Lycan Legacy (A Soulmark Series Book 5), page 6
"They did what?" I ask aghast. I round on Atticus, twisting in my seat to stare at him. "But you seceded from their pack. I can't understand why they laid a claim to you. Why did this war begin? Why this need for... revenge?" I spit out the word, my own frustration pooling into it effortlessly.
He shrugs, and the car comes to a gentle stop as the streetlight three cars up goes from yellow to red. "Rollins Wselfwulf was not a good man, wolf, or alpha. He pulled heavily on his pack's strength to bolster his own and kept a tight leash on us all. When we left, thirteen of the Wselfwulf pack were killed and twelve of ours, including our alpha, Xander's father."
This much I knew. "They wanted to even the count."
"They want us to return. They want our power and numbers. But most of all, they want to see us suffer. Rollins died a little over a year ago, and his daughter ranks as alpha now," Atticus says with a grimace. "She's Xander's half-sister, and about as deranged as her father. At the very least, she's as power hungry as him. Before his death, he revealed his true intentions were to see all of us suffer. He wished for our demise by his hand."
"I didn't know that."
"They're very good at claiming otherwise. I don't know how all of this will end, but I'll always make sure you're safe, Winter. I won't let you be involved in the fight or risk you getting hurt."
Atticus's hand finds mine without trying. Tender emotions rise inside me, and I look away to hide the pleasure blooming on my cheeks.
"I don't think you would want me to fight, anyway," I tell him, trying to work my way away from our previous topic. A solid lump forms in my throat, one I am quick to swallow down. "I'm not a good fighter."
He gives my fingers a squeeze. "Well, I hope you're a good runner."
I nod, struck with sudden bashfulness and attempt to tug my hand away. For a moment, Atticus's grip tightens and time stretches long and thin between us. I know this type of want and longing. It triggers in me as well and amplifies through the reawakened soulmark. How it can tell its other half is near, is entirely unknown to me but it does.
At last, our hands release and retreat back to our sides.
"I'm a fair runner," I acknowledge. "Aren't all she-wolves though?"
Atticus's deep chuckle resonates throughout the car, and it breaks the awkward tension built between us with ease. Or perhaps this is the nature of the beta.
"We don't typically start our runs at Xander's place." Traffic lessens as we turn off the main road and onto more residential streets. "We go from my house—our house, sorry." The apology is accompanied by a crooked smile full of uncertainty and embarrassment. "I think it might take a while to get used to the pronoun change."
I bite my bottom lip to hamper my smile. "Agreed," I say in a small voice. Atticus clears his throat.
"Our house is more centrally located in town. Although a decent portion of the pack lives in the subdivision we're headed to, somehow our place became full moon central. We base out of Xander's for more official matters."
"Is there something official happening tonight?"
Atticus reaches over and tugs my braid. "New pack members always have their first pack run at the alpha's." I flush, not particularly liking the idea of being the center of attention. "Don't be nervous. You'll have a great time. Everyone is excited to meet you and get to run with you."
"It won't be the entire pack, will it?"
"No. But you shouldn't expect too many familiar faces tonight. Many of those who attended the wedding won't be running with us so that others get the chance to meet you."
The flush I sport remains on my cheeks. How many wolves will I meet tonight? New wolves to the Blanc pack more often than not arrive as newborns. Marriages do occur outside the pack, but only the amount necessary to keep the pack from intertwining their lines too much.
"Our neighbors will be their tonight. Ilene and Ron, he's part of the local police force here but was in the Navy before. They came into the pack a few years ago. Then there's Holly and David. They live in the house to the right of ours. She's an emergency room nurse, which is helpful whenever we have hard-to-explain injuries. Her husband is a teacher at the high school, but you won't see him tonight. He's not a lycan."
I tense as Atticus pulls to a stop on a heavy car-lined street.
"She's married to a human? Is he her soulmark? Like Quinn is for Ryatt."
