“Ay…be careful,” Angus muttered. “That Alpha cannae be trusted.”
“I already know what he tried to do to Brian…is there something else I should know?”
“He didnae answer King Ian's father's call for help.”
“Why not?”
Angus shrugged. “Who knows…it dinnae matter anymore…just be careful.”
Logan studied Angus for a moment, then nodded. “Thanks for the warning…I better get back and see what my mate has planned for me. See you later.”
Grunting in reply, Angus turned his attention back to the valley below, thinking about the changes coming—especially when he would step down from his role as Acting Alpha. It had lasted longer than either he or Ian’s father thought it would and, while he had enjoyed it, soon it would be time to reclaim the life and the dreams he’d had to give up. That had been the hardest part of accepting the role of Acting Alpha from the former king; knowing he’d be anchored to this desolate place and have to put aside any hope of finding his Fated Mate.
But now, with the return of King Ian, Angus would be free to travel the world in search of that one person the Fates had picked for him. Until then, though, he would continue to protect the Scottish Wolves under his care. With that thought in mind, he scanned the surrounding mountains, looking for any signs of danger.
Satisfied there were none, he headed down the rock-strewn, narrow path that led to the cottages, but before he had taken more than five steps, something on the mountain opposite him caught his eye. Pausing, Angus stared at the spot. When it moved, he realized it was an animal—one he’d never seen before. Stunned, he blinked several times, thinking it might be a figment of his imagination. But when he locked eyes with it, the animal bowed its head to him in acknowledgement. Before he could respond, it had vanished. He remained still, hoping it would return, but when several minutes had elapsed, he gave up and resumed his trek down the mountainside, his mind now occupied with what the appearance of this strange beast could mean for the Scottish Wolves.
~/~/~/~/~
Theo pushed open the door to the bedroom he’d selected for his cousin and Mac. It would be perfect for them since it had a sitting room and an ensuite bathroom. The only problem was that it lacked furniture. Entering, he walked to the middle of the bedroom and spun around until he faced his mates and newly arrived Remy. “What do you think? Won’t this be perfect for Ollie and Mac?”
Smokey glanced around, then asked, “Where’s the bed?”
“It’s gone,” Norm said, wandering around the room, checking out the bathroom. “At least it has a shower.”
“Why is it empty?” asked Smokey.
“Tristan said this was Kahn’s mother’s room, and she took all the furniture when she left,” Theo said.
“She didn’t sleep with Josiah?” asked Smokey.
“Nope, she stopped when she caught him cheating,” Norm muttered, running his finger along a windowsill, checking it for grime. “At least it’s clean, so we won’t have to do that.”
Remy joined Theo in the center of the room and asked, “Do you have any pictures of what you want for your cousin and Mac?”
“Yeah, I do,” Theo said, taking his phone out of his pocket. “I didn’t have much time, but I managed to find a few shots…something like this.” Handing Remy the phone, he pointed to the four pictures on it. “See, I’m going with a woodland theme…something wild and cozy…like a combination wolf and bear den…dark and stoney-looking walls with a big canopy bed made of branches with leaves entwined with twinkle lights enclosing them in their own private world. And I want the ceiling over thebed to be a midnight sky with stars, and I want the constellations of the bear and wolf. Then, in the sitting room, a cushy love seat, lots of pillows, candles, and the walls made of trees, kinda like their private clearing.”
Peering at the pictures on Theo’s phone, Remy grinned. “This is fantastic, Theo,” he said, handing the phone back to him. “Why don’t we start in the sitting room, and once you're satisfied, we can move on to the bedroom.”
“Okay,” Theo replied, heading for the adjoining room. “I like that idea…oh, and I forgot to tell you they have to have a place to eat. Dakota usually makes the breakfast after the claiming, but since he’s not here, I plan on doing it.”
“What about lunch and dinner?” asked Smokey. “Will they eat with us downstairs?”
“If they want to,” Theo said. Then, glancing at Remy, he said, “Ready when you are.”
Grinning, Remy closed his eyes, picturing the prettiest clearing Theo had used for his claiming of Smokey. Raising his hand, he moved it through the air while whispering words. In the blink of an eye, the four of them were standing in a clearing just like the one on the Blackwood Pack land.
Theo gasped. It was better than anything he’d dreamed of. Looking up, he found a soaring canopy of branches where green leaves danced with sunlight, creating a kaleidoscopic effect of brightness and shadow. Then, he spun himself slowly around, surrounded by trees that were so closely knitted together, he could no longer see the walls.
“Well?” asked Remy. “Do you want me to make any changes?”
Grasping his hands over his heart, Theo smiled broadly at Remy and whispered, “It’s perfect!”
“Not quite,” Remy said. With another wave of his hand, the magic-maker filled the room with a love seat, a table and chairs, plenty of pillows scattered around on the floor, and lighted candles nestled in among the tree branches, casting a flickering ethereal light around the room. “There, that should do it,” he said softly.
Norm’s gaze traveled around the room, stunned at the beauty Remy had created. His mate was right; the room was perfect for Ollie and Mac. Turning to Theo, he wrapped his arms around him, brushing his lips against his mate’s forehead. “They are gonna love it, honey bunch,” he murmured.
Smokey shared his mates’ feelings about Ollie and Mac loving it, but one thing was missing. Raising his hands, he bowed his head, silently uttering the words that would make it absolutely perfect. A bright light filled the room, blinding its occupants for a moment. Then, as it faded, Smokey nodded as he felt good spirit magic fill the room.