h4Chapter 210: Caine: You’ve Chosen Well/h4

    strongCAINE/strong

    Grace looks awkward, her smile a little too forced and her eyebrows pulled together. Strange. I thought assuring her of our secret being safe would make her happier, but it seems to have done the opposite.

    iI give up. You’ll never understand./i

    Ignoring Fenris’s pointlessmentary, I head for Reggie’s unconscious form with a faint sneer. Nudging his body with my foot yields no reaction. His breathing is deep and even, his skin tinged pink with healthy blood flow, and his presence in the pack link is muted, but not gone.

    iHe’s sleeping./i

    iNo shit. /iKicking his leg doesn’t wake him up, either. While I don’t have a bucket of water to throw on his face—and I would—I’m certain it wouldn’t wake him up from his peaceful slumber.

    Whatever little trick the witch weaved into her camper protection is working very well, indeed.

    Reluctant admiration trickles its way into my brain. It’s pathetic for a Lycan to be so easily rendered helpless, but it’s only proven the potency of her power.

    "Manifest," I order Fenris, this time poking the toe of my shoe at Reggie’s temple. With the change in position, his mouth falls open.

    Then he begins to snore.

    iNope. You’re about to harass her about that pup again, and I’m not stupid enough to stand in the crossfire./i

    Would a little loyalty hurt?

    iYes./i

    My mouth twitches with irritation, and the surge of power I send Reggie’s way might be a little more than necessary.

    "Wake up," I snap, his snoring sounding like a saw on my veryst nerve. But I’m still conscientious enough to narrow the range of unleashed dominance, not wanting to scare Grace or the children. As far as they’re aware, I’ve done nothing.

    But Reggie twitches, and his mental space in our pack link flickers with life.

    Infusing my voice with the power of an alpha is as easy as breathing. "Wake up, Reginald."

    His eyes snap open, unfocused and disoriented as my dominance fights through the strange nket of energy surrounding his presence in the pack. After a few blinks he scrambles to his feet, as awkward as a newborn pup, limbs moving in awkward jerks until he’s finally standing in front of me, shoulders pulled back as he tries to salvage some dignity.

    His eyes are finally clear, but when he opens his mouth, only a loud squawkes out.

    There wasn’t much sound in the area to begin with, but it falls into dead silence as the sound fades.

    Reggie’s face contorts, morphing from confusion to horror.

    His throat works, and then he opens his mouth again. But...

    "Squawk!"

    The second attempt seems to have broken something in him. He narrows a furious re behind me, aggression flooding the air with a hint of smokey scent.

    Heat floods my veins, power gathering under my skin like a storm. I don’t even need to turn to know he’s directing his anger at Grace, my little human who can barely throw a proper punch, let alone defend herself against a full-grown Lycan.

    One flick of my wrist sends a precisesh of dominance slicing through the air.

    Reggie’s knees hit the ground hard with a cap-breaking thud. His shocked eyes snap to mine, mouth hanging open in silent protest.

    "Don’t you feel ashamed," I say, my voice winter-cold, "to be so weak you’ve been hexed by a witch?"

    Through our pack link, his thoughts scrabble, thankfully unchanged by whatever strange prank Lyre’s added to her protection: iHigh Alpha, forgive my unseemly appearance. I’ll teach that witch a lesson she won’t forget./i

    His burning gaze slides past me again as he speaks.

    I don’t respond with words. The pressure of my dominance rolls off me in waves, narrowed to the man in front of me. Reggie’s spine curves, fighting it for barely a second before his arms shoot out, palms pping against the dirt to keep from facentingpletely.

    He’s on all fours now, exactly where he belongs.

    iHigh Alpha, please—/i Another mental rush of panicked submission floods our link. iI only meant—/i

    "Your job," I cut in, each word precise and cold, "was to protect ieveryone /iin that camper."

    Reggie’s breathes harder, the pressure of my aura leaving him fighting for each inhale. iThe witch attacked me, High Alpha. She’s standing right there; the one with blonde hair!/i

    My eyes flicker as I fight the urge to look back. Not to rify his words, obviously, but just to look at her. To take a minute to sniff in her pretty blueberry scent and drink her in.

    But first I have to deal with this idiot.

    iTakes one to know one./i

    Something dark and vicious surges forward from inside me, taking shape beside me in a rush of shadows.

    Fenris materializes, his massive ck form rippling with barely contained rage. His snarl cuts is bone-chilling, his lips pulled back to reveal teeth longer than human fingers.

    i"That witch is under our protection."/i Fenris’s voice fills the pack link, vibrating with terrible power. Reggie flinches. i"Don’t me your failure on her."/i

    The connection carries every ounce of our shared disgust. Grace and Ron can’t hear it, but Reggie feels the full impact; the weight of an alpha’s displeasure crashes down on him.

