Into the Alpha’s Keep Chapter 92: 92

POV Fenrir Dăneşti

I knew very well how our wild nature worked, and Anton was right. Savannah’s wolf wouldn't rest until she had a pup. I couldn’t give her one, and I would never allow her to have another male to fulfill that need; we would need to find a way to get through this.

"I really hope you get an answer," he mocked. "Or you'll have to buy a clothing store just for yourself if Savannah keeps making nests and using your shirts to build them."

A genuine laugh escaped my lips. "Indeed, my clothes won't even survive the winter. And she gets offended if I offer to help fix the bed and undo the damned nest. We’ve been sleeping in it until today. Nicoleta still hasn't fixed the room."

"She's still in the heat fascination."

"Yes, she is," I confirmed.

And it wasn’t just her; I still felt touched by it.

I pulled my legs off the table and stood up, making the chair rock back due to the lack of weight.

"Don’t take your eyes off Savannah for a second. I need you and Andrei with her all the time, please."

He nodded.

"Don’t worry, Fenrir. Andrei is on babysitting duty right now, and I’ll head there soon to take over mine. Savannah isn’t far from us."

"I only trust you two to keep her safe."

"And we are grateful for that. We’ll always earn this honor."

I placed my hands in the pockets of my jeans and gave him one last look.

"Thank you, Anton."

"No need to thank me, my alpha." He lowered his head, saluting me. "I hope you find the answers you’re looking for with Jax."

I pressed my lips together and exhaled loudly through my nose.

"I hope so too."

Savannah and I would have a huge problem ahead of us if the inhibitor didn’t work anymore when the wolf’s heat was advanced.

"Take care of her," I stressed once again.

"As I always will, as long as it's within my reach. Savannah is family now."

I nodded before leaving the office, walking with determined steps toward Vanóia.

Even though I didn’t feel entirely comfortable leaving, it was necessary. And I had my men prepared for any attack. Savannah would be safe.

***

POV Savannah Bowen

I tilted my face, sniffing.

"You smell like amber and smoke," I said, puckering my lips. "As if you've just emerged from a dense forest after a hunt."

Andrei stared at me, incredulous.

"Are you crazy?" he asked, looking me up and down. "We've been living together for months, and you've never said anything about my smell."

I shrugged.

"I just noticed now," I confessed.

We were walking through the village center, enjoying the break in the snow to stroll and clear our minds. I spent all day locked in Fenrir's room, taking care of that damn nest as if I were a bird about to lay and incubate an egg. I even considered asking Fenrir if Vanóia had any medicine for the mind, because I was clearly losing it.

"Then stop sniffing me, please," he hissed, offended.

"You've done it to me several times."

"Yeah, since the very beginning. I acted normal, but you..." He pointed a finger at me. "You're freaking me out, acting like a crazy person, sniffing everything in sight. And don't get me started on banning everyone from entering Fenrir's messy room."

I stiffened.

"It's not messy."

"It isn't? And what about all those torn clothes and the smell of sex coming from the door?"

A blush colored my cheeks.

"You know, Andrei, you're being a bit moody. Go find some company and stop messing with my nest."

"And you, try to act like a normal person again, please," he mocked.

I rolled my eyes and continued walking, ignoring his jokes.

Everything was almost perfect. Fenrir protected me, fed me, and spoiled me. He spent the nights with me, holding me in his arms, keeping me safe. Now and then, he'd bring back some fresh game for me, whether it was a deer or a bird, all covered in blood, with a huge proud smile on his face.

Life with him was light and happy. I felt joy in a way I had never felt before, not even when I thought I was in love with Hunter and saw him as the great love of my life.

With Fenrir, everything was different.

Even though the idea of us being predestined seemed unlikely, I couldn’t help but occasionally entertain the thought, just as the shadow lingered that everything could crumble, and he might abandon me, like he did with Marilyn.

My mind kept spinning, coming up with theories.

But in the end, it was the life I wanted to live. Peaceful, calm, safe. I just needed one thing to make it truly perfect: to have Selena by my side. I wanted her to experience the peace that was Dăneşti, to have the chance to join a good pack, one where respect and, above all, pride in being part of it existed. Very different from the pack we were raised in.

"You and Fenrir have become two weirdos since your early heat," he commented after a long silence.

"What do you mean 'two weirdos'?" I made air quotes with my fingers.

Andrei pouted.

"He's all alpha, powerful and protective, almost wiping out the animal population of the forest to hunt for you," he mocked. "While you get all neurotic with that mess you call a nest, not letting anyone near." He looked up at the sky, as if pleading. "I can't wait for things to go back to normal."

A genuine laugh escaped my lips.

"I didn’t notice anything different."

"Of course you didn’t." He snorted.

