AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I too want to welcome you. Like my father this morning I now vow to you as your future alpha to provide for you and your unborn child. I vow to keep you both safe and protect each of you from all evil.” With a less formal voice he continued. “We didn’t have a good start. We had our differences and I hope you can accept my proposal to take this day and start fresh.”
Niev’s answer came quickly. “I would love that.”
Her quivering voice made Blake turn his head and he saw tears running down her cheeks.
“Thank you.”
Seth nodded and sat back down.
Blake handed her a tissue and she started blushing. Everyone sat in silence, no one knowing what to do or say until his father started putting food on his plate.
“Mayra love, hand me the sauce please.”
After that, little conversations erupted everywhere and halfway through the meal Michael, Layla’s mate, arrived. “So sorry I’m late.” He searched the table, saw Niev, and walked toward her. “You must be Niev, so nice to meet you.”
He stretched out his hand and as soon as Niev grabbed it Michael pulled her to her feet.
“I’m Michael, Layla’s mate. Welcome!” He gave her a hug and turned to everyone else. “Well I hope you’ve left me some food because this man is starving.”
Layla pointed at the seat between her and Alizia. “Sit, my love. There is more than enough for you.”
Niev hadn’t said much at all through dinner, she’d been listening to everyone’s conversations while quietly eating her food. Finally, she looked up at him and asked, “Don’t you have another sister?”
“Yes, Ann. She lives in a different pack. She was going to come and meet you–mother always keeps her up to date on everything going on here. Unfortunately, her visit has to wait until after all this is over.”
“Does she have children?”
“No not yet, she only left us about six months ago, to live with her mate’s pack.”
“Is that common?”
“It’s more common for women than for men.”
“Why is that? Because a wolf has a stronger connection to his own pack?”
He nodded. She was catching on to things fast. “Yes, the women feel the bond in a different way than the men do. We believe it’s because women cannot shift. The wolf in us is the one who ties our human to Selene.”
“And a wolf is a social animal, so the pack keeps him...” She seemed to search for the right word. “Happy?”
“More like sane. There have been a few lone wolves who have either left their pack or lost them. Most of them have lost their minds being all alone.”
“Lost, as in everyone died?”
Blake nodded, Niev’s face turning sad.
“That’s horrible. Do all packs live like you?”
“A lot but not all. We’ve settled and are content with our territory. Some packs are not as civil as we are. They never claimed land or territory for themselves and roam free. Some are more peaceful, others more violent.”
“Like the Skadu Pack?”
“Yes, the Skadu Pack is one of the most violent ones we know. They live to fight and loot other packs for their survival. Some say they are less human than most.”
She was carefully listening to everything he was saying and hanging onto every word, like a sponge trying to soak up all the information provided to her.
“What about their children and women?”
“We assume they travel with them, yet in a safe distance–far away from the fights. We don’t know much about them.”