    "Why would you intimidate those I have under my protection, Reginald?"

    His shoulders stiffen, but he remains in his position as sweat breaks out across his skin.

    Fenris moves closer, his massive head lowering until his muzzle is inches from Reggie’s ear. His jaw snaps shut with a cruel click of his teeth.

    "Squawk!" The sound escapes Reggie as he ttens himself further, his chest nearly touching the ground. The stink of humiliation rises from him in waves, his skin flushing crimson with shame.

    iI was wrong, High Alpha,/i he acknowledges through the link, the thought small and contrite. iCompletely wrong. I misunderstood the situation./i

    I stare down at him, letting the silence stretch.

    "You’ve proven you can’t be trusted with their safety," I say finally. "Your new assignment is to monitor the Blue Mountain alpha. His behavior has been... erratic. Report directly to me on his movements."

    Reggie’s relief floods the link, grateful for any task that removes him from my immediate presence.

    "If you so much as look at Grace or any of those children the wrong way again..."

    I let the threat hang unfinished. Some promises are more effective when left to the imagination.

    But Fenris doesn’t bother with threats. He lunges forward and sinks his teeth into Reggie’s shoulder, then jerks his head back, tearing skin from muscle and letting blood flow freely.

    The Lycan squawks again, but doesn’t fight back. His shoulder will be healed by tomorrow, so the damage isn’t severe. Just enough to show my wolf’s displeasure.

    Humans speak with words and warnings, but our wolves are far more primal.

    "Stand," I snap, and Reggie shoves to his feet immediately. At least he isn’t pale and swaying like many a lesser wolf would be.

    His gaze is steady and resolute, and this time doesn’t slide behind me to re at someone he shouldn’t. iYes, High Alpha./i

    ]"Let me make something clear," I say, my voice low enough it won’t carry back to Grace and the children. "Every human under my protection is worthy of your respect. Especially her."

    The ’her’ hangs in the air between us, weighted with meaning. Reggie swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He bows his head in proper submission. His face is impressively nk, with no trace of the bias I know lurks beneath the surface.

    "Yes, High Alpha. I understandpletely." His voicees out normal now, the squawking effect apparently worn off. Shame. "It won’t happen again."

    Fenris prowls around him, his massive paws silent with each step. Blood stains his muzzle, his ck lips pulled back in a faint snarl. His head reaches past Reggie’s waist even when the Lycan is standing upright.

    "iNot all humans are as fragile as they appear,/i" Fenris projects. "iThe one you threatened walks between worlds. Be careful she doesn’t decide your next sleep should be eternal./i"

    The slight jump in my subordinate’s pulse is the only indication Fenris’s words have affected him.

    I raise an eyebrow at the wolf. He’s well aware it’s from Lyre’s protections weaved into her home, and Grace is weaker than any wolf in our territory. And yet he’s impressively stolen Lyre’s valor and applied it to Grace’s presence.

    Fenris turns his massive head toward me, storm-gray eyes unblinking. iIt’s better for him to believe her power did this. Lycans respect strength above all else. If he thinks she’s dangerous, he’ll keep his distance. A witch has greater value than a human, even among those who detest them./i

    It’s not a bad strategy. A flicker of amusement stirs in my chest as I consider it.

    iYou’re getting soft./i

    iI’ve always been soft on her,/i Fenris responds without hesitation. iYou’re the one catching up./i

    My eyes narrow at the implication, but I don’t bother arguing with him. There’s no point. Not when he’s right, anyway.

    iI’m always right, too./i

    Reggie clears his throat, his eyes fixed on the ground. "High Alpha, if I may be excused to begin my surveince of the Blue Mountain alpha?"

    "Treat your wounds first. Don’t allow him near Grace—the children—again."

    He nods, slowly raising his head. His eyes flicker behind me, but this time they’re not angry. They’re calm and somewhat inquisitive. "May I ask what your rtionship is with—"

    "We are not mates," I exin calmly.

    He pauses. "You’re not?"

    "No." Then I nce at Fenris, remembering how he put power in Grace’s hands. It wasn’t a bad idea. In fact; I should add to it. "She’s been very clear about us not being mates."

    Reggie’s eyes widen faintly. "She’s been... I see."

    This time, when he looks around me, there’s a faint whisp of respect on his face. "To think a human would be so daring. Not bad, High Alpha. You’ve chosen well."

    I nod, because he’s right. I have. But then I caution, "I haven’t chosen anything. We are not mates."

    He nods back, with a faint grin. "Oh, I understand. Of course, High Alpha. You aren’t mates."

    iYou’re both idiots./i