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“If that’s what you want.”
“It is.”
By the time he’d walked her up to the front entrance, part of her hoped he would suddenly realize how much he needed to change his thinking. But when he called for several guards, six in all, she knew it was over.
The steel door had slammed into place once more and she was heading home.
Alone.
Her throat tightened, especially when he gave her a parting hug.
But there was nothing more to be said.
With her flight bag in hand, she took to the air easily. The lead guard, Ryan, appeared startled as he caught up with her.
“Your alpha taught me how to fly,” she said. Using the word ‘taught’ was a lot easier than trying to explain how she and Fergus had been acquiring each other’s alter abilities.
She switched to telepathy, and asked the wolf if he wouldn’t mind talking to her mind-to-mind. He had long wavy brown hair and wore two braids on the right side that interlaced to form a single braid. He had dark blue eyes and a warm smile.
When he gave permission, she said, You’re Ryan, right?
Yes, he responded, taking up his place on her left.
Fergus has mentioned you a couple of times. He relies on you a lot.
Fergus is a good man, one of the finest I’ve ever known.
Wanting to hear more, Mary eased closer to him and slowed down a little. The detail matched her speed. Have you served other alphas, besides Sydon I mean?
I was once a member of Warren’s pack early on, but asked to serve in Gordion because Fergus was new at it and needed to learn the ropes. Both Harley and I helped out a lot in the old days. I met Fergus on the Savage Border Patrol. Warren had no problem letting me transfer. He’s a good man, too.
Yes, he is.
As she directed Ryan to fly northeast, Mary felt herself frowning almost as hard as Fergus had in the guest room. Tell me what it was like when Fergus became Gordion’s alpha?
He made an almost painful snort. There was a massive territorial war that year, worse than any that have followed. Fergus lost at least fifty of his wolves over the course of several violent battles
. He took it hard. He was finally able to make a difference in the war when he got more seriously focused.
She slowed her flying even more and as before, the entire squad slowed with her as though she’d emitted some kind of signal. Maybe it was a wolf thing. What does that mean, ‘seriously’?
More attentive, more present. I’m not sure I can explain it.
To the exclusion of other interests, would you say? Mary definitely wanted someone else’s opinion on the issue.
Yes, that’s it, Ryan said. Fergus stopped spending his time on anything else. He used to always have rock music blaring through the compound, then one day it stopped. Of course the compound was much smaller in those days, but that’s what made me think of it. You could hear the music everywhere.
And that was just one thing. I remember he had a vintage car that he’d brought over from his previous life. He loved to drive it around Savage, even on the bad roads. But he sold it. Some say he neglected his wife but I don’t see it that way. She was never happy, that one. But maybe I’ve said too much. Shit, I think I have. Apologies.
Not necessary. She thought of Sharon and wondered if the woman knew what some of the other Gordion wolves thought of her. Even Fergus had called it her chronic discontentment.
Mary fell silent after that. Ryan had given her a lot to think about. She might have left Savage because she knew Fergus had closed off from her, but the fae part of her had started wrestling with all of it. And not just Fergus, but her own issues as well.
After thanking the men for seeing her home, she went in by way of the front door and locked it securely.
Checking her phone messages, one from her assistant let her know that all the pet patients she’d had scheduled were either given new appointments for the following week or handed off to other vets.
Mary was relieved. She went to the kitchen and the sight of the clean cat bowls meant her assistant had already taken care of her kitties. The fact that none of her felines rushed to greet her told her each had a full belly.
