Marian aspirated.
“Dinka?”
“Yeah?”
“We need to get this Bloodrayne business handled. I want to be with Andy. I’m sick of being told what to do. He needs me. I need him. I don’t care about what anybody else has to say.”
Dinka growled low and long.
“Agreed,” Dinka snarled, teeth bared.
==========
Nobody in Dax or Corien’s families slept well that night.
==========
The next day, a meeting was called by the pack Alpha.
At eight a.m., forty shifters gathered to attend the meeting. It was held at the training grounds, in a building used by leaders of the warrior class for general meetings and war consultations.
Lead warriors were already aware of what was going to happen, they had already been briefed the previous day by Beta Brock.
The information was to be kept closely guarded as the pack had real threats of spies among their people.
<Two hours later, the gathered shifters had split into smaller teams, strategizing with their designated team leaders.Four of the oldest and most experienced warriors had left the group, going to meet the pack Alpha in his private office within the pack barracks.The four were assigned to complete Alpha Dax’s team of eight.They would be part of the second force, to leave later that day. Their plans were not for the advance team to hear.Among the numbers left in the room, the advance team that would head out that afternoon, various groups were formed.Marian was placed with the pack Beta, Brock, in a team of ten. The pack Beta was getting feedback from his members on the plan he had laid out for them.Dorien was leading a team of five. He was listening to his backup on the team speak to their unit members, much as his father had done with Beta Brock.Around this same time, Gamma Jackson was elsewhere.The pack Gamma, Jac
Marian aspirated.“Dinka?”“Yeah?”“We need to get this Bloodrayne business handled. I want to be with Andy. I’m sick of being told what to do. He needs me. I need him. I don’t care about what anybody else has to say.”Dinka growled low and long.“Agreed,” Dinka snarled, teeth bared.==========Nobody in Dax or Corien’s families slept well that night.==========The next day, a meeting was called by the pack Alpha.At eight a.m., forty shifters gathered to attend the meeting. It was held at the training grounds, in a building used by leaders of the warrior class for general meetings and war consultations.Lead warriors were already aware of what was going to happen, they had already been briefed the previous day by Beta Brock.The information was to be kept closely guarded as the pack had real threats of spies among their people.
Marian closed her eyes tightly, both in her room and in her father’s mind.“Marian, we should leave…” Dinka pressed softly, feeling uncomfortable with the depth of their intrusion.Marian opened her eyes.She stared at Dax through her father’s eyes.Is this what he looks like when they’re alone? Marian mused.She had never seen the pack Alpha with such an unguarded expression or unrigid poise.Her mind wandered as Dinka pulled at her again.Marian continued to stare at Dax until a low growl started.She immediately jumped out of her father’s mind.“What was that, D.?” she asked nervously.“I don’t know. I think it was Nikal, but I don’t understand it,” Dinka replied hesitantly.“How did we get in like that?” Marina breathed inquiringly.“Marian, you need to listen to me when we are in the mind sp
“Yes. But let his father do his job first,” Nikal commented steadily.“Yes,” Corien replied after a moment of silence. “He also needs to attend to the other one,” he murmured distractedly, his eyes shifting to his former brother, former friend, and current enemy as he sorted clothing items to hand over to his son.“That prideful pup,” Nikal sneered.“Nikal!” Corien chided his wolf.“What? The boy is arrogant; he needs to be taken down a peg,” Nikal shot back.“This will be a lot for him. He is young,” Corien started gently, but Nikal was not the type to care as much as his human did for things that were not his direct concern.“We were all young once, Corien. Did we act like this?” he snapped.“He’s scared –”“He’s spoiled! Dax spoils his sons, all of them, every single one of them,” Nikal sn
“How long has he been down there?” Corien had asked calmly.“Too long,” Dax had responded, equally calm.“Will you go in?” Corien had inquired, his tone tinged with concern.“No,” Dax had retorted nonchalantly.Silence.“Why did you bring me here?” Corien had asked, with thinly veiled exasperation.“Because your shrew of a daughter has cursed my son,” Dax had tossed back flatly.Corien had closed his eyes, then reopened them, his green eyes fixed on the still, frosting surface of the lake as he stood in complete silence with Dax.“Why not come with your guards?” Corien asked neutrally, moving the conversation forward.“Because too many eyes should not see my son. Not yet,” Dax had replied slowly after a short pause.Corien said nothing.“Did your child not tell you?” Dax inquired flippantly.&l
Breath mists were coming from Reyland and his father; nothing was coming from Corien.Reyland glanced from one alpha to the other.Finally, his eyes rested on his father.“Fa–” Reyland paused. The sound from his throat was unfamiliar.His eyes widened.His right hand shot to his throat.As his palm touched his skin, he gripped his throat with his hand and jumped up to his bare feet.His pants fell to the ground, and Reyland stared down at himself.A sound that no one, none of the three, Reyland included, had ever heard, came out from Reyland’s mouth.It was a whine, a cry, and a moan, all together.Dax stood. Corien moved to the young wolf.The sound increased, and Dax wrapped his powerful arms around his son as Reyland screamed in a timber so deep that Dax’s large frame vibrated as the boy cried out, into his father’s neck as his arms tightened around Dax’s waist.