Chapter Two

A wolf without a pack.

I was in a mind fog on the drive from the Mulder pack to the Sagar pack because the journey seemed like nothing at all. But the journey back to the Royal Santos pack was taking longer than expected. My thoughts were going into overdrive. The severity of my actions finally catching up with me. My wolf, having been on strike when Saskia lunged for me, is now back and anxious. She has no pack. She has no family. This wasn’t good for a wolf.

I wasn’t expecting this. The skin side had been angry for so long, the anger actually kept a low burning flame ignited in the pit of my stomach. But the fur side was struggling. I was feeling light headed and nauseous from her constant state of anxiety.

“Can we stop?” I ask with my eyes closed.

“We haven’t got long to go…” Mav replies from the driver’s seat.

“I’m not feeling too good.” I was hot and clammy, bile trying to rise up in my throat. I’m already trying to open the back seat door which at a high speed on a motorway wasn’t the best idea, but my wolf was channeling me and wanted out. I manage to open the door slightly and go to push it against the force of the travelling wind when Ricardo reaches over and yanks the door shut. Practically slamming the glass window into my face.

“Aida…” Mav roars at me, for startling him whilst driving in the fast lane.

“Shit!” He pulls over two lanes abruptly and comes to a stop on the hard shoulder.

“What the hell was that?” He growls at me just as I open the door wide enough to projectile vomit. Blake dashes out of her seat and comes to help me out of the car so that I can finish being sick in the bushes. She holds my hair back which creates a cooling sensation on the back of my neck.

Once I felt less nauseous, she grabs a bottle of water from the boot of the car and offers it to me. I take a swig, rinsing out my mouth first before then swallowing some to ease my burning throat.

“There’s a service station a few miles ahead. Perhaps we should stop and get you some food.” Ricardo offers but I’d rather just get to bed. It was now the middle of the night and I just wanted to sleep. But thinking about it I hadn’t eaten since the large breakfast at the Mulder Pack. Lance and Axel leaving had resulted in everyone skipping lunch and we had planned to be back at the palace in time for dinner. My diversion to the Sagar pack had put all plans on hold.

“I think my wolf is struggling with the loss of the pack link.” I weakly reply as Blake helps me back in the car. Ricardo leans over and straps me in as my hands shake too much to grab hold of the seat belt.

“Aida you are trembling.” He growls at me.

“Lance is going to be fuming at me…” He groans.

“You’re the King…he can’t be!” I chuckle at his supposed fear of being chastised by his younger brother.

“Trust me…for you Aida, he’d stop at nothing.”

Hhmm, I’ve seen the promise Lance made to their father, moments before King Julian died. Just after I had marked Lance in a passionate moment during my last heat, I had been able to connect into Lance’s dream whilst he was a sleep. I was so distraught by his no doubt reoccurring nightmare that I couldn’t go back to sleep, I just watched Lance whilst the birds sang their morning chorus.

We pull into a service station and being the middle of the night, it was relatively quiet. Only the fast food outlets were open and we ordered burgers and french fries which seemed to help ease my stomach.

“You and french fries Aida!” Blake chuckles at my addiction for the carbohydrates.

“When it’s love you just now!” I smile back at her, popping a french fry into my mouth.

“Speaking of love, how is Trey?” I hadn’t told anybody but when Alpha Hansen visited Ricardo and Lance at the Lycan pack to discuss his head warrior Trey being mated to Blake, I had privately suggested he was transferred as a gesture of good will. He had wanted to trade Trey for me, which hadn’t gone down well with Lance. Thankfully he hadn’t told Lance he wished to make me his Luna, otherwise the Hansen Wolf Pack would be alpha-less right now. Alpha Hansen seemed to take my advice on board at the time, but Trey had yet to mark Blake and vice versa.

“He’s training the warriors up, looking for a head warrior replacement. He then is going to spend some time with my brothers…back to basics on my family land.” She grins at the mention of Trey’s name. She was whipped.

“Have your parents met him yet?”

“Erm no…I’ve been putting it off.” She moans earning a chuckle from Ricardo.

“What is it?” I ask.

“She’s protecting Trey…he’ll be ripped apart by my uncle and cousins.” He muses.

“Don’t say that!” She crossly pouts at her eldest cousin.

“I’m sure he’ll do great.” I had every faith in Trey. Where we lack in strength and speed against the Lycan species, we werewolves make up for in strategy and determination. Well at least I do, I chuckle to myself earning a questionable eyebrow raise from Mav. He must be desperate to see Colette and Rayna. I know I was.

“What is Colette doing this weekend? Maybe I could pop in for Rayna cuddles?” I ask Mav.

“Yes please do. She needs to get out of the apartment. She’s needs a task..something to keep her mind active. She can’t watch anymore shopping channels, I’m finding secretly stashed parcels everyday.”

“Why doesn’t she continue with Aida’s driving lessons?” Ricardo chips in.

My shoulders sag, I had hoped he had forgotten about Lance teaching me to drive. Lance claims I need to drive to pass the Lycan training programme but I’m not so sure now. Every time I have a problem, or need to be somewhere urgently, there is always somebody else that is willing to drive. Why put myself through unnecessary stress.

“Oh…I had thought..” I start, trying to get out of it.

“Colette used to drive the human army vehicles Aida, she’s highly skilled. She won’t be as easy on you as Lance..” Ricardo smirks.

“That’s what I’m worried about.” I retort back to Ricardo. I look to Mav who is expecting me to say yes, his eyes almost begging for me to say yes. I sigh out loud, dropping my shoulders.

“Fine…but I can’t be held responsible for what happens in those lessons. If she annoys me, I won’t hold back…human or not.” Of course I will, I adore Colette and would protect her with me life. But they don’t need to know that.