Page 46

“He’s stunning.”

All three of them laughed, and I joined in. “What? I don’t know what I was expecting, but… wow. He’s really handsome.”

“I’m glad you think so, sweetling.”

More information appeared beside Alaric’s image, arranging itself into neat lines.

ALARIC STORMFORGE

AGE: 42

HEIGHT: 6'4" / 193 CM

DESIGNATION: ALPHA

BIRTH PACK: IRONSTORM PACK

PACK STATUS: MATED — STORMFORGE PACK

CAREER: GENERAL — HIGH MOUNTAIN MILITARY

HOUSE: VAELOR

MOTHER: OMEGA — ASTRID VAELOR

FATHERS: ALPHA — MAGNUS VAELOR · ALPHA — TORVALD VAELOR · ALPHA — EIRIK VAELOR

SIBLINGS: ALPHA — CAIUS STORMFORGE · ALPHA — RAGNAR VAELOR (FALLEN) · ALPHA — SOREN VAELOR (FALLEN) · ALPHA — LEIF VAELOR (FALLEN)

POLITICAL INTEREST: HIGH — FAVOURED HIGH LORD CANDIDATE

TEMPERAMENT: SERIOUS · RESERVED · PROTECTIVE

FAVOURITE FOOD: JUNIPER-ROASTED MOOSE

INTERESTS: RESTORING ANTIQUE COMPASSES · INTENSIVE PHYSICAL TRAINING

KNOWN FAULTS: OVERWORKS · NOTORIOUSLY STUBBORN

More followed beneath it: medical information, financial holdings and several other categories I barely had time to take in. My eyes moved slowly down the list. “Forty-two.” I looked back at his image. “He doesn’t look forty-two.”

“He’s an exceptionally disciplined man,” Eleanor said. “His nutrition and exercise routines are said to be quite rigorous.”

I looked at Alaric again. “It’s working. It’s really working.”

Ivy laughed. “Shall we leave you alone with his image?”

I nudged her with my shoulder. “Oh, stop it.”

I’d forgotten she wasn’t my Ivy. Luckily, she didn’t take offence and only laughed harder. Nora joined in, and even Eleanor was smiling, her sweet Omega scent mingling with ours. I relaxed a little more, but before I could think too much about it, another line on the profile caught my eye.

“He restores antique compasses.” I smiled. “That’s so cute.”

“What do you mean by ‘cute’?” Nora asked.

“Adorable, basically.” They laughed again. “It is adorable! And look, it says he’s serious. Can you imagine him sitting there all serious, fixing tiny little compasses? He probably has massive hands!” I looked back at his image. “That’s adorable.”

“I cannot listen to this,” Nora mumbled, a tiny smile on her face.