The Heart of a Wolf Read online

  Standing, he held out a hand, letting the simple pleasure of having her hand curl into his slide through him. Tossing Brylee up onto his broad shoulders, an action that caused her eyes to crinkle with a quiet giggle, he took Teagan’s hand with his other arm and led them out into the warm spring morning.

  “So, tell me about Kalvara” she prompted as they stepped into the large, grassy space spread out around the main house.

  Sweeping the area with a quick glance, he edged them toward a break in the tree line on the left before answering.

  “The lodge serves as our den. Normally it’s crawling with Pack” he informed her and she sent him a quick, amused look.

  “I figured with the amount of tables and seating in the great hall. I assume they’re just giving us newlywed space and not avoiding me?”

  “Yes. That won’t last long though. They’re too used to congregating together,” he admitted, reaching out to brush a branch aside. “This path leads to the Healers cottage. The lake is toward the right, the village center is just there and spread out through-out our territory are homes.”

  Allandra nodded, scanning the area as the path ended and they emerged out onto a small clearing where a neat, white-washed cottage with navy shutters and ivy crawling up its walls stood. On one side, a line was spread between two trees, bedding and long strips of linen fluttering in the light breeze.

  A large garden spread out on the other side, each raised bed neatly ordered. Even without spotting Lachlan moving through the rows, a full basket of herbs at his side, it was obvious this was the Healers cottage. He raised his head as they neared and lifted a gloved hand in welcome before grabbing the basket to meet them at the wide front door painted a soothing dark blue.

  “Kendrick. Allandra. Welcome” he greeted with an easy smile, his gaze meeting his Alpha’s with a small nod of respect. “Decided to emerge from the den, did you?”

  “Allandra wanted to see Kalvara.”

  “Ah. Make sure he takes you out to the waterfall and up on Wallens Rock-you can look out over all of Kalvara from there” Lachlan recommended.

  “You’re our first stop, but I’ll make sure he does” she responded as Lachlan pushed open the door and waved them in.

  “I’m honored. Come in-Lyssia’s just checking on Alfred’s bandages” he told them as they stepped into the large front room. Two large scrubbed tables sat in the center of the room, one with jars and baskets lined neatly up with stools pushed under it while the other was obviously used for patients getting serious care.

  Behind a partially drawn curtain was a small bed, most likely used for any patient that needed an overnight stay. Werewolves healed quickly, but even they could need intense healing after a severe wounding. Kendrick didn’t like to think of how many of his fellow wolves had lain in that bed, pain streaking through them. Thankfully, the majority of them survived, but enough didn’t to cause an ache that never truly went away.

  Drying herbs hung from the rafters, sending a clean, wholesome smell through the room while shelves along the walls held a myriad of jars, baskets and wooden boxes.

  A large rock fireplace dominated one wall, a large black cauldron bubbling over a low fire. Two wide chairs were placed by the hearth-one of them currently occupied by a man grimacing while Lyssia carefully examined the wound behind the bandage she’d peeled back. Both looked up when they entered and lowered their heads to Kendrick.

  “How’s Alfred looking, Lyssia? Been following orders?” Lachlan’s amused question accurately took in the scene as Lyssia scowled at the man in the chair before pulling the bandage completely off.

  “Of course not. Now why would he bother listening to a Healer when he could just let his wound fester and hurt more?” she answered with sharp sweetness and Alfred winced when she grabbed a length of linen from one of the baskets on the table and a small jar of salve.

  “I’ve been...busy. And, the tea you gave me tastes terrible” he defended himself weakly as she unscrewed the jar and scooped out a thick fingerfull and spread it across the red slash on his side.

  “Mmhhmm. Well, you won’t be busy at all if you’re dead from a festering wound that would have been easy enough to cure” she snapped and Kendrick shared an amused look with the others as Alfred ducked his head under her chiding gaze and nodded with a quiet ‘yes, ma’am’.

