Page 40 of The Wolf Slayer

“What is it, beautiful?”

“Can I cuddle with your wolf for a little bit?”

“Of course.”

He gently sat her back on the picnic blanket, stepped back, and shifted. He laid his huge body next to her small frame and enjoyed the ear scratches and cuddles she gave him. It was one of the best afternoons he’d had in years. He cherished every minute he spent with her, and she seemed to love petting and loving on him just as much as he did.

As the sun started to set, he slowly stretched his legs and shifted back into his human form. They packed up their picnic and walked back inside his cabin. It had gotten a little chilly and he was glad to have Niev back inside.

“Let me get you some dinner ready and you can rest a little.” Even though he knew she wouldn’t like his proposal he felt as if it was his duty to at least try.

“What is it with you people? I’m pregnant, not disabled.”

Just as he had thought. “I know you’re not disabled, but I also know you’re the kind of person who would go beyond her limits just because of how stubborn you are.”

She sighed in defeat. “You might be right, but right now I feel good.”

He nodded and they both prepared an easy dinner together. He knew he could no longer postpone the talk about the Skadu Pack. He knew she had the right to know what was going on and that she could be caught up in something dangerous very soon if his father wasn’t able to find a peaceful solution.

“Niev there is something we need to talk about.”

“If it’s about me resting more you should stop right there.”

Her annoyance amused him a little. It was refreshing how stubborn and outgoing she was. Most women he’d been around all his life were old fashioned. They relied on their men for most things and weren’t very independent at all. Niev, on the other hand, was used to taking care of herself. She hadn’t had anyone who she could lean on in years. Even though Blake would’ve loved to take some weight off her shoulders, he loved seeing and knowing that she would be okay, no matter what kind of situation she found herself in.

“No, it’s not.” He paused trying to find the right words. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her. “There is another pack coming toward us. It’s called the Skadu Pack and they want to claim our territory. They aren’t friendly, and they don’t want to negotiate. We’ve been patrolling our borders and we’ve been scenting more and more Skadu Wolves in this area. They haven’t been aggressive toward us yet, but we can’t say that won’t change.”

Her face changed to a worried expression, exactly the kind he’d hoped not to see. “I had asked Seth if he was okay. He looked awful–tired and exhausted. All he said was for me not to worry about him.”

That surprised him. Usually no one would ask an alpha how they were doing. If anyone did, it would come from their mate or maybe their beta. Alphas could see concern as if their leadership skill was questioned or challenged. An alpha always had to be conceived as strong and questioning how he was holding up was like questioning his ability to lead his pack. It showed Niev’s lack of experience and knowledge about his kind. He scolded himself for the little information he’d provided her with before introducing her to his family.

“He didn’t want to worry you, but my mother is worried. She wants us, especially you, closer to the pack.” He sighed and pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I know, you have a life to get back to and you can if you want to, but they might need me here very soon. And if so, I’m not sure how often I can visit you.”

“I’m not leaving your side. I’ve told you I want to stay here. And I’ll gladly pack my belongings, quit my job, and find a new one closer to here to do so.”

He looked down into her light blue eyes. He knew she was a very independent woman who wanted and needed to work, but he also wanted her to know that it wasn’t required of her.

“If you really want to live with me you don’t need to work.”

She was about to talk back, but he silenced her by laying a finger on her lips.

“Youcanwork but you don’tneedto work. If you want to work or have a task or duty, I’ll gladly help you find one. I just want you to know that you don’t need to. The pack will provide for you like we would do for every other pack member. I won’t stop you from providing for yourself, but you no longer have the pressure of having to work to provide for your life.”

With fused brows she turned back to the vegetables she’d been cutting and threw them in the frying pan. She was thinking about his words, deep in thought as she looked down at the frying pan. “I would like to stay with you. I’ve never felt this strongly about anything before. The tugging feeling that I’ve felt since meeting you is now stronger than ever, and it wants me to be with you.”

“Niev, you don’t need to rush this decision.”

He was ecstatic about her decision, but at the same time, he didn’t want her to feel pressured. He tried to hide his excitement so she could make her decision based on what she wanted.

“I know I don’t need to do anything, but I want this.” She looked up into his face and he could see uncertainty. “Unless you don’t want me here?”

His heart ached as he understood her fear, she wasn’t afraid or uncertain about her decision rather she was uncertain because she was afraid he wouldn’t want her.

“I want you here, but I don’t want you to feel pressured into anything.”

“I understand that you might think that, but I don’t feel pressured into anything, rather reassured that it’s the right decision for our family. If I understand the situation with the other pack correctly, this whole thing could go south very quickly. I prefer to be by your side in case everything goes wrong. And didn’t you say if I don’t like my decision, I can still change my mind and we can try something else?”

He sighed–she’d outsmarted him. “Yes. If you ever feel like you no longer want this, we can always figure out something else. When would you like to get started with your transition to the territory?”

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