Page 10 of Spirit Walker Pack (Kingdom of Wolves #5)

FENYA

I’ve been trying to keep busy so I don’t mope around after being left behind by Alpha Falan. I don’t care how flowery and sugar-coated he wants to present it, but I was damn well left behind. Never again.

If the Alpha says stay, we must stay.

‘Oh no we don’t. We are not some damn trained pet dog!’

No, we are not, but we do hold a responsible position within the pack, which means we do as we are asked OR told. I swear to the Goddess that you are becoming more difficult with every day that passes.

‘I am not ‘difficult’. The words you are looking for are ‘confident, headstrong, and perhaps a little rebellious’. Not difficult.’

I think your body clock is ticking and you need to have pups! That will temper your ‘ confident, headstrong, and perhaps a little rebellious’ nature.

‘What on earth possesses you to say such a thing? What could I…me, Fenya Stormhowl, possibly offer a pup? Sometimes Astra, you defy all logic and common sense with your nonsense.’

Definitely body clock, and hormones!

Seeing two warriors in the training area staring at me, I realize I didn’t pay attention to their training.

“Again. Do it again, and this time do it like you mean it!” I feel my anger as I spit the words, and it’s not fair to take my mood out on everyone else. “Hold! That’s enough for today. We’re done here.”

Walking away from the training area, a mind link informs me that Alpha Falan will be arriving home within the hour.

He’s only getting the most basic formal return I am allowed to give.

If I give him a parade and fanfare, he’ll want me home to arrange it every time he goes anywhere.

Also, if it’s basic, he will know I haven’t got over being left behind.

After consulting with Beta Garrin, who finds my mood at being left behind extremely funny, we have eight warriors to present a welcome for Alpha Falan. If I had my way, he would have returned to find me standing exactly where I was when he left!

Difficult? I think difficult just got upgraded to IMPOSSIBLE! Are you listening to yourself? You’re worse than a spoiled pup, the way you are behaving.

‘Keep calling me names and you’ll find your next rabbit has been hand reared and fed on sedatives!’

Go on. Do it. You know you want to run on the spot and stamp your feet. Go on!

I refuse to answer my wolf because annoyingly, she is right. She can push my buttons like no other can. One of these days she’ll goad me into doing something to embarrass myself in front of Alpha Falan, or maybe the whole damn pack.

Seeing Alpha Falan, and his escort arrive back I can’t help a sense of relief wash over me.

He’s home safe. As they approach the pack doors, Astra jumps to her feet and I sense her excitement.

It takes a few seconds before I realize what has her so excited and before Alpha Falan reaches my position at the end of the line, I turn and bolt inside the packhouse.

‘Astra! We must not let anyone know! I am not ready for this. I need more information before accepting this.’

You cannot deny this, Fenya. It is the will of the Goddess. Also, you cannot deny me! This is both of our destinies, not just yours.

‘I know that, but I am not ready! My life is here, protecting the Alpha. I am not prepared to just leave everything behind and blindly follow some male.’

I will be silent for now. You, however, need to assemble your thoughts and get prepared for meeting our mate. I will not stay silent for long!

“FENYA!” Beta Garrin’s voice echoes through the packhouse. “FENYA! My office, this instant!”

Entering his office after knocking and being told to ‘get in here, now’, I don’t think I have ever seen the Beta so angry.

“Alpha Falan allows you to get away with much with your attitude because you are so good as the pack's Head Warrior, and I suspect because he has a soft spot for you. I, however, have no such feelings and will not tolerate your blatant disrespect. Running away like a spoiled brat when the Alpha has just returned is going too far. You are hereby removed from any Head Warrior duties until further notice. You will report to the Kitchen Manager at five a.m. each morning, and to the Head Gardener at five p.m. each evening. You will give each of them four hours of your labor, and you will not give a single word of complaint, no matter what tasks you are delegated.” Beta Garrin stares at me as if he is seeing me for the first time ever.

“I do not know what got into you, Fenya, but as much as I admire your abilities, showing such open disrespect in front of the pack cannot, and will not go unpunished. You will start your penance by reporting to the Head Gardener this evening. Now get out and consider yourself lucky that things are not much worse.”

Gritting my teeth hard, I leave the office and retire to my room in the packhouse. Throwing myself on the bed, I do something I haven’t done since I was a child. I cry! I know Astra is furious with me. I feel her anger coursing through every fiber of my being.

‘I am so sorry, Astra. I did not think my actions through when I ran. I panicked.’

You could put this all right if you would tell Beta Garrin why you ran, but I know you too well.

You will allow US to suffer OUR indignation and loss of face just because of YOUR stubbornness.

I tell you this now, in front of the Goddess herself.

I will not stand idly by once more because of your human foolishness.

Know now, Fenya Stormhowl. I will burst forth if you ever disrespect us in this way again.

Laying on the bed until it is time to report to the Head Gardener, Freya Moonjaw, I hear Astra’s words echoing throughout my mind.

She is correct and I have nothing with which to argue her words.

My shame weighs heavily on my shoulders and I have to go out there and face the pack, with all their whisperings and sly looks.

I know no-one will look me in the eye or speak openly to my face.

Only Zephyra, my lifelong friend, will do that.

Everyone else will be too afraid to risk my wrath.

Reporting to Freya, she gives me a task to complete and tells me how long she expects it to take. When done, I am to report to her for the next.

Cutting the firewood gathered near the kitchen should take me an hour, but in my mood, I punish myself far harder than anything Beta Garrin could think up, and the wood is done in forty minutes.

This is how the four hours go and I suspect that by the end of it, I have completed some of the tasks planned for me tomorrow.