  Alfred was one of his strongest warriors, big and frightening and extremely dominate in the Pack hierarchy while Lyssia was a tiny slip of a thing who barely reached his chin while standing. Normally, he wouldn’t stand there and take another wolf whose dominance was lower than his without a challenge back, but Healers occupied an in-between area that allowed them to give orders to any wolf-even the Ascendant. It allowed them to use their Gifts without having to worry about challenges or dominance issues.

  Every werewolf instinctively recognized a Healer and treated them accordingly-yet another piece to the puzzle of their race they’d discovered.

  Like any other race’s Healers, the Gift to heal came with a high price-any magical healing done was absorbed into the Healer’s body-so wounds were often treated concurrently with herbs, crystals, ointments and potions to keep the pain the Healer absorbed to a minimum.

  Alfred’s stubbornness in not following Lyssia’s directions meant she might have to take his wound into her body-something they all tried to avoid, if possible. Not being one to needlessly cause another pain, Kendrick could see the other’s man’s regret so he stayed silent as Lyssia finished bandaging him up before slapping a small linen bag in his hand.

  “Drink the tea three times a day and apply the ointment I gave you before going to bed” she ordered and he nodded before quickly ducking out with a nod toward the others.

  Lyssia shook her head after him before tossing the used bandage into a laundry basket by the side of the hearth. “Stubborn man” she muttered before wiping her hands, blowing out a breath and smiling at them. “Welcome. Did you need something?”

  “They’re touring Kalvara and stopped to visit” Lachlan explained helpfully and Lyssia’s smile grew warmer as she watched the two children’s eyes go the small, decorative box on the mantel.

  “I see. Well, I suppose a treat might help strengthen you for all the walking you’ll be doing-Kalvara’s a large place” she commented while reaching up to take down the box. Opening it up, she tilted it toward the children, who eagerly took one of the fragrant balls and bit into them with smiles. Lyssia offered it next to Allandra and Kendrick, who both took one.

  “These are delicious!” Allandra commented after swallowing, “Cinnamon and apricot?”

  “Among her very fine healing Gifts, Lyssia is a wonderful cook. My meals are vastly more enjoyable since she came along” Lachlan complimented, taking the herbs out of his basket and sorting them into the smaller ones on the table.

  She blushed, but looked pleased before replacing the box on the mantel.

  “Lyssia was changed a year ago and came here. We’re extremely lucky to have her. Werewolf Healers are rare” Kendrick informed Allandra and she nodded curiously.

  “And will you stay here when you’ve finished your apprenticeship?”

  The young woman shrugged with a glance toward Kendrick. “I’m not sure. We tend to get a lot of wounds here in Kalvara so having two Healers is helpful, but there are a lot of Packs who don’t have any at all and either send for one of us or have to travel for care. So, I might be needed elsewhere.”

  “And how long do you have left?”

  She looked at Lachlan in question who smiled gently at her.

  “I’d say another month or two. She’s picked up everything I’ve taught her almost overnight. She’ll most likely surpass me very soon. I’ll miss her if she goes, but I know what an asset she’d be for any other Pack.” he complimented sincerely before directing a question toward Allandra, “Would you care for a tour of the garden? That’s what most Naethyrian’s are interested in most.”

  “I’d love one. I noticed you have a S
pearea tree. I don’t think I’ve seen one this far north before” she commented as they walked back outside.

  “Yes, I was given a cutting from one several years ago by a man who’d been grafting several varieties. This one has been particularly resilient to long winters as long as it’s in a protected part of the garden. I had a second one that didn’t do so well that I put further out. Let me show you...”

  Kendrick set Brylee down on the ground, where she immediately linked hands with Teagan to explore the area. He trailed after the others, watching as Allandra charmed both Healers with her perceptive questions and obvious pleasure in the garden they tended.

