Page 35 of Wolf Marked

“One of the scouts who chased me,” Astrid chimed in. “He’s Jerrick’s right-hand man. Or should I say dog.”

Another threatening growl rumbled in Boden’s throat. “How do you know this?”

“Erec recognized him,” she said.

“He was the one who knocked me out the night of the attack on Mikel’s pack,” Erec added quickly. He didn’t need Boden thinking they had a connection other than that. It was obvious the alpha still didn’t trust him.

“You should have killed him,” Boden huffed.

“Believe me, I thought about it.” Erec gritted his teeth. “But killing him means we lose the only connection to Jerrick we have. Claus has information. He knows Jerrick’s plans, and the more prepared we are the better. We’ll be able to stop him.”

“He’s right, Father. Claus will know everything about Jerrick,” Astrid said. “Listen to him.”

But the scowl on Boden’s face didn’t lift.

“Father,” Astrid started, tone firm, “Erec has done a lot for us already. We should trust what he says.”

Most alphas didn’t like to be told what to do. Erec had only had three encounters with Boden the Warrior, and those few were enough to confirm that he was no different.

The alpha was quiet for a long moment.

Finally, he heaved a sigh. “Bring Jerrick’s mutt to my tent. I have some questions for him myself.”

Claus’s head snapped up. Terror flashed across his face as Bec and Kalle lifted him up. They carried him off.

“Father, what about the survivors?” Astrid asked, regaining his attention. “They have to stay here with us.”

“They’re strangers, Astrid,” Boden retorted, his tone harsh. “It was a risk even bringing them here.”

This wasn’t going to go as easily as Astrid claimed. Boden was never going to accept any of them into his pack.

“They’re harmless,” Astrid shot back. “Do they look threatening to you?”

Erec didn’t need to glance over to know each one of the survivors appeared dirty, cold, and malnourished. What was Boden afraid of?

His anger sparked to life. These people wouldn’t hurt anyone. They just wanted a place to stay and feel safe and maybe some food. Only a heartless monster would deny them that.

Astrid pounded the shaft of her spear into the snow. “All I see are some poor, hungry people who need a pack. They need our help.”

“I don’t expect you to understand, Astrid,” Boden replied. “I have to protect my people.”

“Are you serious?” Erec shook as fury spiraled through him. He couldn’t stop the bitter words spitting from his lips. “I thought you were Mikel’s friend, his ally? Yet you turn away his people when they’ve done nothing but come to you for your help?”

Boden’s eyes widened, and Erec could bet every other face around them mirrored his surprise. It was one thing having the alpha’s daughter confront him, but an outsider? A rogue? It was unheard of. Challenging an alpha could result in death.

But Erec didn’t care. He’d gone through too much in the last few nights to let Boden—or anyone for that matter—cast them aside like spoiled meat. The alpha didn’t need to give him a thing. Days separated him from his last Blue Moon and his death. He didn’t care about having a pack; he had survived this long without one, but there was no reason for him to throw out twenty innocent men and women who had been through hell by Jerrick’s hand. None.

Boden raised his axe. “How dare you!” he roared. The skin around his eyes and mouth rippled as his rage pushed his wolf toward the surface. His alpha aura smacked into Erec so hard this time, it knocked the breath from his lungs. “I’ve had about enough of your disobedience—”

There was a blur of silver, and Astrid was between them again, the sharp tip of her spear pointed at Boden. Her chest heaved, but her weapon never wavered.

“Enough, Father!” she barked. A fierce determination clung to her brow. “I won’t let you hurt him. Put your axe down.”

Boden was frozen in place, taken aback by his daughter’s defiance. Erec couldn’t believe what he was seeing, either. Astrid had pitted herself in the middle and had chosen him over her own father.

“Erec deserves to be here with us,” she said, unmoving. “He’s helped us more than he had to. If he goes, so do I.”

Erec’s heart stopped. Icy fear ricocheted through him. Did she know what she was even saying? Desert her pack—for him? That was insane! “Astrid, no. You can’t. You don’t know what you’re saying.”

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