Page 84 of Wolf Unleashed
Alyssa shifted back to her wolf. His female was learning how to win an argument, even when she was outnumbered. He’d have to stay alert around her.
“She’s not wrong, Rafe,” Maddox said. “Yours is a stable pack. Heir or not, you belong there. You have to remember that no pack is ever perfect, so don’t expect it to be.”
Rafe nodded. He had a lot to think about before they reached Anderson territory. He had expected to apologize to his father and negotiate terms of being allowed to rejoin the pack, along with his blood-bonded female and her other mates. After how they’d left before, he didn’t expect much of a welcome, if any, but he wasn’t the same shifter who’d left here weeks ago.
Rafe looked from Maddox, to Tiernan, to Alyssa’s wolf. He finallyfeltwhat he’d been saying for a while. He had his own pack; shifters who would support him, no matter what happened.
* * *
ALYSSA
A shifterat the border handed each of them clothing from a cache he had waiting. Calling ahead had its advantages. Even so, she’d have to find a lightweight go-bag to carry a set of clothing wherever she went in case she needed to shift. Cultural norms aside, she still thought very much like any other human when it came to walking around naked.
Alyssa quickly dressed in the dark blue skirt, knee-high boots, and white wool sweater that the guard handed her. The clothing fit perfectly.
“Those are Freya’s,” Rafe remarked.
“I guess she got my message.”
“Yes, indeed,” Rafe said, as he pointed to the group of shifters at the top of the hill. Soren stood in the middle of the crowd of men, women, and children.
“Looks like they’re welcoming you home, Heir,” Maddox said.
“You need to stop calling me that. Especially here.”
Alyssa noticed Maddox’s grin. The male was confident that Rafe would continue as the pack’s alpha heir. Rafe held no such confidence and looked ready to turn and leave. Except he wouldn’t. Her Rafe wasn’t one to quit.
“That’s right,” Tiernan agreed. “His title is Alpha. Especially here.”
“Are you two trying to get me killed?” Rafe said, as he spun around. “Because if I’m going down, I’m taking you two with me.”
Alyssa turned him back toward the trail. “Walk now. Kill them later.”
Rafe lifted his head high, straightened his back, and marched up the hill without slowing or stopping for any of the shifters who greeted him before he reached his father.
“Father,” he finally greeted the older shifter three quarters of the way up the hill.
The second Alyssa reached Rafe, she slipped her hand in his. “Alpha,” she greeted.
Soren’s eyes took in their clasped hands, then stepped forward to scent the air. “You blood-bonded.”
“Yes.”
Soren’s eyes landed on Alyssa, making her want to squirm under his scrutiny, but she couldn’t. Not with so much on the line for Rafe.
“You blood-bonded three males?”
“And I shifted. In fact, it was blood-bonding them that released my wolf. I guess you could say it was meant to be.”
Soren actually smiled. “You’re shifter?”
“Half, if you want to be technical about it. Descended from the Bordelon pack, if that means anything to you.”
Soren’s eyes widened. “It means a great deal, mostly trouble. But they are strong shifters. You will produce strong heirs.”
“I’m not producing anything here if you don’t accept Maddox and Tiernan, too. I’m blood-bonded to all three, and we will not be separated.”
“She speaks for you, Rafe?”
