Chapter Five

Seth

I stood on the training ground at the pack-house, watching Murdoch train Ellie. I couldn’t help but smile. She was on time today. Maybe my lecture yesterday had made an impact. I had to admit, having Ellie pinned beneath me stirred something in me that no other she-wolf had ever done.

Maybe I was just frustrated from being unmated for so long. But if I had to choose a mate, Ellie would be my first choice. When she came back from the mountains after five years, I knew she was going to be beautiful. But this past year, she had blossomed.

I felt someone behind me and turned around.

“Seems like a certain she-wolf has caught your eye, Seth,” Clayton teased.

I shook my head.

“She could be a great warrior if she was more disciplined. She rushes in without thinking about the consequences.”

Clayton laughed.

“Sounds like a certain Beta at her age.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I was never that reckless,” I said.

Clayton leaned on the balustrade.

“I wasn’t talking about her warrior skills, or lack thereof,” he said, watching the training session.

I sighed heavily.

“I won’t lie, Clayton. I hope when she turns eighteen, she’ll be my mate,” I confessed.

Clayton just nodded, his eyes still on Ellie and Murdoch.

She was paying more attention to Murdoch today than she had yesterday.

“I know how hard it is to be unmated, Seth,” Clayton said. “When I was your age, every attractive she-wolf seemed like a potential mate.

“If I had a dollar for every time I was disappointed, we wouldn’t be on the brink of war. Just be patient. Your mate is out there.”

I sighed. He was right. I was setting myself up for disappointment if Ellie wasn’t my mate. But I could dream.

I checked my watch. Sparring with her gave me an incentive to take her down, even if it was fleeting.

In a couple of weeks, I would find out if I was the lucky one.

But I had to stay focused. We were on the brink of war, and that had to come first.

I was glad Ellie was more focused, but part of me hoped she wouldn’t be ready for war. It was selfish, I knew. She wanted to fight. She wanted to be the Alpha heir in more than just name.

But I wanted to keep her safe. To protect her, like I did when I found her in the cave all those years ago.

She already had a protector in her adopted father. If I wanted to be her mate, I would have to get past him first.

I stepped off the porch and smiled at Clayton.

“Let’s see if she’s improved,” I said.

As I approached Murdoch and Ellie, they stopped and turned to face me.

Murdoch smiled, but Ellie kept a serious face.

“Still mad at me after yesterday?” I asked.

Her face didn’t change.

“I’m ready when you are,” she said.

I raised an eyebrow. She was more focused today. Any thoughts of teasing her or throwing her off her game vanished.

We took our fighting stances. She watched me closely. I tried the same feint as yesterday, thinking she wouldn’t expect it. But she wasn’t fooled. She launched an attack I wasn’t expecting, and I barely managed to deflect her punch.

I couldn’t help but smile. She was a quick learner.

We traded blows and moves. Every attack she made, I deflected, and she did the same. After an hour, we were still at a stalemate.

Murdoch stepped in.

“Hold,” he commanded.

We both stepped back.

“That’s enough for today,” Murdoch said.

He looked at Ellie.

“Good work,” he said.

Ellie frowned.

“But neither of us won,” she said. “How can I prove myself if you end the fight?”

Murdoch sighed.

“You’ve been fighting for an hour. You didn’t take him down. Try again tomorrow.”

Ellie scowled.

“He didn’t take me down either, but you still say I’m not ready!”

I grinned at Murdoch.

“She has a point,” I said.

I couldn’t believe I was backing her up. But very few warriors could counter my offense. If I couldn’t best her after an hour, she was ready in my book.

Murdoch looked at us, then nodded.

“Fine, you can go on a training patrol tomorrow,” he said, “if Beta Seth agrees.”

Ellie looked at me, bouncing on her toes in anticipation.

I looked at her for a moment. She had worked hard for this. I couldn’t deny her. And if she was with me, I could protect her.

I nodded.

“You can go on a training patrol tomorrow...”

Before I could finish, she was jumping up and down, pumping her fist in the air.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” she squealed.

“Ellie,” I said sternly.

She stopped jumping and looked at me, grinning.

“You can go on the patrol tomorrow, but I will be taking you. You will do exactly as I say. Understand?” I said.

Still smiling, she nodded quickly.

“Sure thing, Beta Seth.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

“Alright, let’s go tell your dad and Alpha Clayton the good news.”

Murdoch gave her a dismissive wave.

