“Wow,” the young wolf said. “That’s amazing.”
“Are you real?” another wolf asked.
I picked up a croissant. “As real as any one of you. I just didn’t come to be in a conventional manner.”
“Well,” Astrid said. “It must be worrying for the coven to be dealing with an unknown entity, but then I guess desperate situations call for desperate measures and it was lucky you were available to play backup for the real potentials.”
She was making a dig, a shitty one, but still. I could let it slide and deal with her snide comments on and off, pretending they didn’t matter, or I could stomp on this now and make the status quo clear.
Ha, who was I kidding? There was never any choice for me.
I leaned forward, my gaze fixed on her. “If you want to make a dig, you need to stab harder. I have very thick skin.” I gave her a sweet smile.
She blinked sharply and then fixed a stunned look on her face. “Oh goodness. I wasn’t making a dig. I was merely making an observation.”
Heather sighed. “Astrid, please, if you plan on playing the mean girl, then own it.”
Well, well, well, it looked like Heather was my kind of gal.
While Astrid choked on a bite of croissant, Heather and I locked gazes and shared a smile.
Had I just won over Leif’s mother?
She topped up my tea and then whipped the plate of croissants away from Astrid and held it out to me. “Please, eat.”
Yeah, I think I had.
Heather led me into the huge garden behind the house. Children ran about uncaring about the chill, playing a game of tag. The women stood about clutching mugs of fresh tea, watching the pups play.
Heather had given me a shawl to fend off the cold, but she stood beside me in only a blouse and jeans.
“Our pack has always had a strong matriarchal element,” she said. “Even with our alpha being mated to a witch, it’s important to us that the alpha’s mate integrate with us.” She gave me a sidelong glance. “Which means coming to dinners and lunches and helping out with any charity functions we organize. You won’t be called on to join our hunts, though. So don’t worry.”
“Honestly, the hunt part sounds the most exciting.” I shrugged. “I’m not much of a lunch and dinner kinda gal, but I’m happy to show up and eat.”
She grinned at me. “Yes. I know what you mean.” We strolled down the path toward slender trees stripped of their leaves by the coming winter. “Leif will make a good alpha. He’s strong and fair, but he has a soft heart. That’s where you’ll come in.” She slid another glance my way. “He tells me you want to keep your relationship platonic.”
“Yes.” I wasn’t about to explain or justify myself. “I do.”
“I can understand why, especially in light of what’s just happened with Charlotte.” She drew me to a halt with a hand to my arm. “But love comes in many forms, Cora, and fighting what’s meant to be is a losing battle.”
I didn’t agree with that. “The mating isn’t meant to be, it’s simply necessary for the seal. It’s not real. I’m not their mate.”
She smiled. “Maybe not, but that doesn’t make the love you could share any less real. The mating bond is a biological attraction to the perfect mate for breeding purposes. Love is secondary, and in your case, as you can’t breed, there is nothing but love to focus on.”
What she said made a twisted sense, but it didn’t change the fact that once that bond was removed the guys would be controlled by their need to find a wolf mate.
“I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I think I’ll stick to my original plan. But I promise you, I’ll be a great friend to Leif. I’ll be there for him in every other way.”
She reached up and placed her palm against my cheek. “I believe you, Cora, but there will be challenges ahead.” She glanced back the way we’d come, and I followed her gaze to see Astrid standing on the porch watching us. “Astrid has a voice amongst the younger females, the contenders for Leif’s seed.”
Seed. No, don’t snicker. “She wants to stake a claim.”
“She believes she’s his mate,” Heather said.
“But wouldn’t he already know if she was?” Fuck, I hadn’t even considered this. “How come the alphas haven’t already found their mates?”
Her brows shot up. “You don’t know? Sweetheart, Leif, Tor, and Rune had their mating instinct suppressed willingly by the coven when they were children. The ceremony unlocked it. For you.” She glanced back at Astrid. “Astrid is convinced she’s Leif’s true mate and wants to bear his sons in preparation for when he’s finally free.”
Well that explained a lot, but it didn’t mean she had to be a bitch about it. This wasn’t a picnic for me either, and no, I didn’t feel sorry for her. In fact, it was Leif I felt sorry for if Astrid did end up being his mate.
Shudder.
“Don’t worry about it,” Heather said. “Once Leif’s chosen his breeding partners, the animosity will stop.”
The thought of Leif with Astrid or anyone else made my stomach ache, but I was excellent at keeping my feelings off my face when needed.
I smiled politely. “I’m sure it will. In the meantime.” I hooked my arm through hers. “Tell me about this hunt…”
She looked up at me with a wicked smile so like Leif’s it made my chest warm. “Oh, Cora, I like you. I like you a lot.”
A prickle of awareness skated up my back and I turned, knowing I’d find Leif. His crimson hair gleamed in the sunlight, and his gunmetal-blue eyes sparkled with warmth at the sight of me. He grinned, raising a hand in greeting as he strode toward us. My heart beat faster and my pulse fluttered in my throat.
Yeah, I liked Heather too,
