary and suspicious of you as you are of them.”
“But not of you,” he remarks
“I have a unique relationship with the rest of them. But really, once you get to know them and see beyond their prickly exterior, you will see that they are really good people.”
“Hmm. If you say so.”
After that, we all fall into companionable silence for the rest of the drive.
Fin makes no more mention of patrol wolves and I don’t know if it is either because he doesn’t see them or because they are no longer there.
Most likely the former.
All too soon and still not soon enough, we arrive at the gates.
“Hold up,” I say as I get out of the car and walk up to the gates.
“Alpha Viktor,” Gaines says with a somewhat aggrieved but scornful tone. “Welcome.”
“Open the gate Gaines, I have no time to play with you today.”
He scoffs in derision before he turns towards the keypad while I head back to the car.
“A friend of yours?” Sven asks as the car drives through the gates.
“Not really,” I say. “For some reason, he had decided that I was the one he was going to try his macho shit with and make me fear him. He is just embarrassed about the fact that I am an Alpha. Makes him look even more stupid.”
“You like him,” Maxwell remarks, reading the subtle tone of admiration in my tone.
“Maybe. Not anyone can just meet my glare head on. HE is impressive. A lot of them are.”
“Hmm, I guess we will see.”
As we coast down the road, I can see red traffic cones, arranged along the way signaling Tony’s which path to take.
“They clearly don’t want us trespassing,” fun murmurs from the front.
“You have done worse to protect the privacy of your own pack,” I reply. “Don’t nitpick.”
“Hmph!”
Tension builds as we all fall silent and watch through the windows as guard wolves shadow us until we arrive right at the front of the mansion.
Rowan stands at the top of the stairs, with Alden and another wolf slightly in front of her for protection, while a chain of eight wolves form a barricade in front of them.
“Way to make us feel welcome,” Sven says as the car is parked.
I quickly get out of the car and approach the line.
“Rowan,” I call up to her. “There really is no need for this.”
“There are wolves among us here that came from their pack. That doesn’t put them in good standing with me,” she says.
“And the fact that you have sheltered them doesn’t put you in good standing with us,” I hear Maxwell’s voice from behind me.
I look back to see that they have all alighted from the car and are watching her with eagle like precision.
Damn Alpha genes and our need to show dominance.
“Behave,” I growl at them before turning back to Rowan. “I did as you asked. We all came alone, no other wolves, we did our part, Rowan. Now do yours.”
She stares at me from that high position and I am struck by how regal and imposing she looks.
Like a Queen.
One who is ready to go to war with alphas for her people, but also willing to try for peace. She is unflinching in the eyes of people that would have no qualms killing her on mere principle.
And yet, I have never loved her more than I do now.
“Rowan,” I call gently, hoping that she can see how desperate I am for this.
“At ease,” she calls out and the barricade breaks apart to create a space between them.
She walks down the stairs with Alden and the other wolf right behind, she nods at me as she walks by before walking straight to the Alphas.
“I am Rowan Blaze, leader of the Winter Wolf Coalition and I welcome you all to our settlement.”