Into the Alpha’s Keep Chapter 54: 53

But it was always one and never two, especially Anton and Andrei.

"Both?" I pointed with the butter-stained knife between one and the other. They nodded in agreement.

"Well... I don’t know if I feel important now or worried."

"I think worried," Anton decreed.

Andrei ran his thumb over his lips, his arm curved over the table, watching me.

"As for me, I think both."

"Can you be more specific, please?" I asked, frowning.

"We smelled alphas who don't belong to any of the territories, near our lands," he confessed. I swallowed hard, slowly leaning back in my chair, losing my appetite.

"Fenrir went to check and left us as babysitters because he doesn't trust anyone but us."

I lowered my head and took a deep breath.

"Did they come back? Again?" I choked, stunned.

"They will always come back," Anton refuted.

I turned to look at him.

"And how do you know?"

He stared at me with scrutiny.

"Fenrir has killed them all, so far, planted their heads on stakes at the borders, showing Hunter his power and veiled threat. Still, every week there are new men, wandering the forest, looking for you."

I straightened up. He continued,

"Your ex-fiancé doesn't care about this, doesn't yield to threats, and isn't afraid of Fenrir. He will send men until he gets what he wants."

"Me?"

He nodded.

"This will never stop, at least not while he’s alive."

I rested my hands beside my plate, feeling my hunger fade away.

I wasn’t afraid for myself, but for the people of Dăneşti. Hunter was a real threat, and he would kill anyone who stood between him and me, just like Ruda.

"And he seems to be losing patience," Andrei commented, chewing another piece of cheese. "I don’t know, it seems like he’s being more insistent. There’s no way around it, Fenrir will have to declare war and we’ll have to go to him to kill him."

My skin tingled, and I started to tremble. I stared at the cold skin of my fingers, wrapped around the hot coffee cup.

"Go to him?"

Andrei shrugged.

"It will be the way. He doesn't come personally, just sends his men. How long are we going to keep killing them? Fenrir’s patience is running thin."

Anton shook his head, agreeing.

"The closer they get, the more danger you’re in."

"And that makes Fenrir impatient," Andrei added.

I sighed, diluting the dense smoke of the hot coffee.

"Because he’s in danger too, and everything else, I know that already."

Anton pressed his lips together.

"At first, I thought the same, but now, I think it’s not about that."

The hot, bitter liquid slid down my throat.

"I’m not sure I understand."

"We were at the party yesterday," Andrei threw in, dismissing me with a hand wave as I gave him an incredulous look. "We saw him kill that guy and how... grotesque he acted."

I let out a frustrated laugh.

"You alphas have such fragile egos," I mocked.

"It’s not like that," Anton countered. "Fenrir’s been acting differently since you arrived."

"Of course, he’s always been used to controlling everything, but then we mated, and his control over his life isn’t just his anymore."

"That too, but not only that." He rubbed his palm over his blonde hair. "The way he acts when some guy touches you..."

"As I said, it’s just the fragile ego of his animal side. We’re mated, the wolf feels your claim over me. Males are territorial by nature, Fenrir is just acting according to his animal side," I objected, ignoring the pounding in my heart at the subject.

"No," Andrei countered. "Anton is right, it’s different. He’s been with Marilyn for years and never acted like this with her. I’ve never seen him like this."

"Since Catalina?" I asked, regretting it almost immediately after saying it.

"Not even with her," Anton whispered, so quietly that his voice barely passed as a breath. He blinked, raised his face to me, and cleared his throat. "I mean, he’s impulsive, but he would never kill a guy in the middle of a lust party, especially knowing what that act would imply."

"What are the consequences?"

Anton rubbed his neck.

"It’s neutral territory, belongs to the elders. No deaths can happen, under any circumstances. Fenrir broke one of the elders’ main laws, killing that omega. Blood can only be forgiven with blood. If alpha Jax hadn’t agreed with him, he could have declared war, or Fenrir would have to give up one of his men to death. Me, Andrei, or anyone else, as long as blood was repaid."

The alpha Lucian’s words flashed in my mind. He wanted the male Fenrir killed to be part of his pack. And now everything was clear and making sense. It was no secret that every alpha had their loyal followers, their most trusted men. Lucian would choose Anton or Andrei, and that would end the Dăneşti alpha.

A shiver ran down my spine, creating a bad sensation in the pit of my stomach.

Andrei whistled.

"We were lucky the guy belonged to Vanóia. Our heads are still on our necks, and we’re not preparing for war." Anton made a dissatisfied sound, agreeing with him. Andrei continued, "Anyway, Fenrir never put anything above his responsibilities to the pack, but he completely lost his mind just seeing that guy touch you."

"We’re mated," I insisted.

"I’ve seen many wolves mated, and not all of them act like this," Anton retorted.

I spread my hands across the edge of the table and dragged my chair, losing my patience.

"I have no idea what you’re trying to get at."

"To tell the truth? Neither do we," Andrei said. "We’re just commenting on what we’ve noticed. Fenrir’s been acting very strange, at the edge, and this has nothing to do with Hunter or anything else, it has to do with you!"

I laughed out loud.

"Sorry if your alpha is unstable."

"Our alpha," Anton corrected. "He’s Dăneşti too, and the sooner you get used to that, the better it will be."

He spoke as if I despised the fact, when I... admired it. Not being part of the Crepúsculo or Eclipse anymore was a gift for me.

Andrei pointed to the stack of books.

"He gives you gifts... and pushed Marilyn out of his life, something I never thought possible."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Why did you never think that was possible?"

"Fenrir had a... high regard for the omega. They kind of helped each other. Supported each other after Catalina’s death."

"Really? And how did Catalina die?"

She and Fenrir definitely hadn’t mated yet, although she was his destined mate. If they had mated, Fenrir would also be dead. And that didn’t make sense in my mind, I couldn’t find answers, even if I tried.

"Very clever," Andrei hissed. "The only thing I can say is that she was killed. No one expected it, no one imagined it. If you want to know more, ask Fenrir."

I scoffed.

"To humiliate me?"

"I’m not so sure he would do that anymore," Anton commented. "Maybe he’ll tell you the truth."

I rolled my eyes.

"The list of humiliations from him is endless. If I bring up the late one, with him, he’ll find a way to make my life miserable again."

Things were good for the first time. Although my curiosity about the truth concerning Catalina was growing more palpable, I wouldn’t ruin everything.

"He never bought anything for Marilyn," Andrei declared. "But he went to the city early, just to bring new books to you."

"That has a very specific name: remorse," I considered.

"He’s not the type to feel remorse."

"Not really," Anton agreed.