  It wasn’t just the affinity for plants all Naethyrians had-many werewolves had been of that race before they’d been changed-it was her inherent, natural warmth that drew people to her. He’d noticed it as a young man and saw that it had only grown as an adult. She truly cared about people and they couldn’t help but respond to her.

  She was a true leader and perfect as the other half of his alpha pair.

  “How long have you been in Kalvara?”

  Allandra’s question drew his attention back to them as they wandered down the crushed rock paths. Lachlan’s story, like most wolves, was deeply personal and often painful to remember but it didn’t surprise him when the other man didn’t hesitate before telling her.

  “I’ve been here since Kendrick first found it. I was attacked by an out of control werewolf before the Ascendant escaped to the Light Realm. It was...difficult at first. I had better control over my wolf than others-I think because I had the Gift of Healing, perhaps-but it was still a challenge to stay in control, to stay alive with the hunters always searching for us. When Kendrick found me...well, he saved my life. Eventually, he was drawn here to Kalvara and I’ve been here ever since. It’s...home” he finished simply with a small shrug, glossing over what had been years of uncertainty and struggle.

  She smiled, the expression in her eyes letting him know she understood what he wasn’t telling her. “I’m glad you found it.”

  She glanced around the garden with a knowledgeable eye, curiosity sparking in her gaze. “Do all these herbs work the same on werewolves that they do on the other races? I know Appela Wort causes two very different reactions in humans and Maethyrians.”

  “For the most part. It’s been a lot of trial and error that’s still continuing, but we’ve had some successes with many of them. I’ve found relatively few that were useless with werewolf physiology and, thankfully, only a handful that can truly harm us. Appela Wort has had very beneficial results with certain illnesses.”

  Pausing, she tilted her head at him. “Harm you? Like what?”

  Lachlan glanced in silent question at Kendrick who gave a tiny nod of assent. They had done their best to keep anything that hurt them a secret from those outside the Pack, but he didn’t fear his wife having the information and had no issue with Lachlan revealing it to her.

  “Wolfsbane brings on a rapid sickness that weakens and eventually kills if not treated. Silver, in particular, is deadly. A tiny amount can kill quickly. Claementis is paralyzing-even a small amount can leave us unable to move for hours. I’ve learned to be cautious when administering anything new to a patient” he admitted with a grimace.

  She nodded thoughtfully, nibbling on her lower lip. “I knew about silver-I’m afraid it’s fairly common knowledge-but not about the other two. Are there any that are particularly beneficial? And do they grow well here or do you have to harvest elsewhere?”

  Lachlan easily latched on to the new topic as they wandered slowly through the garden and discussing the plants and herbs nestled in the walled area as well as the trees grown without. Allandra openly enjoyed the warm, spring sunlight and conversation as they strolled, talking lightly about Kalvara and what it meant to the Pack before they finally gathered up the children and moved on.

  Allandra used their mental channel to quietly ask about Lyssia’s story and, with a sigh, he told her how Lyssia had been changed by a young man who’d been courting her. Kendrick had made it one of the first werewolf laws that no one was to be changed without the approval of their Alpha, but emotions ran strong within them and it happened without that consent more than he liked. He’d recently made the penalties harsher for it, which had helped.

  When her family found out what had happened, they had not only disowned her, they’d sent hunters after both of them. The young man had been killed, sacrificing himself so she could escape and she’d made her way to Kalvara, half-dead and frightened out of her wits by the time she’d stumbled across the border.

  Lachlan had immediately taken her in and she’d been quietly using her Gifts to help where she could while finding her own place as a werewolf. She’d become an integral part of the Kalvara Pack, but he knew of several smaller Packs that would benefit from her skills. He’d already had letters hinting that they’d welcome the Healer.

  He knew how important it was for each of his werewolves to find a Pack that felt like home so he wasn’t pushing her to make any decisions now. In a few months when Lachlan felt she’d learned all she needed to, he’d ask what she wanted to do-stay at Kalvara or join another.

  It really matters to do you doesn’t it?

