Odin POV:
My massive paws clawed into the hardened ground as I quickly made my way to the rest of my packmates, I couldn’t allow their lives to be in danger again, not like when their father was murdered. I could never forgive myself for allowing Elijah to murder Cassian in cold blood and yet it was out of my hands. Cassian had been a loyal and devoted father to his three children and even I, his adoptive son, I would never allow Elijah to escape the punishment that I would personally bestow upon him as I yearned to see his blood dripping down my hands as I tore his head from his body. No, I held no love towards the man who sought my death even before I was brought into this world, he was a despicable man who murdered my mother, his mate.
“Have you assessed the situation?” I asked Ure through the mind link.
“Yes… but you aren’t going to like it…” Ure said as he caught his own words.
It’s that bad? I thought to myself.
I instinctively quickened my pace until the two figures of my adoptive siblings appeared before me, they were fully merged into their wolf forms as their sleek white winter coat stood on end as their posture indicated that of an unwelcome visitor. I finally reached them and placed my body weight just before theirs with my massive size easily towering over both Ure and Immoenne, it didn’t take me long before I analyzed the current situation and what I found wasn’t good.
“I’m going to change back,” I stated aggressively as I stared down the opposing lead wolf who stood just a few feet away from us.
“Are you sure?” Immoenne asked uncertainly as she eyed the large group of wolves who stood before us.
“Unfortunately, it’s a formality that I cannot avoid,” I grumbled to myself.
Despite being an alpha there were still rules and formalities that I was required to follow as they were set in place hundreds of years ago by our ancestors, I couldn’t help but feel sour about the situation as I stared down at two of the familiar wolves who stood a few feet away from us. The wolf forms of both Essen and her father Mattias stood before us as their familiar murky green eyes looked us over challengingly, there was nothing friendly anymore about them as they stood before us with a foreboding army of wolves. I knew that throwing Essen out might cause this backlash to happen and yet I didn’t expect it to happen this soon, she was never one to back down, she was stubborn just like her father.
Let’s get this over with, I thought as I sighed to myself.
I knew this would only end in bloodshed.
I took a step forward after a moment and allowed my wolf form to disintegrate as my muscular paws diminished into that of my human feet with the change consuming my entire being until I stood before the wolves in my naked human form. It didn’t take long before Essen and her father followed suit as they obeyed the formalities that were set in place, this was the only way for us to communicate with one another as we weren’t within the same pack, thus we didn’t share the same mind link.
Essen will never be one with my pack, I thought to myself as my chest grew hot with anger as I stared her down.
Her murky green eyes stared me down as she shifted back to her human form along with her father, I barely noticed as a smirk spread to her lips as she stood before me completely naked. My eyes briefly trailed down to her ample breasts as she stuck her chest out confidentially to make them appear larger. I groaned to myself as disgust steadily spread throughout my body, it hadn’t been that long ago when this woman had once driven me mad with lust and yet not all I felt was dread and remorse. I hated being near her, having the woman stare at me felt as if my skin was being peeled off my body by a hot dagger.
“It’s been a while,” Mattias said as he broke the silence
“Not that long apparently,” I said as I advertised my eyes to the Alpha.
“Hm,” He hummed before he continued.
“I imagine you know why I’m here,” He stated.
“Unfortunately, I do,” I stated as a sigh escaped my lips.
“We had an agreement, Odin, I would protect you from Elijah Ayer if you made my daughter your mate,” Mattias stated as he motioned to Essen.
“That agreement is impossible now,” I stated with a slight smirk as I imagined my naked mate's body pressed against mine.
I was eager to go back to her and claim her once again the moment she awoke and yet I knew I couldn’t discard Mattias as a possible threat I knew that he had ulterior motives by seeking me out like he has, no he normally wouldn’t leave the comfort of his own home just to confront an alpha who had been engaged to his daughter. My gaze shifted from Mattias and Essen and trailed over to the army of wolves that stood ready to pounce with a simple command, there was something about their presence that was ominous.
People are going to die, I thought to myself knowingly as I knew what their presence here meant.
“You smell like that slut,” Essen blurted out as disgust was written all over her face.
“Essen!” Mattias snapped at her as he barely glanced her way.
“You’re correct Essen, I smell just like my Mate,” I said as I sneered at her.
I wanted the words to eat her up inside as Essen had always been a despicable woman who had been too eager and ambitious for her good, I knew that if she couldn’t become Luna that she would destroy anyone and anything that stood in her way. It was because of this realization that convinced me that she was a threat to both Caoimhe and I.
“You will never be Luna!” I smirked at her as a dominant growl erupted from my chest.
Mattias nodded knowingly as he had heard everything that he had come for.
“Elijah has ordered me to kill you Odin and I’m afraid I cannot disobey the Alpha of Thallyn now,” Mattias stated as he turned his back on me and walked back to his pack of wolves.
So be it, I thought to myself as I turned my back to him and nodded towards Ure as I once again shifted back to my wolf form.
This was war.