"Nope." Atticus reaches for his keys to turn off the ignition, but catching my startled expression, stops.
"Does he know?"
"He does."
I don't know what to say, but my reaction is less than affable. Before I can ruin the evening, I direct my gaze at the car parked in front of us. Our lights reflect off the back of the vehicle with a harsh glare, but I can't tear my eyes away.
"Atticus, how could you let this happen? Human counterparts are prohibited unless they bear the wolf's soulmark." My delivery is surprisingly smooth despite the panic rising in my chest like a tsunami. If anyone discovered such blasphemy—
"It isn't prohibited." The firm correction shuts me up. "It is frowned upon, but isn't prohibited. We don't run things by the books in this pack, Winter. Truth be told, we're trying to rewrite the book."
A forced laugh makes its way from his throat as the weight of his gaze rests on my cheek.
"You think your pack can rewrite centuries of tradition?" There's no point in hiding my sudden surge of anger. "Our traditions are what keep us connected to one another, no matter how far apart our kind is from one another."
"And some use those traditions to keep their packs in a stranglehold. We're not brushing aside all the old rules, Winter. We're giving them new purpose and meaning." His argument leaves me chafed.
I turn to face him with several lines decorating my brow. "What happens if the she-wolf and her human separate? What then? What's to stop him from telling our secret?"
"Upon their marriage, David vowed loyalty to the pack and, as such, is as much a part of it as you or I. When he made that vow, it was sealed by magic and a potion. If they were to separate, he wouldn't be able to tell another soul." The information does little to appease my irritation.
"What if they have children?"
"At a certain age, they will be told. If the wolf isn't inside of them, the vow will be taken, just as would happen in any other pack. Like I said, we aren't getting rid of all the old rules."
I remain silent, staring at him with my indignation still burning inside me. Albeit, less so after his explanation. In the Blanc pack, no such union would be allowed. Those who did learn of our supernatural secret would be dealt with accordingly to eliminate the threat of exposure. Our ways are... harsh, but I have been taught of their necessity.
"We should head over," Atticus comments, taking my silence as the end of the conversation. He breaks eye contact first, turns off the engine, and enters the cold. I follow suit and hop out of the car cab’s cozy heat.
Atticus waits for me to cross the street together. His face holds a pensive pinch to it as he twirls his keys around nimble fingers.
"I didn't really expect our first fight to be so soon," he admits, plunging headfirst into what is sure to be another awkward standoff. I halt my progress, stopping a few feet before him as my eyes shoot toward his. "I was kind of hoping it would be about ice cream or something."
A choked laugh bursts from my lips. "Ice cream?"
Atticus flashes me a charming smile, his eyes twinkling with mirth. He takes a step toward me, his hands going confidently into his leather jacket pockets. My indignation falters as I regard him. He looks much too handsome under the scope of the streetlights.
"I'm a sucker for a rocky road," he confides in me, bending at the waist to lean forward and further into my space. I lean back, fighting the smile that wishes to crop up.
"I like strawberry," I tell him, my heart beating far too fast at his playful nature. Atticus pulls a face wherein his tongue darts out, and his nose scrunches up in disgust.
"Well," he pronounces after righting all of his features into another pleasing smile, "I'm glad that's over. Shall we?"
He offers his arm like a gentleman, and I take it cautiously. All pretense of being cool and aloof in his presence turning to rot. There is something inviting about Atticus that makes it a struggle to stay entirely reserved. My heart gives a flutter. What a dangerous quality my husband owns.
Atticus guides me forward toward a giant house that screams money. Snow crunches beneath our feet with every step, and my earlier nervousness creeps back. I draw my back up straighter. Tonight will be more than just meeting more members of the Adolphus pack. My mother and father will no doubt expect a report on the details for the night.
I sigh, and a cloud of white appears before my eyes. I wish I were strong enough to pull out from under their thumb. I wish I didn't know the harm they were capable of that left me as their pawn, so easy to manipulate with my concern for others.
