3: Ulf

                I screwed my face up into the sweetest smile I could muster as the unfamiliar black SUV pulled up to the front steps of the main house. A mountain of a man stepped out of the car, standing six and half feet tall, at least. His slightly shaggy, dirty blonde hair was combed back away from his face. A close trimmed beard, made his Viking-like features more prominent. A predatory smile curled up his lips as his stormy blue eyes landed on me.

                “Uncle Ulf,” I chirped cheerfully, stepping forward to greet him. Dmitri moved with me as if we really were joined at the hip. “I do hope the car ride wasn’t too long or unpleasant. You really should let us put you up in the guest house if you plan to stay long.” The pack’s hotel of a guest house had been booked full. But most of the guests from last night’s party were eager to get back to their own packs with The Vὅlsung making an appearance so close to their homes.

                “Think nothing of it my dear;” he smiled at me, ignoring Dmitri’s presence, “I’m sure I’ll be heading home in just a few days after we’ve had a chance to get better acquainted.”

                “If you insist,” I nodded, “and you remember my mate, Alpha Dmitri Volkov?” Dmitri gave him a curt nod with a charming smile. I’d intentionally ignored protocol, introducing my mate to the king instead of the other way around.

                Dmitri slid an arm around my waist, “We are honored to have The Vὅlsung, Ulf, and Alpha of Alphas, visit us.”

                “Ah, yes,” he eyed Dmitri as if waiting for at least a nod of reverence that never came, “your mate. The honor is mine, as you have resurrected my niece for me, after mourning her loss for so long. Will you be joining us today? I thought you had a full schedule that could not be cleared.” His face never betrayed his thoughts, but the way he said mate rubbed me the wrong way.

                “Our Betas are exceptionally capable, and can handle things for a few days. I could not seem to bring myself to pass up the chance to get to know my mate’s closest living relative.” He pulled me closer, possessively.

                “Ah, yes, your peculiar pack dynamics. You’ll have to let me know how that evolves for you,” he didn’t try to hide his amusement at all. While it was rare to have a pack with 2 Alphas mated together, it wasn’t unheard of. He just decided that it was just another detail he’d pick and poke at to annoy us.

                “I believe Selene had offered to take you on a tour of our territory, to ease your mind about our ability to properly provide for her.” He’d made a dig about the pack’s assets being inadequate for someone of my lineage in front of all our guests at the party, despite us being one of the largest packs on this side of the world. “Is there anything particular you’d like to see?” Dmitri was practiced in the art of pack politics; I would rely on him to navigate the day.

                “I am sure you facilities are adequate for your pack’s needs. I was hoping to learn about my niece first,” there was the slight again; last night he’d called them quaint. He frowned, “Are we to spend the day out here?”

                “Forgive me; I seem to have forgotten my manners!” I tried my best to look apologetic, “Shall we go find someplace more comfortable for chatting? I’ll have coffee brought in for us, or tea if you prefer.”

                “I’d rather have vodka,” Dmitri grumbled, a little too loudly.

                Ulf laughed, “Now that I can agree too!”

                “It isn’t even noon yet,” I complained. They both just shrugged. “Fine, I know when I’m out numbered.”

                Dmitri led the way to the larger office, usually used for meetings with other Alphas.  He’d moved himself between my uncle and me, keeping his arm around my waist as we moved. Now, I sat on the edge of the desk while he walked around behind it to pull out a bottle of Zyr vodka and 3 glasses.

                He handed Ulf a glass and poured until he gave a nod, the large man settling into one of the deep leather chairs. Taking a sip, he smiled “It’s no Reyka, but it’s not half bad.”

                Dmitri handed me our glasses, filling each halfway before setting the bottle on the desk and taking a glass from me for himself. “It’s hard to beat good Russian vodka,” Dmitri took a long pull on his own drink. Were they really going to jab at each other about vodka origins? He took my empty hand and walked with me to the small leather couch beside the chair Ulf had sat in. We sat so close together our thighs touched and he had to rest his arm on the seat behind me.

                “Last night you said that you had some concerns about my standard of living,” my voice came out sweeter than honey as I pulled the conversation back to the reason he was here. It was better to get to the point so we could send him back to where he came from as soon as possible.

                “Hmmm,” he mused, taking another sip, “Having been spirited away from your rightful home so young, I can see how you could misunderstand my concerns. Even if your mate is an alpha, as it should be, you are still of my bloodline.” It took all I had not to bristle at the way he said “mate” again. “So to that effect I would like to bestow onto you what is rightly yours my dear. There are your mother’s holdings. There is also the dowry, which was set the day you were born. It would provide for a lifestyle befitting of your title and status.” His look of concern looked as fake as it felt.

