Page 33 of Wild Wolf

Interesting. “Amber had said something similar, that I seem to have a singular Omega trait, but I’m otherwise an Alpha, and since I could avoid shifting for so long, that I can’t be a regular Alpha.”

“Right.” Desmond shrugged. “You’re defying classification, and that’s fine.”

Nicolina prowled close, one of her white ears twisted back while one was pricked forward, and her eyes widened. She halted a few feet away and whined.

I praised Petra, careful to respect the wolf’s boundaries regarding petting her, got up, and carried Amber over to Nicolina, sitting down and placing the tiny wolf on my lap. While Richard might kill me over it later, I gave my leg a pat. Nicolina whined again, but then she crawled onto me, nuzzling Amber and sniffing at her. The white wolf weighed more than I expected, and I grunted as I got to deal with her full weight. Nicolina wrapped her paws around Amber and held her close.

“She wasn’t doing well, and I made for a very good scapegoat,” I told her.

Nicolina washed my face with her tongue, and I turned my head to avoid more wolf drool.

Richard chuckled. “It’s already going better than I thought. Not a single mournful howl. We might have to make cookies and brownies for the ladies tonight, Declan.”

“Sure. Is Nicolina going to bite me if I pet her?”

“That’s a lot of tempting fur, isn’t it? Go ahead and pet her. I don’t mind. If it keeps the crying and howling to a minimum, you can pet her all day long. I’ll finish the rabbits and get dinner ready while Nicolina gets that out of her system.” Richard went back into the cabin, and Desmond joined me while Petra heeled at his side.

“That?”

“She’s an overprotective Alpha,” Desmond explained. “Richard already had a chance to get it out of his system, and he was finished with his share of hovering when he confirmed he was all right with me bringing her into the pack. Nicolina will need longer. She’s been worried. And no trying to steal Amber out of my pack, Nicolina. We want to keep her and Declan together, and Declan needs to settle in the pack and get used to it.”

Nicolina grunted, but she bobbed her head.

“Good. Sanders, get everyone gathered up and into the cabin. It’s time to eat, and we need to talk.”

Chapter Eight

Richard and Desmond worked together to force Amber back to human form, and the woman maintained consciousness for less than a minute, dozing in my rocking chair, which resulted in a squabble between Nicolina and her father over handling the basics of caring for the woman. I wrapped Amber in my blanket, and when the fighting continued with no sign of ending, I picked her up, carried her to my bedroom, and tucked her into my bed while Richard followed me around.

My wolf enjoyed the task far more than appropriate. I did, too.

I returned to the main room, a headache brewing from the ongoing dispute between father and daughter. The addition of so many people in my space didn’t help, either. Anthony and Lane sat on the floor nearby, devouring their dinner as though afraid the rabbits might get up off their plates and escape. Elliot and Dante were with them, and they took more time with theirs, but they guarded their food like someone might steal it.

“There’s plenty for everybody, you know,” I muttered. What Amber hadn’t eaten of Richard’s stew had disappeared into the ravenous pits I’d invited into my home. Even Petra had gotten some, a gift from Nicolina, who wanted to earn her way into the animal’s good graces.

I foresaw Petra becoming spoiled within a week.

I gave Nicolina credit, however. The stew and an offering of a small bone kept Petra from trying to beg for a rabbit. The rabbits wouldn’t last long, as even the witches seemed determined to consume at least two.

My wolf marveled at the appetites of our guests.

“They’re idiots,” Richard informed me.

“Which ones are the idiots?” Even Sanders devoured his dinner like it might be stolen, leaving the translator as the only one sensibly eating at the table and taking his time with his meal.

Greig had already packed away three bowls of stew to go with his rabbit.

“Everybody, really. Desmond, Nicolina, please stop. Amber’s been put to bed. You’re fighting over nothing. Declan tucked her in, and she’ll stay plenty warm. We’ll keep an eye on her, and there’s no need to toss her into pajamas.” Richard glared at his wife and father-in-law. “Declan made you rabbit, so eat your rabbit, my beautiful. Then we’ll make cookies and brownies. Amber’s going to be fine.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” Nicolina complained, and she headed to the table, which was burdened with food. She grabbed two rabbits, put them on a plate, and brought it to me. “You need to eat.”

Having already dealt with her on a mission to feed me once, I took the plate without complaint and headed for the fireplace to sit. “It was Amber’s choice.”

I didn’t lie, especially as Amber had been the one who wanted us to imply she’d died in her sleep if she hadn’t survived the ritual.

Nicolina grabbed a rabbit, sat next to me, and tore into the meat with her fingers, growling before taking a bite. “I know, I know. She wouldn’t want me to see her die if the ritual failed. And I’ve seen her medical file. There’s nothing any of the doctors could do, and the last few months could be bad. Really bad. It would have been a mercy. I know. I don’t like it, but I know.”

Richard sighed, went to his wife, and bent over to kiss the top of her head. “You can mother Amber all you want for the next few days. She’s going to be pretty sick. It’ll work out with the Russians, too. They’ll see how we care for our new wolves.”