Page 36 of Wolf Alliance

“I am home. None of us have any intention of returning there.” Erik knew his brother was ruthless, but so did Ragnoff and his cousins yet they supported him against Erik and his remaining brothers.

Ragnoff glanced at Accalia. She stiffened under his hard gaze. He glanced around at the castle. “This is now yours?”

“Aye.” The castle was unless he was referring to Accalia.

“She’s your woman?” Ragnoff asked.

Before Erik could respond, Accalia folded her arms and said, “He’s mine.”

Erik smiled a little at her, amused that she would lay claim to him instead of the other way around when he didn’t think she meant it but only said so for Ragnoff’s sake.

“You may eat with us and then return home,” Erik told Ragnoff. He wasn’t giving them a place to rest. He didn’t trust them. As far as he was concerned, they were still loyal to Leifson. He had men take care of their horses and then waved to Ragnoff and his burly black-haired cousins. “Come. We can talk while working on the wall.” He didn’t mean for them to have to work on it. Not when he was sending them away with nothing to gain.

He glanced at Accalia. She smiled at him, inclined her head, and returned to the keep.

He met Finlay and Logan at the wall that required immediate repairs after a gale had torn down a section of the stone structure. They had to get it done before they had real trouble with someone like Freigard and his men as much as they were causing problems on his land.

“Hey, brother,” Logan said to Erik, helping Finlay place another rock in the mortar.

But they both eyed Ragnoff and his cousins who joined them.

“They want us to return home.” Erik carried a rock over.

“Why?” Logan asked, continuing to work on the wall, not looking in their direction as if they weren’t even there.

“Leifson has killed five of our men for no good reason. He said they were looking hungrily at his wife. The Gods know he had a hard time getting another one. So he fears any man looking at her will take her away from him,” Ragnoff said, watching them rebuild the wall.

“We knew what Leifson was like and you still backed him,” Erik said.

“He wasna as bad before you left,” Ragnoff said. “He willna admit it, but you and your brothers had the best battle strategies. We have lost several battles with neighboring clans. He fears losing his position.”

His life, more likely. “You see what we have here. He gave us no choice but to fight him or leave. This is where our home is now. Naught would make us return.”

“Knowing Leifson, he has stirred up the wrong beehive,” Logan said, slapping on some mortar.

The other men working on the wall agreed. “We tried to convince the three of you to come with us.” “You believed his lies about Erik and his brothers wanting to kill him in his sleep.” “You believed his lies about Erik and his brothers wanting his woman.” “He created problems with the clans to the north and south of our settlement and we told you that would come back to haunt him.”

Erik and Finlay lifted a rock together and put it in place.

“You have your answer,” Erik said. Then he motioned to Philbin. “Take Ragnoff and his cousins to the keep and get them some ale.”

“Aye.” Philbin escorted them back to the keep.

Erik might have sounded like he was offering his hospitality when he didn’t want to hear another word from the three men, and he didn’t want any of his men to waste their breath explaining their reasoning for leaving their homes.

“The lass is certainly resourceful,” Finlay said, changing the subject. “I never imagined she would be practicing archery with your sons.”

“I agree. I was proud of her and the boys.”

The last time he’d tried to work with them, they were younger and so inept, that he couldn’t deal with it, realizing patience wasn’t one of his strong suits. Which was the same as his father had been with Erik and his brothers when they were lads.

He suspected Rob and Fenton, who would have been trying to keep up their tough warrior persona with the boys while training them so they wouldn’t lose face, changed the way they had treated them when Accalia was watching the process. He realized how much his people behaved differently around her—smiling more, laughing more—as if she brightened their day.

Logan said, “You need to do something…you know, romantic with the bonny lass.”

“Willa didna like doing anything like that.” Though if it made a difference to Accalia, Erik would do about anything to show her that he wanted her.

“She’s no’ like Willa, and all women are different. Think on it, brother,” Logan said, loving to give him brotherly advice, even though Erik was the oldest of his brothers here.

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