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The words sent a chill down Natalie’s spine. She would have asked Renee what she meant or more importantly, what she knew, but the woman vanished.
Natalie’s first thought was to look into the future, but she refused, at least for now. Renee’s prophesy had diminished her joy, but it didn’t mean she had to disrupt what was a powerful moment between Grant and his pack.
Besides, seeing Kryder up to no good in the future was more than Natalie wanted to endure right now. There would be time enough for that moving forward.
For now, she chose to celebrate that a significant event had occurred, one that Kryder couldn’t disrupt, not unless he wanted an entire pack of wolves to attack him and tear him to shreds. Nothing less would happen if the former alpha returned anytime soon to take revenge.
As Natalie surveyed the wolves and felt the bond strengthening with each passing minute, she knew in her heart these wolves would do everything they could to protect their new alpha and the safety of the Meldorin Pack.
Chapter Twelve
Over the past several years, Grant had envisioned this moment a thousand times, of finally displacing Kryder and getting rid of him forever. Yet, he’d never truly imagined what forging the alpha-bond with his wolves would be like, would feel like.
He felt as though he’d become the sun to their orbit with a dynamic gravitational pull that was centered on his heart. He would die for each and every one of the wolves present. They were his pack, his tribe, his people.
In one sense, he’d been their alpha almost from day one of his arrival in Five Bridges, certainly from the time Renee passed. He’d protected a large number of them over the years, especially the young females that Kryder targeted. He’d taken beatings for his disobedience to his alpha.
He savored making the connection with each of the wolves, whether a pat on the shoulder, a touching of foreheads, or a hug. He also made sure that he had physical contact with every wolf and didn’t stop until the bond felt secure and complete.
A soft howling followed with a linking of arms and a gentle swaying of bodies. A lot of wolf-sign followed, with fur appearing on hands, cheeks and throats. Nothing could have been more beautiful in his eyes. This was what he’d sought for six long years, what he’d longed for and now it was here. He was alpha of the Meldorin Pack and would be for as long as he lived.
Several of the wolves demanded a barbecue celebration in honor of the new pack leader. Grant had only one response. “Let’s do it, out in the open with a dozen bonfires and enough howling to bring down the heavens. I want all of Savage, all of Five Bridges to know that the monster is gone.”
A cheer went up and the pack began to exit the gallery. Those in charge of the kitchens all but ran out of the arena.
This night had been on Grant’s mind a long time and he had a dozen plans ready to put in place. One of them, he instituted immediately. With Ryan and the net-team nearby, he turned to them. “I want guards stationed at all the compound entrance points. Now. Kryder will be back probably with a major force he’s built at The Sapphire Club. I want the armory opened and weapons distributed.”
“What about the celebration?” One of the team asked.
“Everyone will be included, but we’ll rotate in and out at twenty-minute intervals. How does that sound?”
His wolves grinned. Ryan responded, “Like exactly what needs to be done on all fronts.”
Grant and Ryan had been drilling and training a security force, without Kryder’s knowledge, for years, with three separate teams to be exact. Both men and women served on the teams, ran drills in the sandpit and made use of a secret firing range.
Over the same period of time, Ryan had amassed an arsenal which was where he went now. The team leaders, each of which had been on the net-team, headed in different directions to begin dispersing orders for the protection of the compound.
Grant was now alone in the arena except for one other person.
Natalie.
She stood patiently in the upper corner of the gallery seats off to his right.
He hadn’t thought of her once during the time he’d bonded with his pack. He hadn’t meant to ignore her and felt distressed since she’d been instrumental in taking Kryder down. He couldn’t have done it without her. Yet right now, she was on the outside of his life. It didn’t seem right, but she didn’t belong to his pack either.
Regardless, he would honor her contribution.
Come to me. If you hadn’t helped, hadn’t been with me, what happened here tonight couldn’t have taken place.
She smiled as she left the top row of seats and began moving toward him. His feet were in motion before he’d formed the thought.
He lifted into levitated flight then swooped toward her. He felt nothing but overwhelming gratitude. He caught her up in his arms and twirled her in a circle above the gallery seats.
Thank you. He repeated the words three times or maybe a dozen.
When he felt able, he lowered her to the cement walkway to stand in front of her. He held her gaze for a long moment and valued the tears that sprang to her hazel eyes.
He kissed her because it seemed right. “Thank you. Words aren’t enough to express all I feel, but I will be forever grateful to you for what you’ve done tonight. You’ve changed everything for me and for the Meldorin Pack wolves. Again, thank you.”
