Page 21 of Destined Bear
For a moment, I consider telling him about my conversation with Vivienne, but Nox is waiting for us. I’ll fill him in when we get back. “I’ll tell you later. Let’s go.”
We regroup and head up the road toward the Ember Hollow packhouse, where Nox and his Beta, Brax, wait for us on the porch.
I tense for a moment, scanning for Brynn—Nox’s mate and my former almost-bride.
No sign of her. Good. That’s the last thing I need today.
“Thanks for coming this way to meet us.” Nox extends his hand, and I shake it briefly.
“Let’s talk inside.” Nox gestures for me to follow him.
Heath and my enforcers follow behind me as Nox leads the way into the packhouse.
I sniff the air, my bear senses heightened for danger or trouble, but I’m not expecting it. Despite everything that went down with the Ember Hollow pack, we’ve reached a truce, and Nox wouldn’t have called me to his territory, to his packhouse, to ambush me.
Still, I can’t shake the uneasy sense that there’s something wrong. Too many years of waiting for trouble make me hyper-vigilant, even in friendly situations.
The packhouse is empty except for Nox’s other two enforcers. He stops in the living area and gestures for us to sit. The fact that we’re not in his office is perplexing, but I make no comment. Whatever he has to say doesn’t need to be said in any official capacity.
“Brax, why don’t you get our visitors some coffee?” Nox juts his chin toward his Beta, but I stop him.
“We don’t need coffee. What’s this all about?” My eyes dart around the room, and Nox’s eyes narrow slightly as if he’s thinking. I release a grunt of annoyance. “Don’t sugarcoat it, Nox. What am I doing here?”
Inhaling, he again gestures at his packmates, and they discreetly slip out of the living room. I wave my men out, too, until it’s only Nox and me in the room.
“There’s no easy way to say this, but I figured it should come from me. You must have heard some rumblings around your pack after what happened with us here at Ember Hollow.”
The failed mating still bothers me. Not because of Brynn, but because two failed matings make any Alpha look incompetent.
Everyone assumed Vivienne and I would mate eventually, so when she left, that was already a mark against me. The Brynn arrangement was supposed to fix that, and prove that I could secure alliances and produce the next generation.
Instead, it just reinforced the idea that I can’t even manage to find a mate, let alone lead a pack.
“I haven’t heard rumblings,” I deny, even though it’s a lie. “The pack is solid. And if you’re trying to give me some kind of lecture on how to run my pack, I don’t want to hear it.”
Nox stares at me, and I return his look steadfastly.
“That’s not what this is at all. I’m trying to warn you.” His tone is sharp. “I’ve been hearing things about Stonecrest. I’ve heard they have their eye on your territory.”
“That’s a little vague,” I respond nonchalantly, although my senses are on high alert. Vivienne had just warned me about Stonecrest, too.
“I would give you more information if I had it.” Nox leans forward. “All I know is that the threat is real and that it’s coming. You should stay vigilant.”
Stunned, I gape at him, but the shock wears off quickly.
Unease settles in my gut. “What have you heard specifically? And how reliable is the source?”
Nox runs his thumb along his bottom lip, choosing his words carefully. “Sources I trust, but they’re all hearing it secondhand. No one’s gotten close enough to the actual planning.”
My blood runs cold, and Vivienne’s vivid green eyes flash through my mind from the passenger side of the car. It’s almost as if the two of them had a conversation beforehand.
“There is dissent in your pack,” Nox continues. “And it will get worse if you don’t get it under control.”
I process his words carefully. Two warnings about Stonecrest in one day can’t be a coincidence. “I appreciate the heads up,” I say finally. “If you hear anything more specific, let me know.”
Nox nods. “I will. And Emeric? Don’t let pride blind you to real threats.”
I meet his eyes steadily. “Noted.”
