Page 58 of Wulf's Pack
“Neither did we,” Skylar admits. “It was a bit of a shock.”
Quinn shakes his head, watching us with awe. “Wow,” he says again. “What a gift.”
Skylar returns his smile and leans into my side. I tuck her in close, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Luna Grant speaks up again, waving a hand toward Skylar. “Luna Skylar is also an omega.”
The shocked expression returns to Quinn’s face. He shakes off his surprise and beams at Skylar. “You’re the woman from the news. The one who saved the bear. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you. You were amazing.”
Skylar blushes. “I’ve never met another omega. I was excited to come.”
“For sure. We’ll have to talk. Swap stories. I’ve only ever met one other omega.”
A very dominant alpha female plops down in the empty seat beside Quinn. “Swap what stories? You’re not telling them all my most embarrassing moments, are you?”
Quinn’s face softens, and he leans over to give the woman a kiss. “But they’re so entertaining,” he teases her. “You didn’t grab any food?”
“I’ve only got a few minutes.”
Quinn pushes his half-eaten plate of food in front of the woman, and she doesn’t hesitate to dig into it. He smiles at usagain. “This is my mate, Leia. She’s our chief enforcer, so she’s usually busy when the whole pack gets together.”
“Someone’s got to keep you safe,” she says.
“Leia, this is Alpha Wulf Winters and his mate, Skylar. Luna Skylar is also an omega.”
Leia’s eyebrows lift. I worry she might not like Skylar being here. Wolves are very possessive and jealous by nature, especially the dominant ones. She might feel threatened by the fact that Skylar and Quinn have something very special in common. She surprises me, though, giving both Skylar and me a warm smile. “Pleasure to have you. I’m sure Quinn’s dying to chat. He gets lonely sometimes, being one-of-a-kind. It’ll be nice for him to spend time with someone who understands.”
Skylar nods as if she feels the same way. I never considered that Skylar might feel alone or separate from the rest of us. Hopefully after this, she can keep in touch with Quinn. Leia focuses on the last bit of food in front of her, shoveling it in like only a soldier on a tight schedule can. I study her and Quinn a moment, then can’t help asking, “Does no one challenge you?”
Quinn and Leia shoot me questioning looks. In wolf culture, mates are generally equal in dominance. It’s shifter instinct. Sometimes, though, our human sides form attachments stronger than our animal instincts, and a couple falls in love despite their difference in dominance. The problem with that is that stronger wolves are always looking for other strong wolves. Usually, if a strong wolf is together with a weaker wolf, other wolves will challenge the weaker wolf for the right to mate with the stronger wolf. Quinn and Leia are a lot like Skylar and me—opposite ends of the dominance spectrum. I’ve been terrified that if I keep adding more female shifters to my pack, eventually I’ll get one willing to challenge Skylar. But these two are in a pack of nearly six hundred wolves and are happily mated.
“You’re so dominant,” I say to Leia.
Understanding dawns on the couple, and they shrug. “We were worried about it at first,” Leia admits. “We liked each other for years before we braved starting a relationship. But no one has ever challenged us.”
My jaw falls slack. “No one?”
Quinn wraps his arm around Leia’s chair, pulling her to his side in a mirrored pose of Skylar and me. She looks him over proudly, adoringly. “People can’t help but respect omegas. The drive to protect them is so strong, it’s hard to challenge them on anything. The pack loves him and wants him happy. They were okay with our mate pairing because they trust me to keep him safe.”
I let out a breath and a laugh. “That’s a relief to hear. I’ve been worried about mate challenges since the moment I realized Skylar and I were fated.”
“It’s instinct,” Luna Grant says. She waves toward Quinn and Leia. “Omegas need strong mates. On their own, they are too weak. Biologically. They need the strength of others, both physically and mentally. Without it, they get depressed and physically ill. They’ll essentially waste away from a lack of dominance. Their mates, as well as their pack, feed them strength through their bonds. Quinn is originally from a very small pack. He wasn’t doing well. His pack came to me asking to join because they weren’t enough for him.”
Skylar and I share worried looks. Is our pack too small to sustain her needs? Is that why my wolf is going insane right now? I look around the room, panic in my heart. I could never give her this.
My wolf leaps on my panic and starts to push to the front of my mind.Need pack. Challenge alpha. Take pack.
I stumble to my feet, my chair flying out behind me. “NO!” My panicked shout rings out, catching the attention of the entire pack.
“Wulf?” Alpha Grant rises to his feet, as if to help me.
Challenge,my wolf demands again.
“No, damn it!”
I throw out a hand to stop Alpha Grant from coming any closer. I start to shake as my wolf fights to force the shift. I grit my teeth and push back as hard as I can, but I can feel my control slipping. I’m going to lose to him again. “Skylar,” I gasp.
She takes my hand, and suddenly her honeysuckle scent hits me so hard my knees buckle. Skylar catches me and helps me to the ground. My wolf droops in my mind, but he’s still determined to claim this pack. “Not enough,” I grit out.
