Page 47 of Wolf Marked

“You were right,” Filip began, smiling broadly. “I was surprised by the amount of women who wanted to train and fight.”

She gave him a smug nod. “Told you.”

Women training with weapons? Erec wasn’t sure what to think about that. He’d never seen a woman with the skills and the vigor needed to fight—well, besides Astrid. Even when Jerrick had attacked Mikel’s pack, most of the women ran for protection with their children. All that blood and pain and death. War had always been a man’s game. It wasn’t a place for females.

Yet, at least half of the crowd was made up of women.

And they did appear intimidating. With war paint darkening their eyes and their weapons glinting in the sunlight, they were just as threatening and dangerous as the men among them.

In the end, it won’t matter who it is that kills you, will it?Man or woman. Whoever was on the other end of the sword wouldn’t change the outcome. Dead was dead. And that gave Erec an interesting idea.

“This may work in our favor,” he said, coming to Filip’s side. “Jerrick won’t expect women in our ranks. It’ll give us a number advantage, too, if we can get more to train and fight.”

Astrid glanced up at her brother, her smile radiating. “I know a lot of other ladies who’d like to defend their pack. Some with amazing skills.”

Hope flooded Erec, his pulse speeding. His words rushed as the possibility of stopping Jerrick and his men became more realistic. “Jerrick works with the element of surprise, so if we can get the jump on him for once, we have a chance of winning.”

“Yes, yes!” Astrid shook her fist in triumph. “We can train every day. It’ll work!”

Filip, though, didn’t seem to share in Erec or his sister’s enthusiasm. His dark gaze revealed his apprehension. So did his tone. “We’ll have to see how it goes.”

He was still unsure about the idea of women fighting. Women at home, nursing babies and tending to the meals; men in the battlefield, fighting for their safety. That’s the way it always had been with their kind. The men were the warriors, and the females were the nurturers, so Erec understood where Filip’s hesitance was coming from. But from the amount of women who had come out to train, it was apparent they were ready for that to change.

Astrid’s annoyance twitched through the pack link. She clenched her fists at her sides. “We shouldn’t fight just because we shouldn’t, not because we can’t? That doesn’t make sense. If we can help defeat Jerrick, what does it matter what I have between my legs?”

“That’s how it’s always been,” Filip said, but his expression turned more thoughtful, considering her words.

“You let me train with you to humor me, and look what happened. I fought off three of Jerrick’s men, killing one of them.” Astrid gestured to the group before them. It was then that Erec noticed Stefan’s mother toward the back of the crowd with a short sword in her hands. She looked almost unrecognizable with the black makeup smeared across her cheeks and forehead. “They want to fight. Let them.”

Filip’s gaze swung to Erec. “You really think we’d have a chance against Jerrick?”

He nodded. “Jerrick doesn’t show mercy to women and children. He’ll slaughter anyone in his way,” he replied. “More numbers on our side can’t hurt us. I think, with the lot of us, we have a shot.”

Filip paused, his hand scrubbing his hairless chin in mock thought. Erec had a suspicion he wasn’t really considering their idea; he’d already made up his mind. He was doing it to draw out the moment and see how far he could push his sister’s patience.

Astrid huffed noisily, and he chuckled.

“All right, Ash,” he said finally, his voice still tinged with laughter. “You proved me wrong before. What’s not to say they will, too?”

Astrid jumped onto her tiptoes and planted a kiss on her brother’s cheek. Her happiness bloomed all around her, tickling Erec’s own aura. “They’ll surprise you. Promise.” She strode into the crowd, the men and women greeting her with slaps on the back and words of welcome. Erec stayed back with Filip, a grin spreading on his lips.

“She’s something else, isn’t she?” Filip said as they watched Astrid divide the group of fifty into smaller ones and discuss directions. Boy, did Erec know that statement to be true. Astrid was always pushing the limits; it was one of the many things he admired about her. Even if it grated on his nerves sometimes.

Filip crossed his arms. “You’d think I would know by now not to doubt her.”

Erec stayed quiet. He couldn’t keep his eyes off Astrid. A slow burn was building in his chest as he continued to observe her instruct the eager women on how to hold their bows and aim their arrows at the targets set up paces away. She glanced his way briefly, giving him a shy smile, and flames erupted behind his ribs.

By Vallor’s light, he loved her. There was no escaping it.

Filip’s strong hand came down on Erec’s shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Welcome to the pack, Erec,” he said and shook him a little before walking toward his sister and the others.

Letting out a content sigh, Erec followed, knowing that finally, he had everything in his life he’d always wanted—a pack to call home, a life beyond his twenty-fifth Blue Moon, and his true mate, the one destined for him. Astrid.

Now, if only he could be sure she felt the same way.

Chapter Fifteen

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