Chapter 6: Alpha Briefing

Kyon POV

Serious and imposing in the great hall of Cresta House, Dane Cresta looked about as calm as the Evenhide Alpha could look while hearing about a potential magical plague–the first magical attack in shifter lands in decades, not counting what Cyran Sinsworth tried to do in Crimsontail lands.

Dane paced the room with his hands behind his back, wearing the tartan robe he sometimes liked to wear whenever he was with his Luna, Lilia. His blue-eyed gaze was troubled, but he remained calm. Kyon was keeping him calm, otherwise, Dane would be going out of his mind with this unknown threat to the pack.

On second thought, Kyon decided he couldn’t entirely take credit for Dane being mellow. Much of that honor belonged to Lilia. He fought the grin that threatened to spread across his face, thinking that only two months ago, Dane had been a different man, and Lilia was responsible for the change. Two months before, Dane would not have skipped his duties yesterday to go off with Lilia on a picnic that lasted until nightfall.

“We don’t know what it is,” Kyon said, continuing his briefing. “This white and red streak moved too fast for me to get a good look. Tulaska and Azandra, and Anneliese, are interviewing the members of our pack who are afflicted to see if they observed anything that could help.”

“Mm.”

Dane’s responses consisted of occasional grunts. To many people, that might mean he wasn’t listening, or he was indifferent. Thanks to the shorthand they’d developed as brothers, Kyon knew that was false. Dane was simply prompting him to continue.

“It was strange. Something like that so close to New Moon City? I’ve never seen anything like it. Neither has Tulaska, and she’s seen just about everything.”

“Mm. What does Lilia think?”

“She hasn’t ruled out anything, including a witch spell gone wrong, although she doesn’t know of any that match what I saw. The witches in Wildefell are consulting their ancient lore. Mother Ravyn thinks it’s possible it’s a sky spirit that got lost, or maybe a demon. Any number of magical creatures or spirits, although the attack doesn’t quite fit any of them.”

Dane let out a low growl. “Could it be Cyran?”

Kyon scowled. “For the third time, I don’t know. I didn’t smell him, but he could have masked his scent. Although I should have been able to see him in his wolf form.”

Dane gritted his teeth together and circled around the table where generations of Crestas had sat and resolved the issues of the day. And probably paced a lot, if the well-worn floor was any indication. There were new weavings hanging on the walls, including a wedding tapestry from the High Elves, a gift to honor the pack’s new Luna.

Dane swung his arms now, restless. “He was messing with some dark and dangerous magic. Who knows what kind of cursed power he unleashed?”

Kyon stared at him with a steady gaze. “It’s easy to be paranoid …”

“That’s not what this is. And I HAVE to be paranoid. I didn’t see the trouble brewing, the darkness in Cyran, and it was right next door.”

Kyon was quiet for a moment, which made Dane pause in his pacing. “And if all that hadn’t happened, would you have met Lilia?”

Dane’s eyes glowed golden and his teeth sharpened. “It was fated. We were fated to meet.”

“Then that means the trouble may have been fated, too,” Kyon said, with a logic that would have made Jiro smile. “It does NOT mean you need to feel guilty about that.”

“Why should I? Cyran helped drag us into a war.”

Kyon approached his big brother and put a hand on his shoulder. “I know that, but I also know you. And just a minute ago, you reeked of guilt the way the kitchen stinks whenever we peel onions for stew.”

Dane smiled. “I can always count on you to keep me honest.” He grew serious. “We didn’t investigate what was going on with the Crimsontails before we went to war.”

Kyon shook his head. “Don’t do that. You can’t change what’s past, and if you were wrong, then the council and all of us were wrong too. We were acting on the best information we had at the time, and YOU were protecting your mate.”

Dane’s dark eyebrows arched. “I hear your mate was protecting you against her own parents and then she got a kiss for her trouble.”

Kyon tried to act casual, despite his heartbeat hammering in his ears, certainly loud enough for Dane to hear. “News travels fast.”

Dane seemed more interested in Kyon’s love life than the potential threat. Unusual for him, but then, Lilia had definitely softened his edges.

“So, she is your mate.”

Kyon shrugged. “You should ask yours …”

Dane smirked. “I don’t have to. She’s brought it up at least once a day since Azandra ambushed you with a hug upon our return from fighting the Crimsontails. She’s convinced you’re fated mates, and nothing is going to change her mind, especially not Azandra’s parents … who did they try to push her to accept this time?”

He wasn’t surprised Dane knew about the disastrous fix-up, and he braced himself for the inevitable question about Azandra announcing them as fated mates. But Dane didn’t even ask. Maybe after the doubts surrounding his bond with Lilia, he wanted to give Kyon the benefit of the doubt. And Lilia had proclaimed them to be fated mates.

“Marcus Mond.”

Dane thought for a moment. “The new Alpha of the Wintertails, known to be fierce in battle. A very modern alpha who still keeps the traditions. I've only met him once at an Alpha Gathering three months ago. We’re friendly with their pack. I doubt they want to jeopardize that.”

