Page 17 of Wild Wolf

“No. Nicolina is talented at figuring out if someone means they want to become a Fenerec. But if we wait until the end of the line, she either wants it or doesn’t. The ritual will succeed or fail. All I’m doing is making it so if you stick close to Amber, if it gets to that, you and your wolf can perform the ritual.”

“I feel like I’m getting two versions of the same story, and I’m not sure which form of the story is correct.”

“Dante is an earth witch who enjoys helping other people create families. As such, he probably would prefer if Amber were to be happily mated, and you’re a damned good candidate for Amber.”

“Because I’m not afraid of her.”

“Many are. She’s a very powerful witch, and she has been working within the Inquisition as an enforcer for a long time.”

“And your opinion?”

“You’ll have a hard time finding a better woman, and she’d have a hard time finding a better man, so you’ll find me a very supportive Alpha, and I’ll keep the other ladies focused on Anthony and Lane, as they’re enjoying our courting practices. Your reactions before make it clear you will not. But you like Amber, and you did from the start.”

“She beat up six SEALs, Desmond. At the same time.”

Desmond chuckled and finished his coffee. “That she did. Let’s get you into the pack, and after we see how you react, we’ll decide what we’re going to do about this wild wolf problem plaguing this city.”

Chapter Five

My wolf’s desire to be part of a pack sealed the deal, and while the idea of someone’s teeth near my throat worried me, I accepted it as necessary. The entire process took less than a minute, but it left me beyond exhausted. I didn’t understand how being nipped in the throat and hearing the howls of two wolves in my head could wipe me out, but I staggered to my chair, dropped on it, and struggled to stay awake.

“It’s not uncommon,” Desmond informed me, cleaning my coffee pot and washing the two cups before restoring everything to order. “Normally, I’d have Amber check on you, but I don’t want to tax her witchcraft. It’s what’s keeping her alive. Before you clock out, I do want to teach you how to perform the ritual in case it’s needed. Or, more accurately, my wolf wants to teach your wolf. I can do that through the pack bonds. All you need to do is let your wolf out a little.”

“Let him out?”

“Don’t try to control him at all. When you feel my wolf in the pack bonds, just be. My wolf can then have a chat with your wolf. You’ll feel it more than hear anything, though.” Desmond shrugged. “You might not notice at all. But for the ritual to work, it’s the wolf that needs to do the work. You’ll listen to your wolf—or let him handle it completely. It’s more dangerous to give the wolf full control, but it’s generally okay during the ritual, because the wolf has a job to do and wants to create new pack members. Most wolves settle after performing the ritual.”

“I’ll just take your word on that.” The howling quieted, but I became aware of four distinct presences in my head. “There are five in the pack?”

“Good. You can distinguish presences. That’ll make it easier for you to adapt. Some new to the pack bonds get completely overwhelmed, even in a small pack, and don’t learn to identify individuals for several months. Yes, there are five of us. Me, you, my mate, Anthony, and Lane. Some don’t even get tired after being brought in the pack. Sanders is one of them. He gets a rush from it. Richard varies. Some days, he gets a rush. On others? He’ll go down and stay down for a while. It depends on his health at the time. You’re probably more exhausted because being in a pack calms the wolf, and when the wolf relaxes, any fatigue that was masked tends to surge to the surface. Basically, your wolf feels safe, so he’s ready for a nap, which means you’re ready for a nap, because you haven’t had much security lately.”

I couldn’t argue with his theory, so I didn’t. “Do you think the Russians will come calling?”

“I’m counting on it, but don’t worry about it. We’ll stay here for a while before going to our hotel. Your pet wolf changes things, since we can’t just take you to our hotel. Most of us could shift to wolves and share space in your cabin. That might be safer, especially if there are Russian wolves hunting in your woods.”

“Just about every night,” I muttered.

“I don’t want to leave you unguarded then, and I don’t want to divide us in potentially hostile territory. We’ll figure something out.” Desmond paced around my cabin and came to a halt in front of my fireplace. “Will you be okay if everyone comes into your space?”

“Will they fit?”

“We’re not shy about sharing personal space, so yes. Just rest a while and let your wolf listen to mine. And well, if you fall asleep, no harm done. We’ll have to get enough to feed everybody, though.”

“I should have enough. I got extra using Petra as an excuse, and I can bake some bread, too.”

“Rest first,” Desmond ordered, heading for the door. “Don’t be surprised if you get some hugs. Richard is convinced all problems can be solved through affection.”

“And I bet he learned that from you,” I muttered.

He laughed. “You’re probably right. Our wolves are affectionate creatures. I’m sure you’ll get used to it. If you’re lucky, Amber will try to defend your masculinity.”

“Is my masculinity at any risk?”

“No, but it’s fun watching her lose her temper because she forgets your wolf is probably as much of an attention whore as mine.”

There couldn’t have been much to the ritual. My wolf listened to something I couldn’t hear, but it only took a few minutes before he settled. I meant to close my eyes for only a moment, but when I woke up, someone was cooking in my kitchen, and the scent of bread baking did a good job of stirring my hunger. I cracked open an eye to discover my cabin crammed full of witches and wolves.

Anthony had somehow charmed Petra, as the wolf sprawled over his lap and permitted him to scratch behind her ears. “You’re an addle pate. What did you do to my wolf?”