I caught the scent of Anton, which was like a soft breeze of spring and wildflowers, before even detecting his presence. I furrowed my brow, confused.

"How's your stroll going?" he asked, walking beside me and matching our pace.

"I'm here, talking to Savannah about how weird she's been since she went into heat."

Anton laughed.

"I can't wait for that heat hypnosis to end."

"You two are so funny," I murmured.

The snow covered the roofs of the village cottages and houses, turning the area into a rustic, beautiful landscape. The smoke from the lit fireplaces shot up through chimneys, floating through the air. The villagers passing by greeted me, waving and bowing, as if I were part of Dăneşti royalty. I’d noticed this change ever since Fenrir protected me from Marilyn in front of everyone, many days ago.

I had everything I wanted in Dăneşti. A partially safe home, respect, and a good life. I just needed Selena, and nothing more.

We passed by a house with the front door wide open, an omega sweeping the floor, pushing the dirt out the door. The smell of roasted meat floated toward me, twisting my stomach.

I covered my mouth and stopped walking, trying to control my rebellious stomach.

"What’s wrong?" Andrei asked, concerned.

"The smell of that meat..." I whispered, my voice shaky. "I think it's pork. It made me nauseous."

He and Anton exchanged a look, furrowing their brows, suspicious and confused. Andrei sniffed the air, flaring his nostrils.

"The smell is so faint, Savannah. How did you catch it?"

Still with my hand on my lips and holding my breath, I hurried forward, walking away from the house. I only breathed again when I was far enough away to not smell it anymore.

"It wasn't that faint, how didn’t you guys smell it?" I shuddered. "Smell of scorched pig skin."

"It was just a weak aroma, mixed with the smell of firewood from the other houses burning," Anton commented.

I scrunched my nose, still disgusted.

"I think you guys are having problems, gentlemen. It must be age creeping up on you," I teased, trying to lighten the mood, noticing that they both seemed tense and suspicious.

"The weird one here is you," Andrei shot back. His phone beeped. He reached into his pants pocket, pulling out the device and reading the notification. "Remember you got a phone, Savannah? Sometimes it’s good to use it, here we communicate this way, not by mail," he teased.

I rolled my eyes.

"I didn’t find the technology that useful. You guys are always around, so it makes no sense to send a message when I can just call you in person."

"It makes perfect sense. It’s more accessible and simplifies our lives." He waved the phone in the air. "My babysitting duties are over, a new duty calls me. Mihaela and Alexandra need me."

"Did something happen?" I asked, concerned.

"No, nothing serious. They just need help with some things for the pups, things a strong male like me can handle."

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Oh, go ahead, strong man, help the little ones," I retorted, mockingly.

Anton burst out laughing.

"I’ll take over from here," he said, waving at his friend. "Your shift is over, and mine has started."

I crossed my arms in front of my body.

"I don’t find it funny at all, you guys acting like I’m a pup who needs to be taken care of."

"Sweetheart, if anything happens to you while you’re under our protection, even a scratch, Fenrir will rip our heads off." Andrei snapped his fingers in front of my face. "So yes, we see you as a pup we need to care for. And besides, you’re much younger than both of us, you’re still a baby wolf."

I hissed low, mixed with a growl.

"Get out of my face, Andrei," I scolded, but the playful glint in my eyes betrayed me.

He waved at me and blew a kiss in the air, teasing me before turning his back and walking toward the school. Anton and I stood in silence, frozen in the middle of the village.

"What do you want to do now?" he asked.

I bit my cheeks, thinking.

"I think I want to go home," I admitted, missing my mess in Fenrir's room.

"Alright, then. Let’s go home. I actually love Fenrir's TV," he admitted.

We walked in silence, heading toward the house, where I wanted to be. I already felt much better after the walk, but the need to return was calling out from inside me.

I smelled that damn bitch before I saw her coming. I let out a low growl that made Anton look at me, confused. Marilyn came toward us, purposefully bumping into me, pushing me aside as if I meant nothing to her, before stopping in front of Anton.

I retracted the claws that had involuntarily extended when she touched me. My heart was racing, and rage pumped through my blood.

"I need to talk to you," she said, looking directly at Anton, still ignoring me.

The male seemed confused, rubbing a hand through his hair, somewhat awkward.

"What is it?"

"I went after Fenrir, but I found out he's not in the village."

I stiffened, inhaling through my nose, exhaling through my mouth, trying to calm down. I clenched my fists at my sides, cutting my skin with my sharp nails.

"So?" Anton asked, bored.

"And it’s urgent. You’re second in command, so I need to speak to you."

"Spit it out, Marilyn," he growled, trying to keep his patience with the omega, failing miserably.

"I found out something about this Selena."