Alpha's Protective Pup

16

“No one is saying you have to decide anything right now, but one day you will have to decide and it could get messy,” she warned.

I frowned. “How could it get messy? I’ve been told that Oscar and Lukas have been best friends since their childhood. That’s the type of friendship that stays strong, like an unbreakable bond.”

When Margaret laughed, I couldn’t help but let out a growl of annoyance. It was maddening to be laughed at by her in such a manner. I know I kept saying foolish things. However, didn’t I deserve some slack? This was all very new to me. It would take a while for me to get used to this.

“I’ve seen friendships destroyed by less,” she said. “Trust me, jealousy can be quite a fickle thing. When you throw two alphas into the mix, it becomes a powder keg waiting to explode. So, my advice is to proceed with caution.”

As put off as I was with Margaret’s words, I realized she was right. I didn’t want them to fight, but I was still half convinced this was just a temporary interest that would fade with time. In their eyes, I was the new shiny omega in the pack.

I hadn’t yet noticed the other alphas acknowledging me except for maybe the glance from another member of the pack. Once that happened, they would avert their eyes, as if feeling guilty for looking.

The more I thought about it, this happened whenever I was with Oscar and Lucas. It had only been a short while since I arrived, so I avoided wandering around the den without their company.

Eventually, I’d like to explore more of the den and meet the other pack members. I was not in a state of mind where I accepted my current reality. Was I happy about it? Not really, but I could either wallow or try to step up and figure out how to live life as a wolf.

Amidst the tangled web of complications, I now had to navigate the intricate maze of Oscar and Lukas’s feelings toward me. The air smelled of tension, as if it carried the weight of their conflicted emotions. The atmosphere was fraught with uncertainty, like a storm brewing on the horizon. It was palpable, like the electricity in the air before a thunderstorm.

This transition was bound to be anything but tranquil.

CHAPTER 8

LUKAS

W

hen I entered the infirmary, I heard Margaret let out a loud sigh. The sigh was a dramatic one, complete with a roll of her eyes.

“How is it with Margaret?” I asked, ignoring the old woman, and looking for Isla, who was tidying up as she did during this time of day.

Isla glanced over at me, giving me one of those soft smiles that filled me with all kinds of emotions and thoughts.

“The two of us haven’t argued today, so I consider it a good day,” Isla said in a half-joking tone.

Once again, Margaret let out a deep sigh, but we paid her no attention, having grown accustomed to her constant complaints.

Underneath the ornery exterior was a woman who cared for her pack. She was used to giving pack members tough love to strengthen them up for anything that might happen in the world. Some liked it and others didn’t. I was fine with it, to be honest.

“How did scouting go?” Isla asked, drawing my attention back to her.

A faint smile played on my lips. “It was fine. Nothing exciting or out of the ordinary happened, which is what you want with scouting.”

I scheduled the time of day to have a conversation with Isla. I wanted to avoid running into Oscar, who would seek her out during brief breaks working with his father and the rest of the hunting party.

We had said nothing officially yet, but it was clear to the others that we were both pursuing Isla. I wondered if Isla was aware of it yet. Chances were high that she didn’t. The nuances of being a wolf were new to her, though I knew Margaret explained everything she could to Isla.

The woman had been full of questions from the moment she realized what she was. Naturally, as any person would when they discovered such a thing about themselves.

It was inevitable that I would have to discuss my intentions with Isla at some point. Instead of being straightforward, I opted for a more subtle approach for now. Isla might perceive it without me needing to vocalize it.

She seemed to enjoy both my presence and Oscar’s. I almost growled out loud at the thought of her having a larger amount of affection for Oscar. My intentions were going to have to be made soon before Oscar made himself known. However, I didn’t want to scare Isla.

Isla was just accepting what was happening to her and recognizing the changes that had come about since her Lycan blood was awake. Coming on strong might cause her to run again, which I didn’t want to see happen. It didn’t go so well last time. She got lucky that the bear had fled and not attacked.

Or it could be worse. Another alpha could find her, realize she was an omega, and take her for their own.

Isla’s heat was bound to come around sooner rather than later. One could never tell with half-breeds and their heat. It was truly unpredictable.

“Lukas, as much as I’m sure Isla appreciates your sudden visit, she needs to finish taking stock of our inventory. The two of you can talk later,” Margaret interrupted, eyes narrowed.

As the oldest alpha, she brought about respect from everyone, so I didn’t hesitate before turning to leave the room.

“I’ll talk to you later,” I said to Isla, who smiled at me.

I meant every word I said. I intended to visit a little later, perhaps to talk or share a meal with her. However, news came of someone disrupting our territory. Myself and a few other scouts were dispatched to explore the area and see what we could discover.

The last time anyone violated our territory was when I stumbled upon that rogue wolf trying to kill Isla. This time, there seemed to be more than one wolf and they didn’t appear to be in a poor condition.

From the reports of the guards surrounding the den, the intruders appeared healthy. I ventured outside, taking deliberate and cautious steps. We went out in pairs because it wasn’t smart to go out by ourselves. Besides, the pack was smarter than that.

A growl echoed through the air, causing my heart to race, and then the sounds of troubled cries filled the silence. It wasn’t one of our own. I’d recognize their distinct outcries anywhere, bringing me a sense of relief knowing that none of my own were harmed. They must’ve gotten one of the trespassers, which still left a few.