“Yeah, yeah...Go on...You’re dismissed, just don’t make me regret this,” he grumbled.

I draped my arm over her shoulder, guiding her back towards the pack-house.

She nestled her head into me.

“Thank you, Seth. I can’t thank you enough for giving me this chance.”

I gave her arm a comforting rub.

“You’re welcome, Ellie. You’ve earned this.”

As we made our way back to the pack-house, I savored the closeness.

When Ellie turned eighteen, if I wasn’t her mate, moments like this would become rare. Especially if she ended up mated to someone else.

The next morning, I waited outside the pack-house. I had set the patrol for seven in the morning. I wasn’t heartless.

I knew she wasn’t a morning person, so I was surprised to see her already there, waiting for me. She was eager, I had to give her that.

I’d managed to convince Clayton to let Emma join us. It was a training patrol, which meant there would be other patrols nearby if anything happened.

Normally, Emma would be on a routine patrol. Clayton had been extra protective lately, since Emma had found out she was pregnant with their first pup. She was still in the early stages, not even showing yet.

I wanted Emma there because I needed Ellie to understand that being on patrol wasn’t just about fighting off intruders. It was about using all your senses.

We would patrol the border, near the river. We had increased patrols in this area, as this was where any attack from the council-run packs would likely come from.

An extra patrol wouldn’t hurt, and as long as Ellie followed my rules, we would be safe.

“We’ll shift here and head down to the river,” I started.

I turned to Ellie with a serious look.

“If I tell you to do something, you do it without question, Ellie. It’s for your own safety, got it?”

She nodded.

I gave a quick nod back and started to undress.

“If we encounter anyone, or anything, you do not engage. You retreat,” I emphasized.

I half expected her to argue, but she didn’t.

Unlike the last time I shifted with Ellie, she didn’t seem bothered by her nudity. I gave her body an appreciative glance. She was curvy in all the right places.

Even some of the scars on her back were starting to fade. I could sense Emma’s shock when she saw them, though she hid it well. I realized not everyone knew about Ellie’s past.

I’d already figured out that the human Gabriel had killed three years ago was responsible for this. I suspected that the abuse she had suffered at the hands of the human was even worse.

I’d guessed that Gabriel knew, but he never talked about it. In the end, it would be Ellie’s story to tell, if she ever chose to. The same went for what happened in Zagan’s dungeon.

She had mentioned it a bit when she first arrived, but never in detail. Maybe she would share it with her mate when the time was right.

If I was lucky, that mate would be me.

Once we had shifted, we headed towards the river. The other side of the river was Zagan’s territory, the only place they could cross into ours. This would make defending our territory much easier.

They could try the mountain, but that would be a fool's errand.

As we moved along the river bank, I mind-linked Ellie and Emma.

~Use all your senses. If something feels off, it probably is.~

I was on high alert. Not just for any threats, but also for Ellie. This was a training exercise, after all.

As we reached the river’s ford, I slowed down. My senses were on high alert. This was the most likely place for our enemy to cross.

Emma lifted her nose to the air.

~Something’s not right.~

She mind-linked to both me and Ellie.

I trusted Emma’s instincts. Alpha Gabriel had always said she was the best tracker and scent discerner he had ever had. I agreed. Our trackers were good, but Emma was exceptional.

I watched Ellie as she sniffed the air. My scenting skills weren’t as good as my fighting skills. I knew that Emma had tutored Ellie, and I had heard the story about the chocolate cake and the Lobelia.

Even as a pup, Ellie’s scenting skills had been impressive.

Both females had been in Alpha Zagan’s territory, so they would recognize the scent of his pack.

~I can smell another pack. Not Zagan’s and not ours.~

Ellie concluded through the link.

So it was starting. Other packs must be gathering in Zagan’s territory. The scent was faint, barely noticeable.

That meant they weren’t very close to the border.

~How many?~

I mind-linked.

Both she-wolves lifted their noses to the air.

~Five, maybe six different packs.~

Emma responded. Ellie agreed.

There were ten packs under council control. They wouldn’t start the attack until they were all together. This meant we had some time.

~Return to the pack-house and inform Clayton. I’ll arrange for a squad to monitor the ford.~

I commanded.

~Yes, Beta.~

Their voices echoed in my head.

I watched the two she-wolves retreat from the riverbank, heading back to the pack-house.

And so it would begin. The war that would decide the fate of the world.