                Dmitri tensed beside me and I could feel his wolf struggling to stay contained through our bond. “That’s very generous, but as you can see, I’m very happy with the life I have here.” I smiled ignoring my cheeks protests.

                He looked to Dmitri for help, “Surely you understand the importance of an Alpha providing for his,” he paused,” or her, pack. If you won’t accept it for her, at least consider it her contribution to your pack. I understand that she brought no assets of her own as of yet?”

                Dmitri’s jaw clenched and unclenched before his usual charming smile slid back into place, “There is no monetary equivalent to what Selene contributes to our pack.”

                He laughed loudly, showing his teeth as he did. “There was a paltry sum listed in the council records for her child, or am I mistaken about that?” Even considered void, that damn contract was the bane of my existence.

                “The arrangement was not made by either of us,” his words were clipped.

                “Of course not,” he smiled smugly at us, “Originally she was supposed to at least be a Luna, but you opted to buy her progeny from her instead. Then learning of her true birthright, you claimed and marked her as your own.”

                “I opted to give her a way out of that accursed agreement. It never should’ve existed in the first place.” Dmitri had started talking through clenched teeth, making the smile on my uncle’s lips widen.

                “Back to your separate corners, boys,” I gave them each a pointed look. “Not that it matters, but I marked and claimed him first. And as Dmitri said, neither of us made the original agreement. An agreement that I’ll remind you is null and void on two counts. One, I am not Alexandria Lykos. But, most importantly, Dmitri is my one true mate. Any further arguments will have to be brought up with the Moon Goddess herself.”

                I took a sip from my cup and wrinkled my nose making them both chuckle. At least the tension had been brought back to a tolerable level. “The pack knew that I brought no assets other than myself when they accepted me. And they accepted me as an Alpha, not just Dmitri’s mate and Luna.”

                “Consider it a Bonding Gift then,” he sighed dramatically, “or I will feel most insulted.”

                “It is not our intent to insult you,” I handed Dmitri my glass, taking his empty one, “And I will not stand for your continued insults about my pack; no matter how veiled you believe they are. Not only do you insult my mate and pack, but you’re insulting me, and I will have no more of it. As for the assets, I will not let you deplete your clan’s resources to bolster our own. We are capable of taking care of our own with what we have.”

                He laughed heartily, “My dear child, it is but a meager sum and already rightly yours and I will not hear another word about it. It has already been set aside and will be transferred to you. Even I am bound to documents held in the council elders’ vaults. If you’d like, you may keep it as an inheritance for your future pups.”

                ‘His seed will take purchase in but one womb…’ the memory of the goddess’s words echoed in my mind. Dmitri’s arm around my waist tightened slightly, bringing me back to the here and now.

                “Then I guess there is nothing else that either of us can do,” I conceded. His money could sit and rot in an account. I could accept it and not use it. “If that’s settled, what other concerns might you have?”

                He finished his drink. “Well, I don’t suppose I could convince you to return to the fold of The Vὅlsung?” I shook my head and frowned at him, making him chuckle, “Can’t blame an old man for trying to keep the last few members of his family close to home.”

                He looked at his empty glass thoughtfully, and I hopped up to grab the bottle off the desk to refill both of their cups. He smiled up at me, again it felt predatory, and I made my way back to Dmitri’s side as quickly as I could without looking like I was trying to get away from him. “Now that all the unpleasantness has been dealt with, will you tell me of your life and all the years I missed out on? Did my sister and her idiot mate treat you well?”

                That was a loaded question, and the growl of Dmitri’s wolf echoed through our bond. Neither wolf nor man had made peace with the farce that had been my childhood. And I couldn’t tell this man I’d spent most of my life poisoned by wolfsbane to keep my celestial origins and abilities dormant. It probably wouldn’t be wise to tell him that I’d spent most of my life among humans either.

                “18 years is a lot to cover in one day,” I giggled. “But, I would say that I’ve had a very good life. Is there something more specific that you’d like to know?”

                “Did Kalliope make sure you had a proper education,” he stared off in the distance for a moment as if remembering something, “She was always the most musically inclined of our family, but school was never her strong suit. I assume she’d make sure you play an instrument at the very least.”

                “I did take piano lessons for a time,” I assured him, “it did not turn out to be one of my better skills,” I apologized. “She also had me take a turn with ballet, but I didn’t enjoy it much either. I’ve been told that I do have a good singing voice.” I liked to listen to music, not so much making it.

                “It doesn’t surprise me that she didn’t make you stick with your lessons, Kalli always did lack discipline.”

