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He took them in, then glanced at her, his gaze falling on the clothes. Ash gave her a small push, and she took a wobbly handful of steps and held them out to him.
His eyes lit with gold fire as he touched her face, and he gathered the clothes, pulling them on.
“Good,” said Kodiak. “I accept your allegiance.” He walked around, touching all of them and they rose one by one, until he returned to near her. “And this is the last fight to the death within our pack. I did what needed to be done since he refused to let it go, and my heart is heavy and will bear the good Shota we knew, not the one twisted and grotesque with anger.”
“To our alpha,” said Fern, voice shaking. “To our fallen. And to the Shota we once knew.”
The rest joined in.
“We won’t let him die in vain.” He directed this to Fern, while addressing them all. “Anger is a tool, and if it burns out of control it consumes. To take a different road, to know when to forfeit, isn’t weakness. It’s strength when you know how to do it. And we will. This is a new era.”
“And what of the cause?” someone called.
Her cheeks burned because that was for her. It stung in the air.
“He let his need for revenge and power and hate and rigid adhesion to old ways get the better of him. Olcan wouldn’t have approved.”
Onai spoke up. “He didn’t. He wanted someone better. He wanted Kodiak.”
“We’re a cohesive pack. Down but not downtrodden. It’s time to rise up. To win.” Kodiak’s voice did that quiet thing that made it bigger and utterly compelling again. “We need to be out fighting vampires, avenging our fallen, not turning on each other.”
This time when he fell silent something came over Tamaska.
Like some kind of hidden sense, as if she could read things she couldn’t see.
A surety of knowing surged through her and she knew it was time.
Time to make her choice.
Time to let him make his.
She didn’t even try to understand it.
She just let it happen.
Stepping closer to Kodiak she half reached for him and stopped herself, and stood there, in front of him. Stood and waited. He turned to her, his eyes wolfish. That golden glow flared, like he was claiming. Like he was compelling, and even though she knew she needed to step up if she wanted to let him know she’d be with him if he wanted her, she didn’t know what to do next.
Except…
She loved him.
Somewhere along the line she’d not just bonded, she’d fallen in love. And she wanted, desperately, to fit in, to have a chance.
If he rejected her then she’d deal, but…
The others had submitted to him, and so would she.
Quickly, Tamaska dropped her gaze down at the dirt and kneeled.
“Tamaska.”
She looked up at the quiet command.
He smiled.
Her heart slammed hard against her ribs like something momentous was happening. Something…
“My Tamaska.” Then he reached for her and lifted her to his side. “You don’t need to bow to me.”
