Page 46 of Cursed Wolf

“He’s been expecting you.”

Hearing those words, I breathe a huge sigh of relief. My gorgeous girl has arrived. Whatever state they were accepted by the Alpha, I’ll sort it out now that we’re here. Eager to get inside, we watch as the guard takes his time getting down to open the gates.

“Would it look bad if I smack this fucker around the head a bit?” Nikos whispers under his breath.

Cutting him a smile, I shake my head and hand him my horse’s reins just as the gates open with a screeching wail. The man waves us inside, and we step into an opening engulfed by shadows. Nikos brings the two horses, and another guard steps forward to help him.

In no time, we’re following a worn path up a hill toward the compound. An open field of grass, shrubs, and trees flanks our walk. It’s refreshing to see that within the walls, the wolves can run free and feel safe from the undead.

For a long time, the Shadowlands Sector had been buried under an army of undead, and to many, it had been seen as a cursed land. It still amazes me that wolf shifters survived and made a life in this part of Romania.

Silence permeates the night, with only the occasional wolf howl in the distance. We pass an open courtyard surrounded by huts as we make our way toward the stone fortress that rises out of the darkness.

The men take our horses to the stables, leaving us alone to approach the building. Nikos strolls by my side, glancing around as much as I am.

“This place brings back memories of home,” he whispers. In truth, it appears completely different from where I grew up in an open village, where the perimeters were protected with magic against our enemies and the undead. Though I suspect he may be referring to his place of birth—before his father sold him to my family in exchange for my sister.

The compound gives me ideas of what I will need to build once I finally claim Savage Sector as my forever home with Narah and my pack. If the undead remain up north, perhaps simple fences weren’t enough. What Dušan had created here is genius.

Speaking of the man… he steps out of the front doors of his castle, meeting my gaze with his steel gaze. He wears jeans and a wrinkled shirt, showing he’d dressed hastily. We must have drawn him from sleep.

The Alpha always struck me as a reasonable man, so even if he looks irritated, he wasn’t a fucking asshole like so many of them. Besides, for him to meet us on his own shows trust and that he knows where Narah and my men are for the moment.

“Dušan, I wish I could say we’re meeting under better circumstances.”

His icy blue eyes pierce Nikos and me, especially the splattered blood over my clothes. When he steps forward, I close the distance between us. This is his home, which means he holds dominance—especially if I want his help.

“Ragnar, it’s good to see you’ve arrived.” The breeze sweeps through his inky dark hair, which sits messily around his face and over his shoulders. It’s grown wilder since I last saw him. “I always keep my word. Any pack in trouble is welcome in my home,” he states loudly and takes me into a strong embrace, slapping my back. “Your pack’s visit is unexpected, though. Evidently, since our last visit, you’ve found yourself an Omega and got her pregnant.”

I laugh. If only he knew the truth of the chaos I’d endured since we last met all those months ago.

“I have much to tell you. This isn’t the way I’d intended to pay you a visit, but sometimes, fate has a way fucking with us.”

“You’re not wrong there.” With another slap to my back, he nudges me inside his home.

Light from the fiery torches sitting in brass brackets on the walls blinks against the stone building. Our footfalls echo around us as I trail after him down a corridor. We take a set of curved stone steps and emerge into a dimly lit foyer with tapestries of wild wolves in battle hanging from the walls.

“Your pack has been fed, then sent to rest in our guest rooms,” he states, strolling alongside me. Nikos remains at our back, and a guard follows him.

“You are too generous,” I state. “On our last meeting, things weren’t exactly easy between us.” A time when we came to collect Jae, who’d been lost and somehow made her way down to the Shadowlands Sector. It was chaos when we got here—undead running amok, Dušan restrained and fed to the zombies by someone in his pack. Of course, we saved him, which, in hindsight, was the best fucking decision I’d ever made.

“On your last visit, you could have taken advantage of my situation and eliminated me to claim my pack, but you didn’t.” He gives me a look of understanding. “For that, I am forever grateful. Besides, Meira would have my balls if I didn’t treat her friends with anything but hospitality.” He grins and runs a hand through his hair, pushing the loose strands off his face.

“I’m all for not creating chaos in my life by disagreeing with my Omega.” I bark out a laugh.

“You got it. Anyway, I’ll show you where everyone is before we sit down to talk. I assume you’ll want to make sure they’re all okay.”

I nod.

“Absolutely,” Nikos answers behind us, gaining an approving grin from Dušan.

We reach the first door, and the moment Dušan opens it, thunderous snores escape. I instantly know Crius and Stone are in there, growling like dragons. The light behind us stretches into the room, revealing two large beds with bulky shapes under the blankets. Stone’s lying on his stomach, with his leg hanging off the mattress. Crius is lying on his back, with his axe near the bed as though he’d fallen asleep gripping it. That sounds like him. By the smell of perspiration and sweet wine in the air, I’d say they experienced a fun night.

Nikos scoffs. “Tell me I’m not stuck in there with those two.”

Dušan shuts the door and chuckles. “Don’t worry. You have your own room.” While he shows Nikos to the next room along the corridor, he suggests we pay a visit to their showers first. “We have running hot water.”

Nikos’ eyes widen. “You better not be fucking with me. The cold showers I’ve taken lately nearly froze my balls off.”

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