Page 26 of Spirit Walker Pack (Kingdom of Wolves #5)

LYLE

I have a mate, my fated mate! And we’ve sealed the bond and are both marked. Hunter and Astra had a long run in the woods before Fenya and I could retire to our Alpha Suite and relax with each other as humans. We relaxed twice more before we fell asleep.

Preparing to go for breakfast, I watch Fenya like a hawk. I just can’t take my eyes off her, and she knows it. It has been quite a transformation from defensive caterpillar to all-out, look-at-me butterfly.

“You do realize that I like you looking at me, don’t you? This could lead us having to skip breakfast if you can’t stop it.” Standing before me, half-dressed, hands-on hips, she tips one hip to the side and her head the other way.

“If you don’t hurry up and finish getting dressed, you will be my breakfast, maybe lunch and possibly evening meal.” I grin lasciviously at her.

“Promises, promises. I’ll test you on that one day.” Slipping into her sweater, she stands there looking at me. “Well, are we eating or getting undressed again?”

“Let’s eat first and see what the rest of the day brings. I have no issue coming back here several times if there’s nothing else that needs my attention.”

“Nothing else? You’re relegating me to second place already?

Your nuptials are in danger of becoming a thing of the past mighty quickly if that happens, my fated mate.

” I’m happy to see her smiling as she says this because the look she is giving me does not match her tone of voice. Her voice is decidedly frosty.

As we enter the dining hall everyone goes silent for a few seconds, and then a burst of applause resounds throughout the room. I take a bow, Fenya gives a curtsy, and the room erupts with laughter.

Taking a plate, we load it with our choice of breakfast and find a table. The hall is packed, so we don’t have the pleasure of a quiet corner somewhere. No one is shy about staring either. Obviously they are excited that their Alpha has found his mate.

“Congratulations Luna Fenya, on choosing your mate.” I spin around to see who has made such a rude comment and have to grin when I see Flick, eyebrows raised and a smile on her lips. “Oh, and to you too, Alpha Lyle. A wise and noble choice, I have to say.”

“Don’t think I don’t know that you had a hand in this, Flick. Abusing the position of friendship to sway a young woman's mind. You should be ashamed of yourself, and I will be eternally grateful.” Standing, I give Flick a hug, and the look I get from Fenya does not go unnoticed, either.

“Swaying my decision, Chef Flick, does not give you the right to take liberties with my mate.” Fenya stands and stares hard at Flick.

Releasing Flick, I wait for someone to make the next move.

“I am not a chef, Luna Fenya.”

“You should not contradict your Luna, even if it is her first day of official duties. Your promotion was my first official act of office. You are indeed the pack's chef as well as my friend.” Fenya takes Flick and gives her a hug. The kitchen staff have been watching Flick’s game with me, and they cheer and clap when they hear of her promotion.

Taking Flick from Fenya, I also give her a hug. “Well deserved too, Chef Flick.”

“Ha! Took a female to make you see my worth, Alpha Lyle.” Grinning, she wipes a tear from her eye.

“I just didn’t think I would be able to handle you all on my own when you got that big hat on your big head, that’s all.” Laughing, I give her another hug and then sit back down to resume my breakfast.

Chef Flick gives a curtsy to the clapping room and gives Fenya a quick wink before disappearing back into the kitchen amid more cheers, and even a few backslaps.

Breakfast finished, we head off to the Alpha’s office to see if there is anything needing my attention.

Having an empty desk and no messages via the guard at the door, we head for the Luna’s office.

Seeing Sloane at the door, I have to grin as I remember her explaining the pack mind link to Fenya yesterday.

“You can wipe that grin off your face right now. I know what you’re thinking about. It was highly embarrassing, and I want to put it behind me.”

“That’s what you said in the office yesterday,” I whisper. Fenya glows bright red and rushes into the office.

Once in the office, Fenya takes her place at the desk and looks like she belongs there. “That does suit you, you know?”

“It’s going to take some getting used to, I know that.

I have nothing to do at the moment, so just sitting here is easy.

” Fenya leans back in her seat and looks around the room.

“I need some pictures on the walls for starters. They look cold and bland. I want a plaque for my desk to match the one on the door.” She looks thoughtfully at the walls and the desk.

Receiving a mind link from Earl, he lets me know that they’ll be back from their recon into no-man’s-land in a couple of hours.

“We have a couple of hours to fill before Beta Earl and his team are back. I’ll let them get fed and watered before we hear what they found. What do you suggest we do until then?”

Fenya leans forward and looks at me through squinty eyes. “Where have they been?”

“Into no-man’s-land. It looks like they haven’t had any trouble. There is no preliminary report of injuries or a skirmish. That’s always a plus.”

“You sent them on my mission, didn’t you? You knew that was going to be mine. That I wanted to go there. We talked about this.”

“Stop right there, Fenya. I asked for your opinion and your input on the mission. At no point was there any suggestion that I would send you on such a potentially dangerous mission. You were not a member of my pack to be included in a team being sent by me to no-man’s-land.

You said that you and Sloane would be enough to undertake the mission, and I beg to differ. This was not a two-warrior mission.”

“We could have achieved the objective and been back in half the time,” she snaps at me and the hairs on my neck bristle.

“If you had been back in half the time, Fenya Walker, you would not have achieved the mission objective…”

“Recon to check out an enemy's known location. In. Look. Out. Simple.”

