Page 41 of Wolf Marked

Astrid grunted. When two alphas from neighboring packs got together, for any circumstance, the tension was high enough. Alphas didn’t like to be challenged, so Astrid couldn’t imagine having two alphas ruling over one pack. It was dangerous. Deadly, even. “What did Father say about this?”

“He hasn’t mentioned it, but I know he feels it, too. Our wolves almost clashed in his tent, while questioning Claus. It’s hard to ignore.”

“I’ve never heard of a pack having two alphas before. What does this mean?”

“It’s impossible to have two,” Filip said, his face grim. “Father will either have to step down or…” He trailed off, his gaze drifting over to one of the canvas walls.

“Or what?”

“Or one of us will have to challenge the other to be the pack’s alpha.”

She gasped, dread encasing her heart. When two wolves challenged each other, it meant a fight, usually for dominance or territory. There could only be one winner, and the loser…he would die. Filip respected their father too much to take him out, but he did have a mate and a son to worry about. And Father, he loved his children more than himself, but he’d been alpha since youth. Would he give it up that easily?

When Astrid met Filip’s eyes again, she could see the same realizations and questions hovering there. Filip wasn’t sure what he would do if challenged, either, and that scared her.

“And what of the pack?”

“I’ve tried to have as little interaction with people as possible. And with everyone busy settling in, I’ve been able to get away with it.” Then he added, “For the most part.”

Astrid didn’t like the sound of that. “Who knows?”

“Besides you—Mila and Father. And now Bec and Kalle. Oh, and Erec.”

“Erec?” she asked. That was a name she hadn’t expected to hear. “How does he know?”

“I thought he deserved some answers from Claus, after everything the wolf has done to him,” Filip said. “Because of him, we found out Jerrick wants to rule over all as the one and only alpha. That’s what all this death and destruction has been about.”

But they had known that already, hadn’t they? It wasn’t an unbelievable goal for a madman like Jerrick.

“Anything else? Anything new that we can use to stop him?” Astrid walked over to her bed and sat on the edge. As she glanced around the room, she realized all her belongings had not only made the trip but had been placed exactly how she always set them—from her bed in the center of the small space and the white fur rug lying underneath, to the loom that held the half-woven blanket she’d started years ago and never finished. Even the dried lilac flowers she had picked last spring hung from the tent’s ceiling and her oldest pair of boots, still covered in mud and grass, were lined up near thetent’s entrance. All of it must have been Filip’s doing. She had expected most of her things to be left behind in the rush of the move, but then again, her brother always went the extra mile when it came to her. Seeing everything still here and so neatly placed wasn’t too surprising.

“With every pack Jerrick takes down, he takes recruits to join his ranks. The east pack makes four packs that he’s destroyed, and that’s only from what we know of. There may be more. Jerrick must have a nice size army by now.” Filip began to pace at the foot of her bed, his forehead creased with worry. “We haven’t gotten any word from Rohan’s pack in the north yet, or the ones up the east point.”

From what Astrid had gathered from her father’s conversations in the past, Rohan’s pack was small and he was a young alpha without a lot of experience. Father thought him arrogant and only dealt with him when it came to trading goods. But if his pack and theirs were the only two left, it might be smarter to close the distance a little and work together.

Filip must have been thinking the same thing because the next thing he said was, “Rohan’s is the closest. I’ll send a messenger up north at the first light of dawn. Father won’t like it, but we may need to band together for this coming battle with Jerrick. Strengthen our numbers.”

There was a short pause, and Filip stopped his pacing. When he looked at her, the same worry hung in his gaze. “Claus also mentioned something about Jerrick wanting Erec—that he’s been looking for him. Do you know anything about that?”

A wiggle of fear went through Astrid. Jerrick knew who Erec was? And he was searching for him? Did Erec know Jerrick more than he had let on?

“No…” she choked out, her mouth suddenly dry. “He never said anything to me about that.”

“Erec seemed pretty shocked, too,” Filip continued, and relief rushed through her. “Erec pushed for more, but Claus didn’t say anything else about it.”

“Where is Erec now?” she asked.

“He’s helping Bec and Kalle dispose of Claus’s body.”

So that meant Jerrick’s right-hand man was dead. Astrid wondered by whose hand—her father’s, Erec’s, or Filip’s.

Astrid let out a loud sigh. Her shoulders slumped forward, and she sank farther into the softness of her bed. Filip came over and sat beside her. His gaze softened.

“I didn’t tell you all this to concern you, Ash,” he said, his tone gentle. “After hidingFather’s secret from you for years and seeing how it hurt you so deeply, I promised myself I wouldn’t keep anything from you again. I don’t want to see you that upset, especially because of me.”

Filip hadn’t said it outright, but Astrid knew her brother well enough to decipher his words. He was saying he loved her, in his own way. At least he wasn’t trying toprotecther by lying to her anymore. But not worry? How could she not? Her father and brother were clashing for ownership of the pack and Erec… Even with Filip’s confidence in Erec, Astrid still wanted to ask him a few more questions about Claus’s confession and his past with Jerrick—if he had any. If Erec had been lying at all, then there was a chance that she had stood against her father for the enemy. And that her father had been right all along.

“I don’t want you to worry,” he repeated. “It’s not your problem to stress over. It’ll work itself out.” He laughed, but it sounded forced and false to her ears. “I’ve always wanted to be alpha. Follow in Father’s steps. I just thought that when it did happen, things would be a little different. That’s my luck, I guess.”

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