Sitting alone and eating a cold supper in the dining hall, as hard as I try not to, my mind wanders to who my mate is and what they are like. I don’t see myself becoming a meek and mild homemaker and pups have never been a thing for me.

He will have to be as strong-willed as I am, and that could lead to some serious fireworks. I do not concede my position easily either in competition or in an argument. Ha! And if I don’t feel like mating, it isn’t going to happen.

Fortunately, I don’t hold to such boundaries.

These are the first words that Astra has spoken since our meeting with Beta Garrin, and although not friendly, they are not hostile either.

‘Fenya Stormhowl. Report to me in my office immediately.’

Hearing that link fills me with dread, for that is Alpha Falan summoning me.

Leaving my plate at the table, I waste no time in making my way to the Alpha’s office. Striding across the packhouse floor, I see the guard on duty outside the office is my friend, Zephyra. As I take a breath and prepare myself at the door, her hand grips my arm fiercely.

“Brace yourself, Fenya my friend. He is not alone and there have been harsh words spoken around your name.”

“I really screwed up this time, Zephyra, but thank you for the warning.”

Knocking on the door in my usual way, I enter when instructed. Alpha Falan is standing with his back to the room, gazing out of the window. Beta Garrin watches, more like scowls at me, as I cross the room and stand before the desk. I am surprised to see Kynan and Freya in the room, too.

Astra can still smell the faint scent of our mate on Alpha Falan, and she has difficulty remaining silent. She paces in my mind and although I find it distracting, I do not trust myself to try to speak with her at this time.

Still with his back to me, Alpha Falan speaks.

“Fenya Stormhowl. You have done great things for this pack and I have never had any doubt of your loyalty to the pack or myself, your Alpha. As the Head Warrior, you have trained the warriors of this pack to levels never experienced before. Every single one of them has looked up to you and aspired to be your equal. Until now!” Turning to face the room, and more precisely me, Alpha Falan’s eyes bore into my skull.

“I cannot think of any reason why you would disrespect me so openly and publicly as you did, by running from the welcome guard that you yourself helped organize. I cannot bring myself to believe it is because of your misguided notion you were left behind . You have the opportunity now to put your reasons before those gathered. When we have heard that reason, I will decide what action that I, as your disrespected Alpha will take.”

How do I defend my actions? What plausible reason can I give without appearing as a weak and silly female? I’m sorry Alpha. I panicked because I smelled my mate, and I don’t want one! How pathetic does that sound? Before I can answer I see Alpha Falan's eyes glow. His wolf is talking to him.

Looking into my mind, Astra is sitting rigidly with her back to me.

“Kynan, Freya. Please leave us alone. Fenya, take a seat opposite Beta Garrin.”

Beta Garrin watches Alpha Falan for any sign as to why he has dismissed what I assume was to be his jury.

“Beta Garrin, while I was with Alpha Lyle of the Spirit Walker Pack, there was an interesting development that I have not discussed with anyone from Wolfsong, as yet. Alpha Lyle’s wolf caught the scent of his mate on me.

It would be logical to assume therefore that our fearsome Head Warrior caught Alpha Lyle’s scent and panicked.

” Looking at me with raised eyebrows and just a hint of a smile, I know the game's up, and that I was betrayed by my wolf!

Beta Garrin looks at me with a renewed interest. “You are destined to be the Luna of the Spirit Walker Pack? The Goddess must really hate their Alpha! Ha! I never thought I’d see the day that our Fenya Stormhowl would be afraid of anything.”

When he begins to laugh, I’m shocked, to say the least. “I’m pleased that you find it so funny, Beta Garrin. I have not accepted the mating as yet, and have no intention of doing so, either. I will not leave the pack that I have grown up in, and grown with, just to become some Alpha’s plaything!”

“Beta Garrin, please have Fenya re-instated to her Head Warrior duties and rescind the punishment duties in place. Oh, and you can also let it be known as to why Fenya ran from the welcome guard.” Seeing the determined look that Alpha Falan is giving me, I dare not argue as much as I want to.

“I will not be seen to be disrespected and the truth, I’m sure, will be as painful a punishment as any we could devise. ”

“As you say, Alpha Falan. I will let Zephyra know immediately. That will be as good a place as any to start. She has been extremely worried about her friend. Now she has something to worry about!” Laughing all the way to the door, he leaves, and I can hear him talking to Zephyra before the door is fully closed.

“Fenya, Fenya, Fenya. What are we going to do with you?” Alpha Falan takes his seat and steeples his fingers as he looks at me over the top of them. “No matter how hard I racked my brain to think of who it could be, not once did I put your name in the hat, so to speak.”

“You can take it out of your proverbial hat, because I’m not going anywhere.” Folding my arms across my chest, I frown at him.

“Let me tell you something, young lady. You will go and meet Alpha Lyle if I have to drag you there with my dying breath. He is an exceptional shifter, and one for whom I have the utmost respect. If you choose not to accept him, that will be your loss and the biggest mistake you will ever make. You will however go with me to the Alpha meeting that has been called by their Council, and you will meet Alpha Lyle.”

“Alpha Falan, please don’t…” Before I get any further, I can feel the alpha power building from within him.

“I strongly suggest that you take the next few hours to both pack and get some rest. We leave tomorrow morning.”

After being dismissed by the Alpha, I walk to my room in a daze. Discovering I had a mate out there was one thing, but an ALPHA mate? Oh my! What the hell do I know about being a Luna and running a pack! I hope he doesn’t expect to start raising pups anytime soon, either. Not happening.

Oh yes, it is soooo happening, young lady!

How do I keep two wolves apart so they can’t make pups? If he turns out to be as determined as Astra, I have no chance!