“Recon to check out an enemy's known location. In. OBSERVE for twelve hours of daylight. Out. Not quite so straightforward and too much to ask of two warriors in enemy territory so far from the safety of reinforcements. If you want to become the Luna that you told the pack you were going to be, you need to get all the facts before you make a decision or start an argument.” Watching her face change from defiance to resignation, I continue. “It would be no good verifying something for only that moment in time. I had to know that they weren’t just out hunting food, or on a training run. I now believe I can contact Alpha Bronze and we can look at what we can do with this information.”

“I’m sorry, Lyle. Huh, sorry again, I should say. It’s not you who makes me so defiant and quick to judge. I don’t know why I do it, to be honest.”

“Fenya Walker, I never wanted a timid mate. If I could have defined a mate for the Goddess Selene to create for me, you would have been my perfect mate. I am not used to someone answering back or showing such open defiance. We will get used to each other, and then we will both change enough that we don’t have such outbursts at one another.

” Stepping forward, I take her in my arms.

“Can I be present when Earl and Glen give their report? I promise to keep my mouth firmly closed.”

“I never want you to keep quiet, Fenya. I value your opinion and your ideas. Just give them in a calm and constructive manner, that’s all.” I smile down at her.

“Calm and constructive. I like that. I’ll work towards that from now on. Calm and constructive. I doubt that I will ever be like that in our lovemaking!” She blushes and giggles as she says this.

“I wouldn’t ever want you to be. You were so much like a ‘human Astra’, I wasn’t sure you hadn’t shifted at one point!” Laughing at my own comment, I’m stunned when Fenya pushes me away and stamps her foot.

“Damn it! I knew there was something. Astra, you will pay for this. I don’t know how you did it, but you influenced me in some wolf way!

My senses were so heightened that I just thought it was supposed to be that way.

I see it now! You’re not a good wolf. Was Hunter in on this, too?

” Her eyes are glowing, and I wish now I had kept my comment to myself, though I’m not aware of any such action by Hunter or Astra.

“Hunter is not part of anything Astra may, or may not, have done. Neither am I.” I hold my palms up in surrender, but if in fact Astra did cause Fenya to behave in that way, she can do it as often as she wants in my book!

“This will be a conversation for later, Astra, and don’t think you’ll be chasing bunnies again any time soon.”

“You do know that you’re saying that out loud, don’t you?”

“Yes, and I know she can hear me, too.”

‘Hunter, you and I will be discussing this too. If there’s any way that a wolf can influence its human, I want to know about it.’

Personally, I have never found it necessary, but by all means we can ‘discuss’ it, Hunter responds.

“I need some fresh air. Let’s take a turn around the gardens. If we bump into any of my friends, maybe they can shed some light on this sly, underhand, corrupt, unpleasant, disturbing…” Fenya states as we leave the office.

Alright, alright. I get the message. You think I did something to influence your behavior.

You should look closer to home, Fenya Walker.

Experiencing something new does not mean you have been drugged, coerced or influenced.

It just means it was new to your senses or emotions.

Accept it. Get over it. Move on! (Hunter!

One word about this to your human and there will be no pups.

No practicing of making pups. Not even a butt sniff. Understand?) Astra says to Hunter.

I understand Astra. You sound like Fenya, by the way. Hunter chortles in his wolfish voice.

If there were a way to curse in wolf, Hunter, I would so curse you right now!

Taking Fenya's hand, we head out of the packhouse and into the gardens. The kitchen garden looks stunning as always. It is seldom full of blooms like the other gardens and borders, but it always seems healthy and full of life. I suppose being harvested constantly keeps fresh growth coming through.

Walking through the orchard, we come across Blossom harvesting windfalls with a couple of Flick’s kitchen staff.

“Hello friend Blossom,” Fenya drops my hand and hugs Blossom.

Hugging her back, Blossom gives me a wink over Fenya’s shoulder.

“Hello Luna Fenya. You look positively glowing today. Alpha Lyle, good day to you too. You also look more relaxed than I have seen in a while. Having a mate suits you both, clearly. How are your wolves taking things? They tend to take things more in their stride than we humans do.” Blossom offers an apple to each of us, which we politely refuse.

We spend a few minutes in idle chitchat when I get the message that Beta Earl has returned. Instructing him to see to the warriors' needs and his own, we arrange to meet in thirty minutes in my office.

In the office, Fenya is pacing up and down in front of the fireplace.

“Calm and constructive, remember? Come and sit. You look like a spring about to uncoil. What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. I’m just eager to hear what they found. Or didn’t find, as the case may be.” Sitting in a chair, Fenya’s knee is bouncing, and I can’t help but stand and go to her.

“Take a deep breath, hold it and count to five. Release it in a long, slow blow, counting to five again.” I do it with her, and then repeat it.

“Does this help you, Lyle?” Fenya asks with a hint of sarcasm while trying to hide the fact she was the one panicking.

“I’ve never done it before. I just made it up as I went.” I respond, and Fenya jumps up, swatting my shoulder as there is a knock at the door.

When Beta Earl enters, he asks if Chief Warrior Glen should be in attendance, and when I agree he turns and gestures for him to enter as well.

Sitting around the large table rather than the desk, Fenya and I listen to their report, and I have to say, I’m pleased with the results.

What does surprise me is the lack of any rogues that you’d expect them to come across.

How is Arric preparing to go to war if he has no guards out, no border patrols, no scouts, nothing?

The meeting is over quicker than I expected with there being so little to report, and I prepare to call Bronze with the findings.

“Fenya, what did Alpha Falan say when you rang him? You never said.” I ask her and immediately know the answer when she dashes from the room, no doubt to go to her own office and call him!