  Wolf and man both enjoyed the frisson of pleasure produced at the sound of her warm voice in his head. He let the feeling move through him before raising an eyebrow in question.

  What does?

  Their happiness.

  Of course.

  There’s no ‘of course’ about it. I’ve met too many leaders who thought of others more as pawns than anything else. Their happiness didn’t matter.

  He was quiet as they moved along a wooded path, the children scampering ahead of them as he considered her comment.

  Pack is family. We need each other. Every member is vital to the health and success of it and they recognize that. There is no unimportant member-even the most submission of werewolves has a purpose and a vital place. So yes, their happiness matters.

  Pausing in the middle of the path, he watched her expression soften before she impulsively reached up to press a kiss against his lips.

  “Have I told you how much I love you today?” she murmured and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

  “No since this morning” he responded and she laughed softly before he deepened the kiss, the fire that never quite dissipated, flaring brightly to life. And just like that, the rest of the world disappeared, leaving only the two of them in a storm of emotion and heat.

  The sound of childish laughter had them reluctantly breaking apart and Kendrick tracked the sight of her tongue flicking out to wet her lips, swallowing a groan while silently reminding himself of where they were.

  Promising to pull her into his arms as soon as possible, he forced himself to move, but kept Allandra’s hand clasped tightly in his.

  “So where’s this waterfall again?”

  The breathless tone of her voice let him know she was just as affected by their kiss as he was, which pleased him greatly and went a long way in soothing the edge of need he always felt around her.

  “It’s up on the north side of the lake. We’ll take the long way there though so you can see more of where the Pack lives” he informed her as they came upon a grouping of cottages.

  She nodded agreeably, smiling at the werewolves who suddenly appeared to greet them. Kendrick watched with growing pleasure as she charmed the cautious wolves, her natural warmth winning allies and friends wherever they went.

  He kept their pace leisurely, deliberately taking things slow as she introduced her to the others. He had no intention of rushing moments he’d dreamed of for years. Allandra here, with him, as part of the Pack.

  They moved in a wide, wandering path, visiting the various homes and strolling through the village workshops and storehouses before eventually ending up on the north side of the lake. He led her to the waterfall, watching with glowing eyes as her face lit up at the sight of rain
bows glittering in the thundering water, ferns rustling nearby as misty droplets brushed by them.

  He let her pull him along the bank, pointing out water creatures and foliage creeping along the mossy rocks to the children, who explored with obvious delight. Watching her, his wolf gave a sigh of contentment, the restlessness that had plagued him for so long finally dissipating.

  She was here and she was his.

  Glancing over her shoulder at him, she sent a soft smile his way, as though sensing his thoughts and sending her own back.

  She held out a hand and, with without hesitation, he took it and held tight.

  Chapter 8

  A WEEK LATER, ALLANDRA stepped off the front porch and walked onto the large grassy space surrounding the den, her expression thoughtful as she pondered Pack life.

  Every group had its own rhythms and routines and if she was going to be a part of this one, it was important that she figure them out as quickly as possible. Most everyone she’d met had at least cautiously accepted her-mostly because their Alpha had decreed it but some because they legitimately hoped she’d make him happy and be the strong mate he needed.

  While she had no doubt that she could take on any challenge that came her way, a lot had been thrown at her recently. Her Seraphin coming back from the dead, mated to the Ascendant Alpha, becoming an instant mother to two wounded children...she had to admit it had all thrown her off kilter and she still didn’t feel like she’d gotten her balance back.

  So, when a couple of his Sentinels had come in that morning to discuss a problem with him, she’d immediately announced her intention of going for a walk. Having kept her in sight since the moment she’d arrived at Kalvara, he hadn’t been happy but she’d just flashed a smile and strode quickly out.

  She was coming to the uncomfortable realization that the man who was her husband was different from the boy she knew. Not a bad thing, only...Kendrick was an Alpha used to giving orders and having them obeyed without question and she...well, she’d never been one for blind obedience.