Instead of walking through the house, we walk around it to the back and head directly to the forest. Once we are several yards deep past the forest line, I spot the scattering of lights in the distance. I check over my shoulder uncertainly to make sure no humans eyes can see us.
"This is purely wolf territory." I scan our surroundings as Atticus continues. "Don't worry, the lights are too far in to be noticed. We've checked a dozen times."
My shoulders relax their rigid posture as we head to the lights. As we close in on the base camp for the run, I begin to slow—not for fear, but in general awe of what is in front of me. Three large canopy tents have been constructed amongst the trees. They're similar to the bridal suite tent I used the other night, but these engulf some of the tree trunks to maximize their space.
Laughter ricochets between tree trunks, and I see more than a dozen people occupying the area in between the tents. They are cast in a glow of lanterns, and several seem to have drinks in their hands.
"Where will the she-wolves run?" I ask, not seeing any other shifting site in the vicinity. My query makes Atticus stop, and I have no choice but to as well with his hand grasping onto my upper arm. A frown sinks his dark eyebrows over his crystal blue eyes.
"What do you mean?" he asks carefully.
I shrug out of his hold with ease and mirror his frown. "Where am I supposed to run?"
"Here." My eyebrows dart up, and Atticus sidesteps in front of me to block the pack's view. He keeps his voice low as he asks his next question. "Where else would you run? I asked you last night to run by my side."
"I thought you meant figuratively," I return hotly, all at once flustered by his assumption. "Of course we wouldn't actually run together. Male wolves are too aggressive at the full moon to run with she-wolves. We run separately."
His look of disbelief leaves me doubtful.
"Who told you that?" Atticus asks. He seems genuinely confused and distressed.
"I don't need to be told. I've seen it, Atticus. That's been my life all these years. We don't run together like that in the Blanc pack. It's not safe."
My response stumps Atticus, and my all-American husband's shoulders slump in defeat. I make a move to go around him, but he blocks my way.
"Just wait," he begs, eyes wide as they cast a furtive glance over his shoulder then back at me. His confusion fades to one of determination. "You need to know runs aren't like that here. The full moon is a time to celebrate and let our wolves run free. Just as they were meant to. She-wolves aren't culled from the run for their safety. They're kept near so the bigger males can protect them from any outside threat. She-wolves are precious to our pack because they give us strength in their own unique way. You don't have to worry about a wolf being aggressive with you in the Adolphus pack. Ever."
His impassioned speech grows a little louder with each word until I'm sure the pack is privy to every word. I shift uncomfortably, and he shrinks down a bit as he takes a small step toward me. His posturing is submissive and meant to put me at ease. It does, but only by a margin for my embarrassment still strikes me keenly.
"I want you to be comfortable tonight. If you're nervous to run with the guys, there are a couple of women here tonight you can run with instead." Atticus's offer comes in a quiet and placating tone.
I shake my head. I'm unwilling to change the night's agenda to put off my unease. I'll have to trust what Atticus said and hope for the best.
"Are you two finished whispering sweet nothings to each other?" Ryatt calls out from the camp. Atticus stands tall, rolling his eyes as he allows a smile back onto his face. He loops an arm over my shoulder and steers me the remainder of the way into the lantern light.
"Is everyone here?"
Ryatt nods and strides purposefully toward us. He meets us halfway and steals me from Atticus's care. "Come along then, sister." Ryatt pulls me into the very center of the camp with his arm draped over my shoulders.
I cast helpless eyes back to Atticus, but he merely chuckles at my fate.
"I'm afraid he can't help you anymore. You're the property of the pack tonight." His exuberance and excitement are palpable, as is the general consensus across the group. They're all excited for the full moon and, I suppose, for me.
For once, I'm thankful for the cold night air. It better masks the flush filling my cheeks with a rosy hue.
