Page 40 of Wolf Marked

“Why?”

Suddenly, Claus’s body sagged in the chair, exhausted. His head fell to his chest.

Heart pounding, Erec grabbed his arms and gave him a firm shake. “What are you talking about?” he yelled in his face, but Claus’s eyelids drooped. “Why is Jerrick looking for me?” Was it because he was a rogue? Did he want to try and force him into his army? But how would Jerrick know he didn’t have a pack? He couldn’t. There was no way.

Silence was the only response. Claus didn’t move.

Erec cursed. Had he accidentally gone too far and killed him? He smacked Claus’s cheek a few times to force him to gain consciousness. His head rolled to the side.

“Kill me…” Claus’s voice was hardly there at all, just a breathy grunt. “Kill me… Jerrick’ll do worse.”

Boden stepped forward, axe in hand. “Let’s just put the dog out of his misery.”

Filip’s hand shot up to stop him. “No, Father. We can’t. Remember?”

“First tell me why Jerrick is after me,” Erec pushed Claus again for an answer. “What does he want with me?”

When Claus opened his eyes again, pure, heated rage burned there. He turned to Boden and let out a menacing growl. “Kill me, old man!” he bellowed. “Do it! Where are your balls? Do it!”

Boden’s nostrils flared, and his breathing became ragged.

“You’re not an alpha! You’re not a man! Your mate would be ashamed!” Claus’s shouts filled the tent. Blood sprayed from his lips with every word. “She’s looking down at you now, wondering how she could ever be mated with such a failure.”

Erec froze, knowing full well that Claus had gone too far. Everyone else knew it, too. They stood as still as statues as the tension in the room hit its peak. Mentioning Boden’s dead mate was the trigger Claus had been searching for. That was it.

“Not even death could save her from the embarrassment,” Claus snapped. “Boden the Warrior? You’re Boden the weak!”

Boden let out a deafening roar.

This time, when he pulled back his enormous axe, preparing for the swing, no one dared to stop him.

Chapter Thirteen

After Astrid had finished handing out meat and bread to all of the survivors and got them settled in, she went to explore the rest of Svanna Rock. As she had expected, the large clearing was entirely surrounded by the massive pink stones. She didn’t know how much validity Erec’s story about Maurus held, but if she were a great and all-powerful wolf spirit, this would be her home of choice. It was more like a fortress than anything, completely closed off from the outside world. Protected. And from the many other tales she had heard about the first wolf of their kind, Maurus was ruthless and wouldn’t accept anything less.

A giant bonfire had been constructed at the heart of the rock enclosure. Its tall flames tickled the sky, which was painted a fiery orange as the day gave way to night. The heat it emitted was soothing to Astrid’s bones, as was the familiar feeling of her wolf returning from its twelve-hour hibernation. If she beat the curse, she could have her animal with her during the day hours, too, and that was something she dreamed of. Once night fell and the moon rose, she was whole. She wanted to feel that way all the time.

Her father’s tent sat directly behind the fire. Its flaps were tied shut, but that did little to withhold the strong scent of blood that leaked from it. As much as Claus deserved whatever was happening inside and as much as witnessing it would give her a sick sense of satisfaction, Astrid knew better than to interrupt her father when he was handling enemies. It was something she had learned growing up when she had accidentally walked in on one of his interrogations as a child. The scene had given her nightmares for weeks. He may have always been sweet to her, but her father had gotten his reputation and his name of Boden the Warrior for a reason.

Astrid found her tent near the bonfire, too, along with a few others, like Filip and Mila’s, which was just a few tents down. She recognized her brother’s because of the sound of his son Finn’s earsplitting cries, and hers from the fragrant scent of lilacs driftingfrom the structure. Her favorite flower.She inhaled deeply, loving the smell combined with the warmth of the fire on her cheeks. It reminded her of springtime, her favorite season.

Astrid glanced over at the entrance of Svanna Rock, where she’d left Erec. He wasn’t there, and she wondered where he had gone. Where would he be setting up his tent? She hoped it was near hers. If her father had any say, it wouldn’t be.

“Ash.” Filip’s deep voice rang out from behind her, making her spin around. As he strode toward her, a wall of pure crackling energy smacked into her, strong enough to knock the breath from her lungs—the aura of an alpha wolf, and it was coming from her brother. Around him, a hue of gold glittered, too, just like it had around her father.

Confused, Astrid stared at him, wondering if she had misread something. But the closer her brother got, the more intense the aura became. It didn’t make sense. She had just seen her father, and his wolf had been just as powerful, just as encompassing as it always had been. What was going on?

Before Astrid could say a word, Filip ushered her inside her tent and fastened the latches behind them. His expression was weary when he met her gaze, and knowing her all too well, he held up a hand to let him speak first.

“Before you ask,” Filip began in a rushed whisper, “I don’t know how it happened or how it’s even possible, but what you’re feeling isn’t a delusion. My wolf has claimed its place as alpha.”

“YouandFather? There can’t be two alphas in one pack,” she replied, taking Filip’s cue and keeping her voice low.

“I know.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and let out a hard sigh. “I know. But I guess with everything going on with Father…” He paused then decided to continue a different way. “It happened after you left to rescue the prisoners.”

“Well, make it stop,” she said, firmly. “Father isn’t dead. Can’t you push it back or something? Refuse it?”

He shook his head. “It’s not that easy.”

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