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“Don’t be. I should apologize to you for putting you in such a difficult situation.”
Withoutwarning he fell on his knees and grabbed her hands. “Niev, please save me,” he desperately begged. “Please save me like you’ve saved Blake. I know I should be fearless in protecting the pack, but I’m afraid to die.”
The fear in his voice gave her goosebumps, even made her tear up. He was terrified, and it broke her heart to see him like this. They barely knew each other, yet he’d stood up for her against his own blood.
“I have no right to ask you for anything, but I beg you to save me. Don’t let me die, please.”
“I promise I’ll do all I can to save you if it’s necessary.” She kneeled down to be on the same eye level as him. “Has Blake told you how I saved him?”
Tristan shook his head.
“Before you allow me to do what you’re asking of me, I need you to understandhowit happened. My blood saved him. My blood healed his wounds. It only took a few drops on his injuries and they healed. I don’t know how it works or if it works for all injuries. So even if I promise to save you, I might not be able to do so. Are you still willing for me to do whatever it takes to heal you, even if it goes against your family’s wishes?”
“Yes.” His voice was strong and firm.
She nodded. “Don’t be afraid, Tristan. You’re not alone, there are others fighting along your side.” A cheeky grin formed on her face as she spoke her next words. “And if necessary, I might even come to your rescue and fight the wolf myself.”
He seemed to relax a little and even smiled back. He helped her to her feet and grabbed the bag she was carrying. Only now did he seemed to realize that she’d teared up.
“Oh no, please don’t tell Blake I made you cry. He’ll kill me.”
“It’s not you. It’s these terrible hormones that make me cry over every little thing,” she giggled. “I think you’re right though–we shouldn’t tell him. He’ll just go crazy.”
They continued to talk as Tristan walked her back to the main house. He told her about all the reckless things he and Blake had gotten in trouble for over the years. It was easy talking to Tristan, she enjoyed spending time and getting to know him.
Merging Souls
Blake was exhausted. His muscles ached and his paws hurt with each step he took. He’d been patrolling the borders without much rest since the night Niev healed most of his injuries. He hadn’t seen her much and missed her. He felt terribly guilty for leaving her behind, especially because all this was new to her. Even though strong and fierce, she was new to this world. She had no idea how anything worked around her, and he’d left her with basically no instructions to survive. He’d wanted to stay with her, get to know her, and make her feel at home, but his duty to his pack pulled him away. He had no choice but to follow his father and brother out to the borders.
His pack needed him as much as Niev did and by protecting the pack, he also protected her. His wolf helped him forget about most of his worries as he was driven by instincts, not human emotions. In his wolf form, he had no need to worry about anything but the survival of himself and his pack. Of course, his worries didn’t fade, but they didn’t bother him as much as they would in his human form.
He paused to drink some water by the creek, the cool water feeling good on his burning throat. He’d been running, always staying in motion to be less of a target. Even though Niev had healed most of his injuries, he still wasn’t in the best possible shape for a fight. He was constantly on high alert, ready to fight at any moment–and it was exhausting.
He turned by the old tree that marked the end of his route and started walking back, toward the other end. They had two patrols: the first one had split up the border and patrolled only part of the territory outline. The second patrol, made up of his father and brother, patrolled the entire border and walked around the whole territory. Blake had wanted to patrol with his father and brother, but they’d argued that he was still not healed, so they gave him a small part to patrol.
Since he tried to be as unpredictable as possible, he adjusted his speed and never walked the same path. At least, that’s what he thought. After wandering back and forth for so long, it all seemed the same anyway. The forest slowly lit up as the sun rose above the trees, and the shadows of the night faded away.
He would have to ask Seth or his father soon for a replacement. He needed rest. His paws felt heavy, his hearing was getting unclear, and his eyes kept seeing things that weren’t there. He knew he wasn’t the only one–every wolf in the pack felt the same. They were anxious, and the unknown made them nervous. Seth assumed the Skadu Wolveswantedto tire them out, to get an advantage over them. They didn’t know much about the Skadu Wolves, nothing of their size or their whereabouts. All they knew was that they were all highly trained warriors. Though they assumed the Timber Wolves outnumbered them, not all of his pack’s wolves were trained to fight.
Of course, they had their own warriors who were trained to protect the pack, but not all their wolves were trained the same. Now, each wolf that was strong enough was getting a crash course in the arts of combat. It was in a wolf’s nature to fight. The instinct to survive would take over as soon as a wolf’s life was in danger. But to be able to fight and survive against the most vicious and ruthless pack out there, they needed to train not just to fight as individuals, but as a whole–as a team.
His dark thoughts were suddenly interrupted by his father’s presence pushing against his mind, but something about it felt different. He felt excited, maybe even cheerful. His presence wasn’t requesting as if he wanted him to respond, rather it felt as if his father wanted to share his happiness with him. He started speaking, but he wasn’t speaking to Blake. He was sharing a conversation he was having with someone else.
‘I, Alpha Tanner of the Timber Pack, ask you, Niev Snow, mate to my second son Blake, to join my pack. I’ll vow to provide for you and your unborn child. I vow to keep you two safe and protect you both from all evil. Will you accept?’
Then he heard Niev, but it was a shadow of her real voice, as if he was hearing her through his father’s ears.
‘I accept’
Blake’s heart began to beat faster. His whole body felt ecstatic. For a split second, he felt all the souls of the people within the pack and felt Niev’s soul, her whole being, merge with the souls of the others. It was as if she was placed underneath him for safeguard. He’d heard his father tell Seth about how an alpha can feel all his pack members, but never experienced it himself.
His father’s presence faded away and left Blake with an unimaginable happiness. His muscles tensed up to run toward Niev, his love and savior, and welcome her. It took him a few seconds to realize what he was about to do. He couldn’t leave his post. Instead, he lifted his head toward the sky and howled to let the entire world hear his joy and excitement. He thanked Selene, his goddess of the moon, for her blessing. She’d brought Niev to him and blessed him with a child. Now he wanted the whole world to know how happy he was. Soon, other howls joined him and he knew his father must have shared his news with everyone.
He felt as if he was the luckiest wolf in the whole wide world. It gave him a much-needed boost in strength. His aches and pains were instantly less present. All he could feel was the warmth of his mate joining his pack. He patrolled his part of the border with new enthusiasm.
After the sun had fully risen, his father joined him with a basket full of food and Seth arrived just a few minutes after him. They shifted into their human forms and sat down to eat. Even though Blake had many questions for his father, it didn’t seem to be the right time or place. He wanted to ask him how and why he had allowed Niev to join the pack and if she’d initiated it or if he had. He wanted to ask his father if he was able to feel all the packs souls at any given time, and if Seth would feel the same when he would become alpha.
Seth seemed to be buried in his own thoughts as well. Although, his thoughts seemed much darker than Blake’s. His eyebrows fused, his jawline clenched, barely touching his food. Their father seemed to have noticed it too, his eyes resting on his first born.
