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“Grab that saddle over there, the one in the middle—yeah.” He nodded when she hefted the leather seat. “Put it on the rack. Now grab the tack and bridle…like that.”
When she set everything aside like he told her, he inclined his head toward Esther’s stall.
“Bring her out—clip on the lead. Be gentle…good.”
He talked her through saddling the horse. Told her how to secure the straps and make sure they weren’t too tight. Then when she finished, he turned and headed for the paddock. A wave of his hand was her only indication to follow.
Confused, she led Esther out after him and into the enclosed field.
It was small, with a patch of dirt in the center just big enough to ride circles in. The sight almost reminded her of the pony ride course at the fair, where ten dollars bought you a few laps.
“I know you canmounta horse,” McGoven began, watching her from across the gate—far enough away that Esther didn’t seem to be affected by his scent. “But let’s see if you can start off in something a little steadier than a full gallop.”
4
There was a time for primal instinct. For hunting and fighting and embracing the thrill of battle.
Unfortunately, a good leader also made time for politics—even if it meant parlaying with the leader of a greedy band of rivals hellbent on taking more than their fair share. Luckily for Eric Lannister, he wasn’t Alpha and therefore not responsible for the nitty-gritty of said actions.
He merely had to stand and watch. Though, sometimes, he found it more infuriating than if he had to hammer out peace agreements himself.
“You are the one who advocated for action,” Lukka Grehmaine snarled. With his arms crossed, blue eyes narrowed, he resembled a scowling pup more than a leader. “Yet you give McGoven even more time to surrender. How much longer are you going to cower to a rogue and his aggression?”
Eric knew he couldn’t keep his disgust from showing.
Loreck, on the other hand, excelled at diplomacy almost as well as physical prowess. He sat behind the ornately carved desk in the central room of the main lodge. This wooden structure in the heart of their territory served as the root of all commerce and guidance for those in the Eislander pack.
From Lukka’s haughty grimace, he wasn’t impressed.
“You forget that presumably, I am the one with an actionable grievance against McGoven, not you,” Loreck pointed out, his tone level. “Considering that you refused to accept the mated female initially, she was never integrated into your pack. Therefore, you have no claim over any crimes committed against her. I will lead an assault on McGoven when I decide to.”
“Then you might be too late,” Lukka countered. “He might kill again while you hesitate.”
Eric couldn’t silence a growl and surged forward, leaving his position in the corner of the room. One look from Loreck stopped him in his tracks.
“McGoven is the least of the concerns plaguing my pack,” Loreck continued, addressing the upstart before him. “For instance… I am far more concerned about the increasing rate of perfusion between my border and yours. Our hunting lands are being depleted at a rate we have never experienced. It’s almost as if the mouths our resources feed has doubled within the past year.”
Eric had to give Lukka some shred of credit—the bastard didn’t flinch, even while being presented with his own transgressions.
“It sounds like stray humans,” he said dismissively. “Your pack has a history of tension with the nearby towns from what I hear.”
“I doubt a few hundred farmers and laypeople could encroach onto my territory so stealthily,” Loreck said coldly. “Your point stands. McGoven will be dealt with. In the meantime… I suggest you watch your borders carefully, pup. I won’t tolerate an outright invasion for long.”
Lukka said nothing before leaving, his entourage in tow.
Eric watched him go, more irritated than he figured he had the right to be. Even so, the unease persisted, nagging like an itch he couldn’t scratch.
Something was off amid this entire mess with the Black Mountain wolves and their wayward rogue.
And he longed to get to the bottom of it.
5
Fuck, she made him reckless.
The Eislanders were at his throat. Lukka didn’t seem to give a shit. He was still convinced Kyle had abandoned Loren in enemy territory on purpose—a capital offense. Not to mention that he had two young females and an unaffiliated rogue crashing on his property.
And yet, here he was…giving riding lessons. The strange part? Even as the cons mounted, he didn’t feel remotely inclined to do anything else. This was a long time coming.
