Page 34 of Wolf Marked

Henrick strode over to them. “We made it! Safe and sound,” he said. “It’ll be nice to have a home again.”

There was that word. Home. It irked something inside Erec every time he heard it. Maybe it was because he didn’t know what made up a home exactly. Was it a large space? Dwellings? Having basic needs met? He wasn’t sure.

“What should we do about the loon?” Henrick asked, pointing at Claus’s half-conscious form in Kalle and Bec’s hold.

“We have to bring him to Filip,” Erec said, “and explain to him what happened with the other scouts.”

Bec and Kalle exchanged uncertain looks.

“What about Boden?” Bec asked. “Shouldn’t we bring Claus to him?”

Oh, that was right. The alpha. As part of the pack, everything was supposed to go through him. Erec would much rather speak with Filip. He was more reasonable of the two, especially if Boden was still struggling with his sickness. Talking to the alpha would be a waste of time, and Erec wanted to know what Jerrick was up to and fast. Who knew how much time they had until he found out where they were and attacked.

Was there a way Erec could get around pack rules?

The loud crunching of boots in the snow snapped Erec’s attention left, and his muscles tensed at what he saw. Boden’s massive frame marched toward them. He looked more like a colossal brown bear lumbering across its territory than a wolf shifter, with his mess of coppery hair, wiry beard, and broad shoulders. He carried an axe bigger than any weapon Erec had ever seen before. It had to be hefty enough to take down a mature pine in a single chop.

Erec sighed.Great. Just who I wanted to see right now.

A few of the survivors gasped. The alpha’s intimidating presence was everything like the stories told. He certainly did look like a powerful, callous warrior. If only they knew he wasn’t nearly the man they thought he was.

When Boden’s piercing gaze landed on Erec, anger pinched his red face. There it was again—his alpha wolf aura pressing against him, commanding Erec to submit. Because it was day, Erec’s own wolf was dormant, but that didn’t stop him from meeting Boden’s glare head on.

Not very smart, since you’re hoping to be welcomed into his pack.

But Erec hated the way Boden looked at him, like he was worthless, the lowest of the low. A no one. He was allowed to think like that about himself but not Boden. He wanted to prove him wrong.

The standoff ended, though, as soon as Astrid rushed over to her father and wrapped her arms around his middle. Boden’s entire body eased, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as she squeezed him.

Even one of the most feared men of their kind was a kitten when it came to Astrid.

“Father,” she whispered into his vest, her words muffled by the fabric. “I missed you.”

Erec knew what she meant by the words. The last time they had seen Boden, he’dbeen talking to the sky with a distant look in his eyes, his mind gone. He had hated seeing Astrid screaming at him, heartbroken.

Boden pulled back, holding her by the arms, and looked her over. “Look at you, shining like a little star. My Astrid.”

“Father…” she warned and stepped away from him. “Please don’t.”

His laughter thundered. “All right. All right. I’m just relieved to have you home. Safe.” His attention snapped to Erec again, and the coldness returned to his stare.

“My son said you were going to rescue some of Jerrick’s prisoners,” Boden began, straightening his spine to appear even taller. He spotted Erec’s bandaged shoulder, and his nostrils flared. “What happened?”

Erec hesitated, not sure how to respond. He needed to figure out how to tell the alpha what had happened with Claus and the scouts without really “telling” him what happened.

Boden’s grip on his axe tightened as he waited for an answer. “Well?” he growled.

Suddenly, Astrid was between them. “Father, Erec not only rescued the survivors, but Jerrick’s scouts had been watching us nearby and—” She paused. “They chased me. Erec saved me. Because of him, we’re alive. Because of him, I’m alive.”

Boden’s top lip curled up, his anger radiating off him like heat from a fire. “I told Filip. You should have never gone. Jerrick’s scouts? You could have been killed, Astrid.” His scorching glare whipped toward Erec. “She should have never gone.”

Oh, I know.

“Are these them?” Boden asked, swinging his axe toward Henrick and the others.

“Yes,” Erec replied. “There’s about a dozen of them.”

“And who is this?” He gestured to Claus the same way.

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