Page 49 of Wolf Alliance

“Aye!” Thorfinn and his brothers said. “In the loch from the boats.”

“As wolves?” Isobel asked, sounding surprised.

“Aye,” Accalia said, glad the boys wanted to try it again. “We can have the fish for the nooning meal.” She glanced at Erik, who nodded at her, smiling.

He would have to have a guard detail for them, but what she didn’t expect was that Alasdair and his brothers were eager to try such a thing, and before long, boats were rowed out across the loch, and a person would stay with each boat, while the others stripped and shifted and jumped into the loch.

Even though Accalia had thought to go with the women, Isobel and Bessetta went with Alasdair and his brothers. Erik, his sons, Accalia, and Logan went together in another boat, while a mix of wolves from both packs accompanied them in other boats.

She considered asking the boys what they thought about her and Erik mating while they rowed out across the loch, but she wanted to speak to them alone. She was worried they might feel intimidated by their da if he was present while she spoke to them.

“About tonight,” Erik said to his boys, “you will sleep with your nannies.”

They watched him, not saying a word.

Thorfinn said, “Aye.”

“You fought well against Isobel,” Erik told Thorfinn. “She has bested male wolves twice her size.”

Accalia hadn’t known that and realized then that Isobel had to have been holding back when she fought her.

“Truly?” Thorfinn asked.

“Aye. Did you learn anything from her?” Erik asked, dipping the oars into the water and pulling the water behind them.

“Aye, that her shield is a weapon. I never saw anyone use it to knock someone down,” Thorfinn said, sounding much impressed.

“I was proud of you boys for going to Accalia’s aid.”

Accalia was too. “I appreciated it too. I was getting tired but even so, she would have been able to knock me down because I wasn’t prepared for it. But in a fight like that, you must get back up and defend yourself, not give up or you’ve lost the battle.”

“Aye, Accalia is right,” Erik said, then paused and cleared his throat. “She wishes to join me in bed tonight. How do you feel about that?”

Erik didnotjust say that!

“Will you be our mother?” Hendrie asked, sounding hopeful.

Johnne waited to learn if it was true. Thorfinn was frowning and she wasn’t sure he was ready for her to be his mother, if ever.

“I will speak with you boys alone about it first,” she said, giving Erik a sharp look.

He looked a little guilty that he had brought it up instead of letting her handle it herself, but she assumed he thought she wouldn’t do it soon enough for his liking.

The boys waited expectantly. Everyone else was already stripping, shifting, diving into the water, and fishing, their boats scattered across the loch while Erik, the boys, and she remained seated in the boat.

“All right, how do you feel about me staying with your da tonight?” she asked.

“Every night?” Thorfinn asked, wanting clarification. “Not just one night? It doesna count if ‘tis just one night.”

Erik smiled at her, putting her on the spot where he wanted her.

The other boys were silent, watching her, waiting for her answer.

What if they made love but not all the way and found they didn’t suit? How could she agree that they would stay together forever if they weren’t the right wolves for each other?

“Just the one night,” she said, unwilling to make more of a concession than that and regretting it later.

“Aye!” Erik shouted, his voice carrying across the loch, wolves and those not in their wolf coats watching them.

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