Page 37 of Knot Quite Ready

"Please tell me there is coffee?" I ask Calian, who is still hovering by the door.

He nods, a frown affixed on his face. "Copious amounts," he sighs and turns to follow the girls.

I have to agree with Aneira... It's way too morning to morning.

* * *

Aneira

I followthe scent of steak downstairs to the bookstore instead of the kitchen, where I would have expected the food to be. Instead, I walk towards the back of the shop to the plush couches and coffee table piled high with steaks, orange juice, and fruits. The effect is lovely, bloody steaks and a floor-to-ceiling view of the forest, lit up with the morning sunlight.

I hum in appreciation as I sit on the plush couch and reach for the food. But before I can grab the steak, I catch a whiff of two unfamiliar scents that set my wolf on edge. My hackles rise, and I feel my eyes flash golden, and I can't help the first words that fly out of my mouth, “Whoever the fuck is here, better stay the fuck away from my steak." My voice is gruff as my wolf pushes her way to the forefront.

I watch two unknown men shuffle forward, their hands held up in supplication, and I scowl as my senses pick up everything at hyper speed, and I process several things at once. Number one, the scents are all so deeply tangled up with Casimir's and Calian's that I know these shifters, a wolf and a cougar, must be connected to them somehow. Number two, they pose no danger, but I pose one to them if their stomachs grumble even slightly.

Big men mean bigger appetites, and they are not eating my fucking food.

Storm walks into the room, holding tea, and I say nothing as I reach for my food and glare at the two shifters as my claws come out, sinking into my meat. I ignore the juices dripping down my chin as I chew ferally, a threat or a promise; I have no idea at this point.

"Should I get you a bib, or are you going for the full wild wolf look?" Storm says wryly. I say nothing as I continue to stare.

"Oh, I forget you haven’t actually met yet. This is Ralph, the cougar I told you about before. He’s Calian's bodyguard and technically second in command too. Also, he is going to totally be the new bestie," she points at the brown-haired shifter with amber eyes and arms that look like they eat the bench press. Like usual, cougar shifters were just massive fuckers.

"That is Tristan, Casimir's second. I haven’t had a chance to vet him too much, but oh, I will dissect his very essence," her eyes narrow, and Tristan's green eyes widen. He should be scared. No matter how muscled and intimidating he looks, Storm is a tiny tornado of terror.

Calian strides into the room with Casimir on his heels. They both pause to stare at me, then at Tristan and Ralph.

Casimir raises an eyebrow, "The way you're eating your steak, I'm not sure if I should be turned on, jealous, or terrified."

A growl erupts from my throat. Usually, I wouldn't mind their presence, but apparently, pregnant Aneira means my hormones are all over the place, and I'm violent as fuck. I pull the table closer and shift my body to hover protectively while reaching for more. My belly felt like an empty pit, but I savor each swallow.

Tristan moves to do that weird man hug with Casimir and whispers, “Terrified. Fucking terrified. This is like watching a bloody massacre.”

"I think it's hot. So I vote for turned on," Ralph adds, and Storm cackles into her cup.

I scowl, "I'm not sure why there are two more shifters In the bookstore at the ass crack of 'fuck-off,' I comment, reaching for some juice and leaving a bloody print on the glass.

The two men exchange glances and shrug and move to lean on the wall before Tristan finally speaks up, "Well it was either this or watch the pack build more houses. Over it." He says with a smirk.

Ralph huffs before adding, "I'm here for one reason only. To make sure that Storm doesn't hack into anything else. Since our Alpha is completely whipped," he points at Calian, who has moved to put Storm in his lap. I eye his proximity warily. But as the tray is now empty, I'm happier.

I sigh, and Casimir appears with a wet towel in hand and sits beside me. I smile gratefully, and it must be a terrifying sight, but his eyes still do that gorgeous melting thing that makes my stomach do backflips.

"Okay, so now that the feral pregnant wolf has been fed," Storm starts as she waves Tristan and Ralph closer to the empty chairs.

Calian clears his throat, and Storm smiles sheepishly, well, attempts to.

Calian sighs heavily, “You’re going to be the death of me, woman." I smirk. Accurate.

"Casimir, I'm sure you are aware of the rules when it comes to settling within any territory. I can ignore the fact that you moved into the territory without a formal request, seeing as, from what I was able to deduce, you are essentially a pack filled with wolves that were in precarious situations--I'll be asking for more details on that so I can get the bigger picture. However, you are not an ‘official pack which means you are technically classified as rogues, which is an automatic death sentence," I feel Casimir tense.

"In this case," Calian continues, "I give a formal exemption for settlement since you are all technically escaping a precarious situation and have become a sanctuary of sorts for wolves and witches. As long as you guys are here to heal and rebuild, I won't raise any issues. I also have to note that there is a reason why I have no wolf packs within my territory. Cumbria Falls is a high attraction for human tourists and wolves aren't seen in this area, let alone large shifters that are twice the size of normal wolves, if not bigger. Detection is the least of our worries. But unwanted attention and questions from the Shifter Council are the worst. Luckily, they hold me in high regard..."

Ralph scoffs, "More like they are terrified of your violent unpredictability."

Calian glares at him, “Semantics. I've chosen to get in front of rumors and reached out to the Shifter Council for a formal meeting, and while you were away, we got word that they will be honored to meet you and discuss making your pack official.”

A shiver of trepidation and excitement flows through our bond. What Calian was offering is a big deal..for anyone else. But the truth is, I didn't want to rejoin shifter politics. The system is flawed—too many Alpha's flying under the radar.

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