The Steele Wolf (Iron Butterfly #2)(11)

He looked down at his feet before he looked up at me. “I thought you were running away.”

“Why would I run away? I just got home.”

“Has your father spoken to you yet?”

“About what?” I asked, feeling myself start to get angry. He was dancing around the subject as if I were a two year old.

“Thalia, if you can’t remember then maybe it is for the best.”

“Oh, spit it out Fenri!” I snapped. “I’m not a child that is going to run away.”

“You may have already done so.”

“What?”

“I won’t say anything else until you come down from the tree. I promise that I mean you no harm, but this is ridiculous.”

Sliding back along the branch until my rear hit the tree, I turned and lowered myself down and had a moment of panic as I realized that to get into the tree, I stood on top of Faraway. There was still a good five-foot drop. Gritting my teeth, I let go and felt warm hands encompass my thighs and squeeze as I was caught midair and lowered gently to the ground. Fenri made sure my footing was good and then backed up giving me space. Taking a deep breath he went on.

“Your father just revealed your future lifemate to the elders.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Thalia, you’ve been different since coming back. Your father is worried about the clan succession and about you. You need a strong lifemate that will help you lead the clan after your father.”

“How could he do this to me?” I blurted out, turning my back on Fenri, while I mentally called to Faraway who was around the bend. Fenri went on speaking quickly, trying to convince me.

“Bearen and Rayneld don’t see eye to eye. They’ve had an intense rivalry since childhood. He’s worried that you’ll be banished if you don’t have a husband. He did what he had to do.”

“No! He didn’t. He could have asked me, given me more time,” I shouted, frustrated at my inability to do anything.

“No, he couldn’t. If your father didn’t take these necessary steps, your uncle would have and still could petition the council for clan rights and clan leadership as the strongest candidate. Your uncle would be the clan leader followed by his son, Bvork.”

Biting my lip, I kept myself from commenting in anger as I listened to everything that Fenri said. After he quit speaking I slowly turned toward him.

“Who did my father chose as my lifemate?”

Fenri stood back about six feet from me and he looked nervous as my horse slowly walked back to me.

“He needed someone who knew what happened to you, when you were captured and the experimenting and about your gifts. After all we all saw some unusual things in the pass. What we saw was enough to make us question some of our beliefs. We all took a blood oath to keep your secret.”

“That would mean one of my clansmen that fought in the battle at the pass.” My mind worked quickly as I thought about being bonded to each of them. “Who?” I asked quietly, too quietly because Fenri didn’t respond at first.

“Who?” I said again louder, my fingers curled into a fist of fury and fright.

Fenri slowly met my eyes.

“Me.”





Chapter 7



My heart dropped. I grabbed Faraway’s mane and pulled myself up. Faraway felt my agitation and danced back and forth.

“Thalia, don’t run away again,” Fenri spoke firmly, beginning to show some of his warrior spirit.

Turning Faraway back I spoke out. “What do you mean run again?”

“The night you disappeared was the night I had planned to ask your father to consider me for your lifemate,” he spoke roughly. “You disappeared before I asked him.”

Looking Fenri over, I thought about the bravery that he had shown at the pass. He would make a good clan leader.

“Fenri, I can’t say what I thought back then. But today—right now, I have to decline.”

“Why?” he said stubbornly.

“Because I already lost my past, and I can’t let my future slip through my hands without a fight.”

His mouth pressed into a firm line of understanding and he nodded his head in acceptance.

I rode hard for home, letting Fenri chase after his horse, which according to Faraway, was stopped by a stream a quarter mile away. Riding up to the door, I left Faraway and strode into the house yelling for my father.

“What?” the great voice rumbled back as he was sitting barely four feet from me in his favorite chair.

“You chose my lifemate without consulting me? How could you?” I yelled at him.

“I had to. Rayneld was acting too pleased this morning and I heard rumors of him going before the council.” Even though Bearen ran the clan, the council of elders was used to decide on any discrepancy of the laws for someone had to make sure the clan leader didn’t betray them.

“Well, I refuse,” I firmly stated. A feral gleam of challenge rose up in Bearen’s eye and I knew that I looked just as menacing. After all, this was the man I got my famous temper from.

“You choose to willingly disobey your father?” he growled.

“Yes—a thousand times, yes!”

Bearen threw his hands up in the air in disgust. “What in heaven’s name girl, do you want me to do?”