THE EARTH EXHALED BENEATH us. The Guardian thought I was doing her bidding.
But the pack hesitated, their bonds slithering snake-like around me. The immaterial tethers should have latched onto Rune without nudging, but apparently Clan Whelan nurtured reservations still.
So I grabbed the mass of tethers and twirled them around Rune’s shoulders. If pack mates wouldn’t connect willingly to their new Beta, I’d force them to connect.
Force them so fast that the bonds’ bite was surely painful. I’d felt that pain when my father died and leadership had transferred to me in an instant. Then, my shoulders had bowed for a split second before I’d straightened as Alpha.
Rune, in contrast, didn’t falter. Instead, his gaze roved across newfound pack mates.
“I’m honored,” he told them. “I will live u