“Let’s hope so.” Kyon gave him a lopsided smile, impressed by Dane’s knowledge. “I have the feeling the Hemmings are just going through all the territories on the Northern Continent and finding all the ones with single Alphas since they failed spectacularly with the one right here and won’t even consider anyone lower than an Alpha…even if they are one of your successors. Certainly, Lilia and I would be in charge until your pups come of age if you decided to go off on some wild quest.”

The idea hurt. At least Lilia wanted Dane for himself … she wasn’t sure about the fated mate bond, but she felt the attraction to Dane. Not for his rank or title or power, but because they just fit. As an example, Lilia had felt conflicted about giving up the shop she and her mother Ravyn ran. She didn’t have ambitions to be the pack Luna, but she was a d*mn good one.

Azandra might have wanted Dane just because nearly every female (and maybe a few males) in the pack desired Dane. What was not to love? But she also had been poisoned by her parents’ ambition.

“Why would I go off on a wild quest? Everything I could ever want is right here,” Dane said, interrupting his thoughts. “And you know that unless we marry one of us off to some Alpha’s daughter, we’ll all probably end up growing old together in this house with our mates and children.”

“Who were you thinking of marrying off?” Kyon quipped.

Dane smacked him lightly on the arm. “Never mind that. Listen to me. You’re a prize. Without you, I would have fallen apart these last six years several times.”

“We all would have,” Jiro said, making Kyon jump.

He whirled to see his stealthy little brother, Dane’s fourth in command who really should not be able to sneak up on anyone with that mass of red hair, and Lilia. Both with exasperated looks on their faces and eyes that said they thought he was dense.

Jiro continued. “And you may be our Beta, but you aren’t second best, contrary to what some idiotic people think. They’re in the minority.”

Kyon smiled at Jiro’s implied disdain for the Hemmings and at Lilia’s fervent nod. After all, their grandstanding had helped create friction between Lilia and Azandra in the beginning.

Jiro wasn’t finished. “If anyone’s going to get married off and move far away, I nominate Patch.” Both Dane and Kyon laughed in agreement.

Lilia swatted Jiro. “You don’t mean that, and I think Anneliese would throw a witch-sized fit, even though she constantly calls him Spot.”

Kyon chuckled at the hint of a budding romance between Lilia’s best friend and Patch. “Teasing him is like flirting with him.”

Jiro smiled gently. “On second thought, better keep him here where we can manage it if he gets in trouble.”

“Exactly,” Dane proclaimed, looking at Kyon with a pointed stare. “And Azandra isn’t going anywhere either, which means you, little brother, have to step up your game.”

Kyon found the idea of Azandra moving to some backwater territory unthinkable. His heart hurt so much at the thought he had to stop and breathe quietly.

Lilia helped Dane surround Kyon, with Jiro closing in. “Don’t be afraid. We won’t let her leave. And we can give you pointers,” Lilia offered.

Dane bared his teeth. “I personally will make sure her parents abandon the idea of sending her away.”

“Good luck,” Kyon muttered.

“I’m the Alpha, and what’s the point of being Alpha if I can’t use my power for good?” Dane said.

Jiro had a different opinion. “Kyon, you could just mark her immediately and pretend it happened when you were delirious so her parents can’t say a word. It’s not impossible. You were somewhat out of it with your injury. You could have marked her then and not known about it. There’s certainly a history of that in this family.” He stared at Dane and Lilia, who both blushed.

Kyon shook his head. “We announced ourselves as mates in haste. I don’t want to do the same thing when marking her.”

Especially since he wondered whether she just wanted him and accepted the mate bond because she couldn’t have Dane. And maybe she thought her parents would come around, and she’d give them the high-ranking wolf they wanted for her. Although he’d never make her give up her role as healer, which she knew perfectly well.

“Seems to me she didn’t give you much choice when she sprung it on you,” Lilia commented.

“And she apologized,” Kyon said, bristling, ready to defend his mate.

“I’d hope so, although I really can’t blame her,” Jiro said. “Her parents evidently don’t realize that being Beta of the Evenhide Pack is better than all those other average Alphas of other packs. If the Moon Goddess wanted to pick a wolf for Azandra, she couldn’t do better than you. And she can’t do better than you because there isn’t any better, for a variety of reasons. She never takes off that necklace you made her.”

Logical Jiro wasn’t what you would call a romantic, or at least, he wasn’t expressive about it. But Kyon always sensed a deeper side to him. And what he just said was so d*mn heartfelt and expressive that any female would be lucky to have him.

Lilia agreed. “Kyon, Jiro’s right. You don’t have to mark her unless you both agree, but don’t let her go. Not just because we need her to figure out this magical ailment. This is where she belongs. But the only one who can make that happen is you. Are you in or out?”

Moon Goddess, he adored his sister-in-law to pieces.

Kyon blew out a breath, scared out of his mind, and said, “I’m in. As long as Dane lays down the law with her parents.”

Dane grinned wickedly. “Of course. Consider that my gift to you both to honor your mating.”