Page 92 of Wolf Alliance

“We were all there for each other, the way it should be,” Niamh said.

“Exactly. I knew you were having a difficult time reaching Freigard, Erik.” Accalia hoped he wasn’t mad at her for leaving the boys to fight Freigard, which led them into the fight.

“I was. You gave me time to reach Freigard.” Erik motioned to the bed of furs they’d made so that Accalia would lay there on the other side of their sons while Niamh was on the opposite side. Accalia lay back down.

Then Erik climbed under the fur covers with Accalia to her surprise.

“Will his men regroup and attack us again?” She didn’t believe they would have any reason to do so. Freigard had been obsessed with having her and eliminating Erik.

“They’re leaderless now. Someone will take over their pack, but unless they want revenge, I doubt they’ll fight us any further.” He kissed her cold cheek, his mouth warm on her skin as he pulled her into his arms.

“What about our injured? Your brother Finlay?”

“Minor sword wounds, but they’ll heal because we’re wolves. Eight were injured, and they’ve been taken care of. Finlay will be fine. He’ll show off his wound to the lasses to prove his prowess in battle.”

Accalia managed a small smile. “And Freigard’s men?”

“They’re all dead, except for the ones who fled.” He pulled her tighter against himself as if he had to reassure himself that she was fine.

She raised her brows and kissed him. “You are no’ going to guard us?”

“Aye, I am. Right from here.”

The boys woofed, appearing to be pleased that they were all together. She was glad for it too. She smiled, relieved, as she watched the boys turn around a few times, scratching the bedding, and then settling down for the night. They had finally found a haven from the storm raging for hours. The wind had died down and the rain had slowed to a gentle shower, the pitter-patter against the tent’s roof lulling them into a peaceful slumber.

As Accalia lay there, listening to the soothing sounds of nature, she couldn't help but feel grateful for the company of the boys and her mate and that even her best friend was with them. The boys’ tails wagged, and they kicked their feet in sleep.

Now she didn’t need to dream about Erik because he tucked her in his arms for the rest of the night, but she still couldn’t wait to reach the safety of the castle, surrounded by thick walls that would protect them all.

Erik couldn’t believehis mate and boys had joined the battle to take down Freigard. He’d nearly died to see it when they had. And then Niamh was out fighting, putting self at risk. He couldn’t fault Accalia for going after him, knowing she was trying to protect Finlay and eliminate the threat to Erik and the boys. But he was surprised that his lads had run to help her.

He was glad Niamh had the wolf-fighting skills to protect Accalia. She was a welcome member of the pack.

When they woke the next morning, the rain had stopped, and they hurried to dress and break their fast. Then they mounted their horses after that and rode off in the direction of Whitehaven Castle. He smiled at Accalia. “You are a true leader when it comes to battle.”

Accalia smiled at him. “Now, if you told Isobel that, I could see that.”

“Everyone is talking about it. They’re glad you’re also their pack leader. Finlay, Logan, and me, most of all.”

“Thank you. I know I should have stayed with the boys.” She sounded like she felt guilty about leaving them behind during the battle. She glanced over her shoulder at the boys, riding behind them on their horses. “When I saw you trying to reach Freigard who was fighting Finlay and getting the best of him, I reacted instinctively as a wolf.”

“You did what was right. Getting rid of Freigard ended the battle completely. It was an important learning experience for the boys. They proved their courage to fight for family—you and Finlay. I was proud of them. They were so small that no one noticed them running after you while everyone was fighting.”

She sighed, appearing relieved he was proud of her.

“They were safer no matter where they were if they stuck by you. If they’d stayed by the collapsed tent, they could have been killed as easily. You, Niamh, and the boys did the right thing,” he continued.

“Thank you for saying so. I felt bad about it when I tore off to fight Freigard. I was so worried when the boys began tearing into him. He looked shocked to see a pack of wolves, three of them were pups, fighting him. But that meant I had to ensure he didn’t hurt the boys.”

Thorfinn spoke, “Our mother needed our help and like she said it was instinctive to attack our enemy, we felt the same about going to her aid and Uncle Finlay’s.”

“And we learned from Great Aunt Davina all about biting the bad guys to distract them,” Johnne said.

Erik glanced over his shoulder and smiled at his lads. “I am proud of you.”

They smiled back at him. He was glad that they had gone to Accalia’s aid. He was sure they had made a difference in taking Freigard down by biting him with their sharp little teeth and distracting him.

He was also relieved it wasn’t raining on the return to Whitehaven. They had sunny skies, a few clouds, and a light breeze, perfect for the ride home. The boys were holding up, though because of the fight in the middle of the night, he figured they would start drifting off to sleep. But they only had half a day to ride so they could make it to the castle without falling asleep on their horses.

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