                “I’m more talented with a pencil or paintbrush in my hand,” I explained. Even if I hadn’t had a chance to make a lick of art in the last few months, I had entertained the thought of going to art school. But that was before I’d known about the contract. “I also enjoy cooking, well baking mostly,” I chittered happily, “although I don’t like sweets much…”

                “Manual labor?” he scoffed, cutting me off and glaring at Dmitri. “Surely you don’t mean to tell me that you allow her to work about the kitchen!”

                Dmitri laughed, “’Let her’ would imply that anyone could tell her what she can or can’t do.”

                “Her mother was always especially strong willed as well,” Ulf’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes this time, and he took a long sip from his glass. “She was also the artistic one of us children. Goddess, bless her soul.”

                Dmitri raised his glass in agreement and they both knocked back the remainder of their drinks.

                “Kalli did at least make sure you got high marks? You’re literate, and have a good understanding of mathematics? What about political science, and etiquette? You at least had a decent combat instructor?” He fired off so many questions so fast it was hard to tell if he was a curious family member or interrogating me for enemy intel.  

                “I’ve always had good grades,” I smiled. “I enjoying reading very much, math not so much, but I can work a problem fast enough.” I had to take a quick breath, “I’m afraid I’m still navigating the ins and outs of politics, Alpha is a much more complex role than Luna. And it was not something I knew to prepare for.” I avoided his question about combat training, it felt like an odd question to throw in to the current conversation.

                “Anyone who could have expected you to be a mere Luna is an imbecile,” he eyed Dmitri briefly. “If we never know who your father is, even an omega could not diminish the strong lineage flowing through your veins.”

                “It’s not hard to understand the misunderstanding,” I shrugged, “I did not have my first shift until 2 moons ago.” The goddess had shared a memory with me of my first shift being a few days after I was born, but we’d decided it was safer to stick with my 18^th birthday as my first shift, since it was the first one I could actually remember. It was also our way of explaining how I didn’t know Dmitri was my mate until then.

                He waved off my comment, “Sometimes late bloomers are the strongest, having had to learn to navigate their world with fewer advantages.” I nodded my agreement, thinking about all the female werewolves that had been conditioned to believe that they weren’t supposed to be able to shift, goddess help the world when they learn the truth.

                He continued to question me about my childhood until well into the evening. I answered each question carefully and skirted around the more questionable aspects of my upbringing. I feigned ignorance on any real details about the pack as well. If by chance we’d managed to give him cause to make a declaration of war I didn’t want him to have any insight to a possible weakness he could exploit.

                “Would you like to join us for dinner tonight uncle?” I didn’t really want him to stay longer; it just felt like the appropriately polite thing to do this late in the day, “I can have Sophie make the arrangements for a more intimate setting if you’d like to continue chatting.” ‘Chatting’ was being too polite, it had felt more like an interrogation.

                “I was enjoying our time together so much I did not notice the time slip by. I must regretfully excuse myself, as I have a dinner engagement already.” He stood up and smoothed out his suit coat, “Perhaps you’ll indulge me in another visit, say the day after tomorrow?”

                Dmitri and I stood as well to see him out. “Of course! You’re welcome here anytime,” the lie slid out so smooth I almost believed it myself. “You never got to tell me about yourself or much about our family.”

                “You must think me insufferably rude,” he apologized as we walked, “forgive me for my curious nature?”

                “No worries,” I smiled up at him as we stepped onto the front steps to meet his SUV as it pulled up to take him away, “It’s understandable that you would want to know what happened to the baby you’ve thought long dead. And I’ve only just learned that I still had extended family a few months ago. There is plenty of time for us to get to know each other better.” The lies just kept coming out smooth as silk.

                He leaned into me for an awkward hug, as Dmitri kept his arm around my waist and pulled against him. “Then I will happily return the day after tomorrow so you can learn about your family and place in the world,” he chuckled.

                I pulled myself free of his embrace, stepping slightly behind Dmitri. He looked us over for a moment, “You two move with an odd propinquity with each other, did you know that? Almost, like you share one mind.”

                I tried to blush, “Maybe it’s because we’re both bound to each other, instead of the traditional one sided bond?”

                “Maybe…” he gave me a thoughtful smile. Walking the rest of the way down the steps, he ducked into his SUV and the driver pulled away immediately. We stood watching until his car was out of sight.

                “Fucking lying ass, son of a bitch, murdering bastard, fucking asshole,” I growled, annoyed when I ran out of expletives to spew. “I don’t know how I’m going to spend another day being so fucking sickeningly sweetly polite to that insufferable prick. Why did I agree to let him come back again?”

                Dmitri held me close, shaking as he laughed. “I thought you did exceptionally well.”

                ‘I need to hit something,’ I growled to Nathan wherever he was, ‘meet me in the sparring room!’

                Dmitri laughed harder, not even trying to stop me as I stormed back into the house. He did jog after me though, still intent to stay by my side until my dear old uncle had left the country.