Page 37 of Fated to the Wolf Prince

Kane, what’s the meaning of this? You’ve made a sham of my peace treaty.

This wolf threatens my mate bond. He cannot be allowed to live.

Mate bond?My father hesitated, something I’d rarely seen in my thirty-three years of life.You’ve found a mate, truly?

Truly, Father. He’s put his hands on her and threatened to try to take her from me.

Bah! Foolish words from one barely older than a pup. Release him, and we’ll discuss this.

My wolf protested, and as soon as my father released the alpha command from me, I couldn’t resist giving Russo one last shake before I pried my jaws off him.

Father stood relaxed, watching as we separated, Russo’s glare poisonous as he stared me down.

“Shane Russo, my son tells me you’ve threatened his fated mate and my men tell me that you’ve also made unwanted advances toward the women under my protection at this gathering. As such, you and your pack are banished. If any of you are still on the grounds within one hour, I won’t stop him from ripping your throat out. I’ll help him, and leave your entrails for the bears.” He made an expansive gesture toward the open wilderness, and the Russo Alpha began backing away. Slowly at first, before turning tail and running.

As soon as he was out of sight, my father turned to me, crossing his arms. “I presume you’ve got security on your mate until we confirm he’s out of the state?”

Still in wolf form, I turned and spotted Gael, who gave me a serious nod and jogged off to oversee the Russo pack’s exit.

“Come, then, shift back. I want to have a conversation with you. It’s not every day your son and heir finds his fated mate, after all.”

I did as he was told, then slipped my pants back on, leaving my chest bare. I was still hot and thrumming with too much energy for more than that.

I would be until things were fixed with Brielle, but I owed my father a conversation before I could go and beat her door down.

I dismissedReed and followed my father to his temporary office, which some of the pack’s females had decorated and set up for him. They’d done an excellent job on such short notice. The room was the perfect blend of comfort and intimidation one would expect for an alpha of his stature. Dark mahogany furniture took up a good portion of the room, chairs grouped loosely in front of the desk, with extras against the wall next to a beautiful black chest, which I had no idea where they’d found it. It had shiny, gleaming hinges and a latch which seemed to radiate magic. His men, Sergei and Dimitri, posted themselves right outside the door as I shut the door behind me and took the chair directly across from him.

He sank into the oversized leather chair with grace fitting for a wolf of his age, letting his hands rest easily on the arms as he appraised me.

We were opposites in the moment. Him the picture of a still well of untapped power, me an agitated stream running over rapids and spitting angrily into the air.

“Well, tell me about her.”

Such a simple request that held so much weight. Where did I even start?

“She’s beautiful, intelligent—a trained doctor, actually, and her pack’s healer according to her file—and she’s compassionate, more than any other she-wolf I’ve ever met.”

He drummed lightly on the arm of his chair, considering. His eyes fixed on the mate marks on my chest when he spoke next.

“And will she make a good leader?”

Would she? That was the only thing I didn’t know. She was kindhearted, and many good wolves would be glad to follow a female like that.Iwould follow her to the ends of the earth. But not all wolves were good, and even some that were canted back to the old law, that only the strong were fit to lead. That didn’t even bring in our suspicions that she was more than psi, butomega. That great danger that hung over our heads like Damocles’s sword.

The idea of her being challenged by wolves like that nearly stopped the blood in my veins. But my father needed an answer, and I couldn’t lie to him.

“She will have to be. She’s my mate, and my wolf will accept no other.”

He nodded, seeming satisfied enough with the answer. “And why were you fighting that Russo twerp when you could have been at her side?”

I sighed, dropping my head into my hands. The reminder of those circumstances was painful, like a finger jab to a fresh claw wound.

“She doesn’t want to see me right now.”

“I see. And what do you plan to do about that?”

Relief that he wasn’t going to askwhywas short-lived. What was I going to do about it? I didn’t even know why she was rejecting me, so how was I supposed to fix it?

“I don’t know, Alpha. What do you suggest?”

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