[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
THE MARK OF AN ALPHA Kim Dare
60
Marsdon closed his eyes and bit at his lip. His pup, in any real sense of the word, was
dead.
THE MARK OF AN ALPHA Kim Dare
61
Chapter Five
Have you decided if our pack will keep its ties with your parents pack, or will we be
seeking alliances with those neighbouring us instead?
Marsdon glanced across at Alfred and forced himself to be patient. It wasn t easy
when he d spent most of the previous few nights wide awake and staring at the ceiling as he
turned everything that had ever happened between himself and Bennett over and over inside
his head, trying to find a way to fix the whole world.
We ll keep strong ties with our old pack. And with Bennett s former pack, of course.
Tradition says we only need to keep close ties with the pack the alpha came from.
Marsdon tilted his head to the side as he sensed that this line of questions was
different to all the others Alfred had bombarded him with throughout the day. Alfred had a
well deserved reputation as a trouble maker, but for the life of him, Marsdon couldn t see
where he was headed with this.
It was practically impossible for him to stir up trouble between them and another pack
unless he was included in the talks they conducted with other packs, and that wasn t going
to happen.
The alpha stayed very still, resisting the temptation to reach up and push a hand
through his hair in frustration. All the damn traditions were what had got him and Bennett
into this mess in the first place.
I m hardly going to cut all the ties to my parent s pack just because it was also your
former pack, he said as calmly as he could, still trying to guess what else his young cousin
could be up to.
Yes. But there s no reason to keep ties with his pack too, Alfred said.
Marsdon felt the change in the atmosphere as all the other wolves pricked up their
ears. From half way across the room, he sensed Bennett tense. His mate s attention shifted
away from his conversation with Francis and Steffan and across to Marsdon and Alfred.
Bennett is just as much the alpha of our pack as I am, Marsdon said, very clearly
making sure every wolf who heard the insult would hear his response to it.
THE MARK OF AN ALPHA Kim Dare
62
A pack can only have one alpha, Alfred said.
Marsdon raised an eyebrow at him. One alpha pair, he corrected.
One alpha male, Alfred shot back. And we all know who that is.
We re hardly the first pack where the alpha pair won t be the breeding pair,
Marsdon said, forcing the words to hide his temper. Two alpha males. Two alpha females. If
they are mated, they are an alpha pair. You re old enough not to need to have that explained
to you.
It was practically the only thing about him and Bennett that tradition didn t object to.
He wasn t about to lose that as well or more to the point, risk Bennett taking it into his head
that the fact that they were both male was another problem that needed to be fixed.
Bennett came across and stood at Marsdon s side, facing Alfred across the table where
they d spread out the maps that showed the boundary of the lands they d been gifted to raise
their pack on.
I can accept that your loyalties lie with the alpha you know, the one who came from
your parents pack, Bennett said.
Marsdon ached to point out that he had no intention of accepting any such thing, but
he bit his tongue, willing to agree with anything Bennett said to the others in their pack right
then. He was more than willing to agree the sky was green if that was what it took to display
a united front with his mate before the pack.
But you are a member of our pack now, Bennett continued. Marsdon s and my
pack.
Marsdon nodded his firm and honest agreement of that point if nothing else.
I don t expect you to fake respect for a wolf you don t know well enough to form any
sort of opinion on. But I am your alpha now a temper tantrum is not going to change that.
Alfred squared his shoulders. I only see one alpha. If you want me to believe
otherwise, you ll have to prove it.
A formal challenge? Marsdon asked, not quite able to believe it. He rounded the
table and stepped straight into Alfred s space, looming over the smaller man. What history
book are you living in? There hasn t been a challenge like that issued since before any wolf in
this pack was born. Are you trying to set the ways of a pack back a hundred years?
THE MARK OF AN ALPHA Kim Dare
63
Alfred took a step back, lowering his gaze and bowing his head, offering his overt [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
