Wolfsong (Green Creek 1)

That didn’t sit right. “You want control.”

“We want to be safe,” he countered. “There aren’t as many of us as there used to be. Things change. Attitudes change. If things kept going as they were, there’d be mostly bitten and not born. When a species is dying, everything must be done to preserve those that remain. This isn’t about control. It’s about survival.”

“Richard Collins doesn’t give two shits about that.”

“Richard Collins is a psychopath.”

“Fine,” I said. “Robbie can still report to you. But if you push him for things he shouldn’t be discussing, if you attempt to go behind my back—”

“Threats aren’t necessary,” the gruff man assured me. “Though

I would be lying if I said you’re not gonna get shit about this.”

I froze, but it was a small thing.

The gruff man caught it, though. He arched an eyebrow at me.

I cleared my throat. “How?”

“Others aren’t going to take kindly to a human Alpha. There is barely tolerance for bitten Alphas. But you? You’re human. Some will see it as a slap in the face. Others will think you’re lying.”

“Do you?”

He shook his head slowly. “Maybe before I got here. Maybe I’d heard the stories about you before, the human in the wolf pack. And maybe I didn’t necessarily believe everything I’d heard. Thomas always said how revered they should be, even after humans had tried to exterminate us. And yet he hid you from us. Not you specifically, no. We knew about you. But the fact that you were going to be mated to the future Alpha? He kept that from us. No one knew until Osmond came. We were… concerned.”

“Concerned enough to send a traitor and a handful of Betas without knowing who their loyalties were with.”

“We didn’t know he was—”

“No,” I said. “I get that. But it doesn’t seem like any of you know much about anything.”

“Be that as it may,” the gruff man said, “there will be pushback on this. On you. I’m convinced, because I’m here. In your territory. I can feel the way you’ve bonded with it, with your pack. But others won’t see that.”

“That’s not my problem. I’m not looking for tolerance. I just want everyone to leave my pack alone.”

“You should have chosen a different pack, then,” he said dryly. “Being a Bennett almost ensures you won’t be left alone. If this… goes on much longer, you’ll need to register. All Alphas must register with the head Alpha. It helps us keep track of the wolf population. To make sure Alphas aren’t building packs without our guidance.”

“If what goes on?”

“You. This. If Joe doesn’t return.”

“I can’t make new wolves,” I reminded him. “I’m still human.”

He watched me for a long time. It was unnerving how little he needed to blink. “That doesn’t mean you won’t draw them to you. You don’t need to bite them to make them yours. Robbie. The other humans. You can grow without ever having to be a wolf yourself.”

“You sound like I’m someone to be feared.”

“We don’t know what you are,” the gruff man said. “And there is always fear in the unknown.”

“He will.”

“What?”

“Joe. He’ll come back.”

“You have faith in him.” He sounded surprised.

And so I said, “Always.”