Page 2 of Wolf Alliance

The notion was absurd to think that her da could keep Erik away from other she-wolves in her pack.

Accalia hugged her friend again. “I will see you soon.”

Accalia walked next to the commander, keeping up with his long stride, wishing Niamh could have come with her. Despite concealing her outward nervousness, she couldn’t control her rapidly beating heart or her anxious scent.

She caught him glancing at her. “What?” she snapped as they left the keep.

He cast her a smidgeon of a smile, his long, curly black hair caught in the breeze, his blue eyes filled with dark humor. “Ye are no’ going to the gallows, lass. Just a possible mating.” He looked down at her sword and thesgian dubhtucked into her boot. “Why are you so armed?”

“You never know when you might need to defend yourself.”

His smile broadened and he nodded.

When they reached their horses in the inner bailey, her chestnut mare whinnied at her in greeting, saddled up and ready for their next adventure. She reached out and stroked Whinny’s nose. Tormod helped her up onto the saddle and patted her horse’s neck. He climbed onto his horse and led the way.

“Where is my da?”

“Waiting for you, my lady, out in the glen.”

Annoyed with her da for not allowing her to bring Niamh with her, she followed Tormod out to the glen.

When she arrived at the glen, her da turned to greet her with a nod. She sat with them, her gaze fixed on the rolling hills and valleys, searching for any sign of Erik and his entourage. Trying to settle her nerves, she breathed in the sweet smell of heather in full bloom among the meadow grasses wavering in the steady warm breeze. But the scent of men, leather, and horses kept her grounded in her current situation.

Erik,accompanied by his brothers Logan and Finlay, led a group of six men on horseback towards Hillshire Keep. Eight of his men wore their wolf coats. As the group approached, they could see the majestic outlines of four eighty-foot towers standing in the distance, dominating the surrounding area.

Logan said, “You’ve been quiet this whole trip. Philbin said the lass is bonny and would make a beautiful mate.”

Philbin had been the one to take the message to Baldur, asking for this meeting with his daughter. But Erik still had concerns that he couldn’t shake. “Her da was quite detailed about her talents—that she can take care of the staff and manage the keep while he is battling his enemies. She can travel without complaint on long journeys, is sturdy, and will provide me with more bairns.”

“But?” Logan asked.

Erik gave him an irritated glance.

“Your sons, aye. But her da said she was good with children.”

Erik shook his head. “Many wolves who have lost a mate never mate again. Some wouldna agree with mating a wolf like that.” He couldn’t shake off the concern that Accalia would object to that.

Logan sighed. “You are thinking of our brother Leifson.”

Erik was. When their parents died after their boat had sunk, their older quadruplet had taken over the clan. Leifson had lost his mate in battle and when he tried to secure another, two different families had turned him down. It didn’t matter that he held a position of money and power.

“Well, dinna think of him. He isna half as agreeable as you.” Logan smiled.

Leifson’s policies forced Erik and the rest of his brothers to take those who agreed with them away from their homeland and abandon Leifson. It had been either that or fight Leifson to the death and they preferred leaving and settling in the Highlands under Erik’s rules.

Logan added, “Her da said she was good-natured and that wouldna be an issue.”

Finlay chuckled.

Logan and Erik glanced at him.

Finlay shrugged. “Any da hopeful of mating his daughter to a chieftain would say anything.”

Erik knew that. Her da had not said one thing that was disparaging about his daughter, which was understandable. But the situation with his late mate hadn’t been ideal and he didn’t want to repeat that scenario.

“’Tisunnatural for you to mate your daughter to a white wolf from the northern reaches, whom we know so little about,” Dunbar Hamilton said to Accalia’s da on horseback in the glen, his gray eyes narrowed in irritation.

Accalia’s da, Baldur, was the pack leader and chief of the Hamilton gray wolf pack and clan, a two-and-a-half day’s ride from Erik’s castle and territory. Hillshire Keep loomed in the background, as they waited for Erik to arrive while Accalia listened to her uncle speak his mind. He’d been vocal for a fortnight about her mating Erik.