Page 5 of Wolf’s Fated Bride

“Shut up, Sören,” my sister and I say in unison as our father, the water pack Alpha, walks into the room. He wears a lavish red fur coat made of the dead Fireborn wolves he slayed and skinned during the thick of the wars, right after the initial burning.

At that time, Ash Fireborn was in his teen years, and my dad, along with the humans, bested him in the Battle of Sutomon. They probably would’ve succeeded in killing him had it not been for the fact that my dad slayed an entire royal family of air elementals on that battlefield. The air element jumped out of the dead werewolf and found a home with the Fireborn Alpha’s best friend, Blade Skyrender.

After the battle, fire and air united against water and earth.

In the years that followed, the werewolf population suffered great losses. Now, only a fraction of us remain compared to humans. They united inside their walls while we divided among ourselves. This upcoming marriage is a blessing. Everyone needs to be on their best behavior.

“My beautiful girl,” our father says to Maren. He kisses the top of her head, then steps back and looks at me. “And the other one.” He sighs. “Come, you. Your mother is already on her second bottle.”

Maren is too, but I give him my best fake smile. “We’re all excited about tonight.”

Maren rests her hand on Dad’s elbow, and he escorts her outside.

She dares to turn and mouth, Help.

I press a finger over my lips.

Sören and I follow. “Try to keep Mother from embarrassing us all,” he says.

“That’s your job.”

“Please. I’m itchy.”

Oh, that’s right. Sören was in the human capital during the past full moon, which means he probably didn’t run.

It’s particularly hard for Sören since he carries the pack’s elemental power. While most often the elemental wolf is also the Alpha of the pack, that’s not the case in our pack. My father is the pack Alpha, while Sören is the alpha who carries the water element. Oftentimes, the alchemical potions the Regulator makes for him are enough to tame the element Sören hosts, but sometimes, he also purges.

This can mean he either runs for days both during and before the full moon, or he disappears into the icy ocean, or he orders females to prepare their nests for him.

I wonder if Ash Fireborn has a harem.

Chapter 3

Runa

By the time we arrive at the gathering hall, the party is in full swing. I’ve never been to the human territory, but the Regulators have told us that during their gatherings at the First Alchemist’s residence, the food is served after all the guests have arrived but never before the First Alchemist and his family sit down to dine.

Hungry werewolves who have been promised a peace treaty, an all-you-can-eat buffet, and a bottomless barrel of ale wait for nobody. Impatience is in our blood. It would be wrong to make the packs wait for the Alpha’s family.

The tables are full of meat. We had a good hunt. The wine flows; ale sloshes and spills over the edges of mugs.

“Fucking knew the man on the sled wasn’t him,” Sören says, then whistles. “That’s a big wolf.” Ash Fireborn broods over a mug of ale on the other side of the far table. Other than another man with him, who I assume is his relative since they look alike, nobody else sits near him.

Ash looks up. When we conversed outside, his dark sunglasses hid his eyes. Now I know why. I’d have made him out instantly. Flames burn inside his eyes. I can see them from across the room.

“By the Moon,” my sister says. “He’s feral.”

I smell her fear. We all do.

“He’s subdued,” our father says. “The Alpha hasn’t had an incident since…” Father leaves the rest unsaid.

“We should all clap for him,” Maren says.

Sören sighs. “Get a grip on all that sass and hand it over to your sister.”

“I think Runa has enough. Do you need sass, brother?”

“Children,” my father says through his teeth. “Try to behave.”