Page 26 of Fated to the Wolf Prince

Gael nodded, and then two pairs of intent, wolfish eyes studied me. I poured it all out for them, holding nothing back: the intense and unexplained pain, her mother’s unusual and early death, and my determination to change what she saw as her future. The color drained from Gael’s face as I spoke.

“Alpha, I’m so sorry. Had I known, I never would have said—”

“You’re a Boy Scout, Gael. You’d still have said it because that’s your knee-jerk reaction every time. But this is a law that’s been repressing wolves for centuries. It’s high time things changed.” Reed’s irritation shone through the words, though he tried to hide it.

Gael glared and shoved Reed’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t have said itin front of herand added stress if I’d known she was sick!” Amazing how two grown men devolved into teen antics when you took the stress off their shoulders for a few seconds.

I raised a hand, not even having to speak, and they fell silent. “All is forgiven, Gael. My mate is strong, despite this illness.”

Even as I said the words, they didn’t feel right. My wolf was pacing, something niggling at the back of my mind, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“So, what are we going to do to help her? I’m assuming the first stop is our healer, no?” Gael asked, more than happy to have a problem to solve.

“Sheisa trained doctor. Didn’t you read the files the Alphas submitted? If there was a simple medical solution, I’m sure she’d already have found it.”

“Of course I read the files. I checked every single person for security risks, interpack feuds, and anything else before signing off on rooming assignments. In fact, I remember thinking she could be trouble because she’s been studying wolf physiology and how we differ from standard-variety humans. There’s no way that would fly in a bigger pack. Heck, half the packs here would be none too pleased to find out her field of study.”

Was this mystery illness why she studied medicine? It was unusual for a wolf to take ill, and even rarer to actually die from it, so I could understand the impulse. But Gael was right. If she continued her career, that could cause major problems for interpack relations once we were mated. Shifters didn’t take kindly to anything that brought to mind being tested like lab rats.

That was a bridge to cross when we got to it. For now, I wanted to make sure she stayed alive and well to argue with me about her chosen profession for many centuries to come. Besides, my father still had a good hundred years of ruling as high alpha ahead of him, which was why I’d started my own pack, on a whole separate continent. He was only five hundred seventy. Knowing him, he’d live to be a thousand just to prove he was the stubbornest bastard on the planet.

“We can ask John Henry to take a look at her, assuming she’s okay with it, but I doubt he’ll find anything she didn’t, given she’s been working on it for so long. I was thinking more outside the box. Do you think Inuksuk would be willing to meet with us?”

“That’s definitely outside the box. He didn’t come for the Athabascan pack—they only had two single males, and they sent them alone since they’re so close. He’s ancient, so we’d have to go to him.”

“I’m willing to do that.”I’m willing to find the moon Goddess herself, if that’s what it takes.

“I’ll reach out to their pack line, see when we can visit,” Reed said.

“Thank you. The sooner, the better. Though I’ll have to tell my father something. He should be happy I’ve found a mate so quickly, at least. That’s the whole reason for this shindig.”

“Your old man is wily. Or maybe he’s got himself a seer we don’t know about,” Gael joked.

I couldn’t stop a snort. Seers were almost as mythical as omegas. Though I wouldn’t put anything past Kosta, son of Konstantin. He’d delivered my fated mate to me practically on a silver platter.

“Are you going to tell him what we suspect?” Reed’s eyes were sharp, and I knew he had my back, whatever I decided.

“We’ll see how he reacts to the news I’ve found my fated mate first.”

NINETEEN

Brielle

I’d slept better on a random bed in a dormitory after my time spent with Kane than I had in my own bed back in Texas in months. The man was some kind of miracle worker, that was for sure. Although, it was barely nine a.m., and already I was replaying our brief interlude the day before. It had been divine, and at first, that was all I remembered. But the more times I turned it over in my head, the more worried I’d gotten.

We had mate marks, the kiss had been hotter than a Fourth of July Texas parade, and I was raring to go again… but he’d stopped. When I thought back, it was really just one hell of a kiss. Why had he stopped? We’d gotten interrupted, sure, but by that point, he was already wrapped around me like my own personal big spoon.

Was he not that into me? I found it hard to believe since an impressive erection had been grinding into my hip.

And yet, the evidence didn’t lie. He’d had me stretched out on a bed underneath him, and there had been no wandering hands and no clothing removal.

I bit the skin on the side of my thumbnail absently as I opened the door to see if Leigh and Shay were ready to head down for the day’s activity.

Okay, let’s be honest. I just wanted to give them the recap and have them reassure me I wasn’t an unattractive troll incapable of keeping my hot alpha happy. I was a little fluffy, and most of the time I owned that shit, but every now and then… I let being surrounded by perfectly toned she-wolves get to me.

When my door swung open, however, it wasn’t to an empty hallway. A fiery redhead in a miniskirt and white crop top nearly stumbled straight into me.

“Whoa, wasn’t expecting that to open. You my roomie?” She swayed on her feet, the faint scent of wine and a male wolf rolling off her like stale perfume.

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