"Ryatt...." The gentle warning comes from none other than the alpha himself. He excuses himself from a couple placed near one of the three canopy tents, and he wears a confident smile. "Do your best not to scare off Atticus's wife tonight."
"Me? Never. If anything, I'm the most fun-loving member of this pack. Aside from the beta himself."
The pack laughs at the gentle ribbing, but Ryatt concedes to releasing me from his hold. Xander approaches, his smile turning warmer. He's dressed in a peacoat and scarf, and his eyes are evergreen in the lighting.
"I hope you're excited for tonight." Xander's voice sounds loud and clear, and the conversation around us stops in deference to the alpha's words. "All of us are. We've been waiting for this night for a long time now. If nothing more than to make Atticus stop counting the days." The group lets out another laugh.
"I wasn't that bad." Atticus shuffles from foot to foot and crosses his arms over his chest.
Xander smirks. "He was."
At this, I let out a small laugh myself. The group's excitement catches and carries inside the few pack bonds I now have with them, thanks to my marriage with Atticus.
Xander's smirk softens to a well-worn smile. "New pack mates are a gift. They're something to be celebrated, especially when those new pack mates are soulmarks, and more so when they are she-wolves. Having you here is like winning the triple crown."
Regardless the corny stature of his words, the sentiment is heartfelt. I sweep my eyes around the group then back to Xander. "I'm happy to be here."
"To make the night better, you aren't the only one we get to celebrate tonight." My eyes widen in surprise. "Matt, Emma, come over here."
The couple who stood by Xander only a minute before approach. Their winter apparel isn't suited well for the current temperature. Their jackets are too thin, and neither wear enough layers beneath to stave off the cold. Yet they smile gayly at their introduction, with familial noses and lips making me rethink my assumption they are a couple.
"Matt and Emma come from the Santa Fe pack. They came in search of a bigger pack to be a part of, and we're happy to accept them. With good tidings, they left their pack and with good tidings enter our own." The wolves around us give a holler and applaud. "If everyone will take their place in rank, we'll allow our newest pack mates to shift first and become familiar with those in attendance."
"Which tent should we use," Emma asks. Xander gestures toward the far left tent.
"Your brother can change in the other, just there." Xander gestures toward the far right tent. "Once we've run, we'll meet back here. Food will be prepared, and we can set up for the next group running."
With our instructions laid out before us, the she-wolf looks to me with expectance. With a jolt, I realize she is waiting for me to go first as rank dictates. I smile kindly and hurry to our designated tent to get her out of the cold.
Emma follows without hesitation. Once we are in the room, she releases a happy noise and claps her hands together.
"Oh, this is so much nicer than what my old pack did for the full moon," she says. I make no immediate reply, heading to the back of the room where two folding screens dominate the back corners of the tent. A small cube unit shelf sits in the middle, with baskets meant to hold our things in while we run.
"What did you do for the full moon?" I ask politely and slip behind one of the screens to undress, two baskets in hand.
"They lacked this... glamor," Emma tells me and follows up the statement with a snort. "We piled up in a few cars and went out to the desert to run. We always fixed up a campfire, and everyone brought food to share as we took turns running. Things get rowdy, but it was always so much fun."
"And you and your brother chose to come up to Montana to be part of a larger pack? There must be larger packs in between here and New Mexico that you could have joined. Why here?"
I'm glad for the screen, the blunt nature of my questioning is not my usual style. My outwear gets piled in one of the baskets and my clothes in the other, then back in the cube shelf. My boots I tuck near the wall, and last, but not least, I unfasten my necklace and place it with my cloths.
"The Adolphus pack is making changes we want to be a part of. Our pack in Santa Fe wasn't happy to see us go, but they were pleased with where our hearts were in making the decision."
Her reasoning makes me pause. Mother would be appalled at her explanation. I shift restlessly as I realize she is waiting for some kind of response from me.
"Let's meet the pack," I say, keeping my words gentle and soothing. "And then let us run."
