Bound

O

oving her hands in her pockets as she hunched her shoulders against the wind. Cold crept up through the soles of her boots and she stamped her feet gently against the icy earth. "Jackson did a lovely job, " she decided, nodding with appreciation at the headstone. "I hope you like it." Hearing herself, she close

. "So, I'll read it out to you. Harper Morgan, " she began, wanting the carved words to be spoken aloud so the surrounding earth would understand the importance of the man now resting in its depths. "Fearless leader, beloved husband and. . ." Trailing off, she dragged h

carved into an eternal arch as it howled towards the moon. To the human eye, not that many ever wandered this deep into their territory, it was a simple carving. To her, and all fellow wer

g breath and tried to fix a blank expression back onto her face. She preferred to keep her moments of weakness to hersel

urrounding the cemetery. He came to stand beside her before stretching out to

thoughts on her father's headstone, Nyah made a point of checking her watch. "I'm not late fo

lk to you about something before

t's

s if what needed to be said would disrespect the memory of his dece

ss than pleasant opinion of Simon Northfell, in fa

small gate, "but as he constantly likes to remind me; I

y drawl. "You are not Alpha, Mr Stenso

ing gate latch had caught properly. "I wish he'd crawl back t

rock wants hi

strolled towards the copse of trees arching above the pathway a

eing Alpha is going to change anything. He wants a place on

leaving our pack a decade ago and thinks that just because some ancient, watered-down ancestor

ent, watered-down bloodl

n abrupt stop.

air, a familiar sign of his frustration. "I traced his bl

, " she said afte

his pockets and staring blankly into the dista

re visible before Alan spoke again. "Nyah." He took hold of her arm, slowing her to a stop once more. "I've a bad feeling about all of this. Simo

roaned. "Any idea

red with a

say it

it's not. L

ldn't help but laugh at how wound up he was. "Yo

ee him. It's this smug declaration about his anaemic bloodline. It's really starting to get on my nerves. And the way he

t though, " she remind

ain. "This meeting - he might say some things which are go

e answered

im get to yo

don't?" sh

n, a smile widening his mouth, but not entirely reaching his brown eyes. "Old habits die

her had gone into overdrive since her father had passed away. At the age of seven, in the absence of her having any other sibling

s they separated on the path. "

ther's house. Pack members were already gathering on the lawn outside and s

ally drained, meaning she now had nothing left in her reserves that a spat with Mr. Obnoxious would require. Wincing at the memory of how her tears had turned the entire packing operation into one big blurred, sobbing mess, she pulled her brush through her hair. After dragging herself home last night, she'd

her's presence brought, the scents that belonged solely to the old building and most of all, the knowledge she was never alone. There had always been somebody in her home. She could not recall a single occasion of ever being the only person inside its four walls, and this was what she had loved most about being the Alpha's daughter. Her friends used to think she was crazy when she talked about it. They used to wonder how she did

, a young widow at only twenty-five years old, and childless. Her mate, Peter, had been killed in a car accident three years previously. They had only been married for one year, but as Karen had repeatedly told her it had been the best year of her life and nothing could ev

eir families had lived under that roof and it was hard to believe it had all come to an end. Alan was going to be a great Alpha she reminded herself, pulling the front door shut. He was fair and

k mates bristling at his presence was not. Their irritation prickled in the air like electricity. Simon was an arrogant and cold man, distrusted because of his long absence from the pack and the assumption he held on return of how h

xactly twenty-one days after his death – and as with the headstone, she didn't want to linger on the image of her father. It was hard enough she saw traces of him every time she looked in a mirror and glimpsed her deep olive skin, warm brown eyes and black hair. The scent of

d into the room. Sitting down he turned to her a moment later, his warm smile back in place. "I meant what I said about you remaining

, but I'd really like to take a step back for

u into anything; I just want you to know t

ow. T

nning on taking th

hile, Nyah was happy to allow a smile soften her mouth. "Yes, definitely, " she said.

know it you'll be a wealthy

okshop, " she reminded him with

when the money starts rolling in you'll be talki

Beta dropped into the chair beside Alan and leaned towards them

ycoon, " Alan announced. "Her co

ore I can start hitting you fo

least fifty years

understand something else, leaned forward again, his expression growing more ser

y he glanced towards Al

d him. "I've told her she's more than welcome to stay

ured him, "and I know how, even though I won't be entitled to stay on after Alan becomes Alpha, there's still a place for me. But for now I just need to take a break. An

n on the council and continue to be treated with the respect his position had afforded her. Alan hadn't needed an official document to honour Harper Morgan's wishes, and seamlessly picking up where her father had left off, he had continued to include Nyah in all the pack business. But despite Alan's request for her to remai

oung pack members due their first change and a final run-through of Alan's inauguration ceremony which was to take place on the following T

speak, with, Nyah noted, mor

ching his thin lips. "I understand the deadli

ect, " Alan s

ha bloodline is entitled to put

ave of growls rumbl

ect, " Ala

rds him before speaking again. "I would therefore like to fo

innocence plastered on his face. This was what Alan had been trying to say earlier, she realized. He had guessed Simon's intentions, but couldn't find the words to tell her. How could he? He would never have been able to utter the words aloud. Nyah squeezed her hands into fists. She wanted to ph

order for silence. "Simon has every right to put himself forward for Alpha, " he announced. "The Show of Hands will take place on Monday night

ing others yell the angry words that screamed inside her own head helped. She held still in her chair, each vicious shout appeasing her wolf until t

where it was still balled into a fist on her lap. "But a very small and

it's jus

r such a long absence and think he can take over as Alpha is

it? He's been gone for so long and he doesn

's going to be voted in – hell, if he even gets one vote I'll be shocked

ally understand that

animosity towards him and after what he's

g beyond the partly open door and immediately heard the savage threats rumbling betwee

er squeeze. "It's not your probl

aring around inside her head, crashing into each other in a panicked attempt to be heard, and although she lo

ing from them so dangerously that, for the first time in her life, Nyah did not want to be in her father's house. She knew from experience that the men would no

to the front porch. "I'm going to ask that everyone does the same. Until the Show of Ha

r eyes flicking towards the sudden rise of enraged howling com

home, get some sleep, " he said, already turning away to cat

nd fur blurring amongst the trees as he phased into his massive grey wolf form. Hurrying up the path, she was quick to open her fro