“One day, you will be able to,” he promised.
I sighed. “Okay, save a space for my pebble.”
We continued our walk, stopping at the cliff, which was another ten-minute walk away. When we got hungry, we headed back towards the house. Theo made us sandwiches and sliced apples. We spent the afternoon lounging on the couch watching old movies.
I had my hands around Theo’s, showing him how to knit, laughing as his eyebrows sunk together in frustration. A sharp knock on the door stopped us in the middle of a pearl.
A voice rushed out Theo’s name as he opened the door. He stepped halfway out of the doorframe. I cocked my head back and watched him, the backside of him, tense. There were murmurs from both men, and then the door slammed shut.
Theo strode into the couch area quickly, stopped near the cabinets and television, and then began pacing back and forth.
“Theo?” I whispered. He didn’t look up at me, just continued to pace. “Theo, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said quickly, not paying attention to the word.
“Something is wrong, tell me,” I insisted, adding, “Please.”
His breath hitched, and he closed his eyes, stilling himself. “Reed Porter,” he breathed huskily. “He just invaded Duncan Trissur’s territory with a group of a thousand warriors.” The words were tense.
“What are you going to do?” I eventually asked.
“I have to go there,” he said, almost surprised at his words.
I nodded. “When?”
“Tomorrow,” he confirmed. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
“We?” My face showed obvious concern.
“Yes, we, Margo. I can’t leave you here. I want you with me,” he smiled subtly.
“Okay,” I smiled back.
We went upstairs and pack a few bags, clothes, toothbrushes, and my knitting needles for the ride. We were rigid in bed, not wanting to break the small bubble of peace that was separating us from the rest of the world.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he broke the silence. I turned my head right to look at him.
“Me too,” I said back, moving my body into his embrace before falling asleep.
Petrichor
We woke up the next morning before the sun had risen. I groaned and dragged my feet to the bathroom to get ready. Theo said we were going farther north, which meant it was only going to get colder and that we needed to look a certain way. He set out a dress he thought was appropriate-tan in the middle with black lining on the sides. I put thick black tights under it and tall, black, heeled boots that matched the dress.
Theo met me in the bedroom, wearing a dark gray suit, white shirt, and black tie. He took all but one of our bags downstairs, letting me carry my small bag of things for the car. Someone had fixed our breakfast already, which we took with us in the long line of black vehicles. It reminded me of the day Theo came to Alpha Dorian’s pack. Now I would be arriving with the daunting stream of powerful wolves.
The drive took us somewhere between five and six hours. Halfway through, I fell asleep on Theo’s lap. When I woke up, the cars were slowing down, and Theo’s hand remained tense on my head. I sat up and looked at his worried face. He nodded to me, assuring me he was alright.
The car came to a complete stop, and Theo straightened up, fixing his tie around his neck. A few moments later, one of the guards opened the door, and Theo exited. I waited back until Theo’s large hand appeared in the doorway, reaching for mine. I tried to maintain as much composure as I had as I stepped out of the car gracefully.
There was a large group of people at the front of the packhouse waiting for our arrival. They seemed to keep their gazes towards the ground except to steal glances of me as we walked past them. Theo walked strongly towards the front doors, where two guards flanked a man with graying hair.
“Enforcer Weston, I cannot tell you how pleased I am that you are here,” the man said and bowed his head down to show his submission. Theo reached over and placed his hand warmly on the man’s neck.
“Duncan, you’re one of my father’s greatest friends and a fellow Alpha, of course I came.” He smiled graciously.
The man stood up and smiled back at Theo. He then ushered us inside his packhouse. The inside looked as rustic and warm as the exterior; exposed wood beams and metal fixtures covered their first floor. Alpha Trissur ushered us into a meeting room where a group of people sat.
Theo sat at the head of the table and motioned for me to sit next to him on the left. Alpha Trissur sat on his right and introduced us formally to everyone in the room. They each bowed their heads and then began informing Theo of the situation.
The meeting took a long time, most of it spent bickering about the ways they were going to reclaim their territory. Alpha Reed Porter set up camp on the south end of their territory and was threatening to attack if Alpha Trissur did not hand over his land.
Alpha Trissur sat back in his set, wiping his hand over his peppered beard. He looked tired, and I wondered why he hadn’t handed over his position to his children yet.
“Alpha, we can’t just walk right up to him and demand that he leaves. He’ll attack on sight,” a man at the end of the table growled.
“What do you suggest we do, let him stay there?” the woman next to him snorted.
“No, Willa,” the man said condescendingly. “We need to think about the consequences before we decide our actions.”
“I agree,” Theo said lightly.
“So, what do we
