The Omega Queen

Eight

“You could have left me some crumbs,” Nathan complained. “I was hungry too. In fact, if it wasn’t for me, we never would have stopped here. How about that? Don’t I deserve a reward?”

“Sure, sugar, here you go,” Lavern’s voice interrupted and another piece of pie, this time apple, appeared in front of him. “Enjoy.”

Alexander stiffened, looking up to see they were once again in the diner, but they were the only patrons. Laverne had returned and with her was Erin. His wolf practically leapt for joy, and he lurched out of his seat.

Erin hugged herself, keeping her face turned away from him. She wore a simple tank top under a gray cardigan she had hurriedly pulled on to hide the grease stains on her clothing. Erin had wanted to prepare more, but she lacked anything nice to wear. Everything she owned was what she wore at work or lounging in her apartment.

She didn’t even dare look him in the eye. A finger curled under her chin and gently turned her face upward. Erin found herself staring into his honey-brown eyes.

“We didn’t have a chance to introduce ourselves. I’m Alexander, Alpha of Winter Moon, and I have been looking for you for the better part of three decades. I never expected that some fairy would spirit you away from my grasp.”

“That’s hardly fair,” Laverne shrugged. “Don’t take this the wrong way, honey, but your mate has a twisted sense of reality.”

Erin felt her face warm as Alexander growled low. He didn’t like the proximity or familiarity the Fae maintained with his mate. Forcing himself to be calm, he looked again at Erin.

“Won’t you tell me your name?” Alexander asked. The Fae had already let it slip, but he wanted to hear it from her.

Erin’s gaze widened, and she nervously glanced at Laverne. The Fae nodded encouragement. Taking a breath, Erin held up her dominant hand. Tucking her thumb to her palm, she curled her other fingers over the top of it. Then she raised her forefinger and middle finger, twisting them. She followed that by raising her pinky and curled the others under her thumb. Finally, she tucked her thumb between her middle and ring finger, so her forefinger and middle finger rested over the top to spell her name: E-R-I-N.

Alexander and Nathan blinked, unsure what they were witnessing. Erin reached up, tapping her throat and shook her head. Then she waited for the inevitable.

“Are you saying you can’t speak?” Alexander asked.

Erin’s vision blurred. She knew he would be disappointed. What wolf wanted a mate who could never howl alongside him. Eir whimpered.

“Is it physical or psychological?” Nathan asked.

“Physical,” Laverne replied. “Though she bares no external scars, the internal damage is severe.”

Erin trembled. She knew this would happen and waited for the words of rejection. Suddenly, he moved closer and rested his forehead on hers as his arms gently held her close.

“Petite pomme,” Alexander whispered. “I shall destroy everyone who had a hand in your suffering. No one will escape my wrath.”[1]

Erin shivered, feeling the slivers of their bond fell into place. Did this mean he accepted her? Could she trust this feeling?

“Come home with me,” Alexander whispered. “Erin.”

‘Say yes, please,’ Eir pleaded. ‘I don’t want to live without a pack anymore.’

Erin hesitated. Her heart yearned for the companionship of a pack. A wolf simply wasn’t meant to live alone. Even with Laverne as a companion, it wasn’t the same. Hadn’t she already decided to leave and avoid causing Laverne trouble?

She stepped back and studied Alexander. His gaze was intense, shimmering amber as his wolf pressed forward. Hesitantly, she raised her hand and signed yes. Whether he understood or felt her ascent through their bond, Alexander breathed out a relieved sigh before pulling her into his embrace.

His chest was firm, but she didn’t feel confined. It felt strong and sure, similar to the warmth and strength of her father. And why not? They were both alphas after all.

“Je te protégerai, petite pomme.”[2]

“So, she can only speak in sign language?” Nathan asked, looking at Laverne.

“She reads and writes, so long as she has a pencil and paper she can answer,” Laverne replied. “Then, there is your kind’s ability to mindlink. Once she joins your collective, I should think that will work just fine.”

“But you don’t know.”

“I don’t have the ability myself, so no, I do not.”

Nathan nodded. He looked again at Alexander and smiled. It was probably the first time he saw his friend and alpha content. Certainly, it was the first time his wolf was calm.

Yet, he couldn’t help but worry over the future. Would this union even be possible? The Elder Council would have a few things to say, especially considering she was obviously from a wendigo pack, to say nothing of the fact she was mute.

“Well, if that is settled, we should pack,” Laverne said. “You gentlemen can wait here. I’ll help you gather your things, honey.”

Erin was reluctant to leave Alexander’s protective embrace. Nervously, she studied him. His features seemed to have softened and he nodded. He was eager to get her home.

“Come on, sweetie,” Laverne encouraged.

Alexander held himself back. He wanted to keep her in sight, but it was enough that she agreed to come with him. As much as he was wary of the Fae witch, it appeared Erin trusted her, and he couldn’t overlook the fact the Fae had gone to great lengths to protect her.

“So, what are you going to do?” Nathan asked.

“What do you mean?” Alexander glanced at him.

“Well, if you take Erin for you mate…”

“If?” Alexander snarled.

“Okay, when you take Erin for you mate, you know not everyone is going to be okay with it.”

“They are welcome to challenge me.”

“You know, that’s not what I mean. The Elder Council is going to have something to say about you taking a wendigo for your mate.”

“They best stay out of my way.”

“We need a plan,” Nathan warned. “And it’s strange. Ten years is quite a bit of time, but not long enough for me to forget. I mean, do you remember any reports about an entire wendigo pack being wiped out?”

“No. I don’t,” Alexander frowned.

That was strange. As king, he was called upon to negate many conflicts between packs. So then, why hadn’t anyone approached him before attacking another pack?

“Nathan, when we get back home, I want you to find out everything you can about her pack.”

“Me? Why not just ask her?”

“Are you suggesting I encourage her to relive the trauma and torture she endured as a child?”

“You don’t know she was a child…”

“How old do you think she is?” Alexander challenged.

Nathan frowned. Werewolves aged slower than humans, often living well into their hundreds with ease. But while humans had difficulty judging their age, wolves had less difficulty.

“Early twenties? Maybe twenty-six or seven at the oldest.”

“And she’s been here ten years, which means she was fifteen or sixteen when she got here.”

“Right,” Nathan said.

He had not considered that. Still…asking Erin about her pack would be the quickest way to find answers. At least they should be able to ask what her pack was called. That would be a step in the right direction.

“Just find out what you can,” Alexander said. “If necessary, I’ll ask her, but I’d rather not.”

“It’s going to be difficult since we don’t even know the name of her pack.”

“Well, we know it happened ten years ago, and we know where we met her,” Alexander said. “Assuming Erin came here on foot, we can figure out how far she might have traveled.”

“Oh, you’re right. It would have been before her wolf emerged, so that does limit the distance we need to consider,” Nathan agreed. “All right, I’ll work on that when we get back.”

Alexander nodded. It made him uneasy that they had such little information, but that wouldn’t stop him. His mate was obviously an omega and he would protect her.