Wild Magic One: By the Light of the Moon-- A Wolf Shifter M/M Romance

12- Pack

LHIAM

Edon's big head on my lap was infuriatingly distracting. I rubbed his soft fur, amused by the annoyed looks of a few of the council members. The same ones who continued to demand that I force Lacy to get rid of Edon. They were a part of the reason I had brought him today. So that they were aware that Edon was mine as much as he was Lacy's.

More so.

Mine.

The wolf's little exhalations as he slept, his gentle, warm breaths against the skin of my hand, against my thighs, was like warning bells in my mind.

I was falling so far for this little wolf man, I couldn't even remember not having these all-encompassing thoughts distracting me.

When we adjourned for lunch, a few of the councilors moved towards me. One— Rafael, who was one of the younger council members, and one of the ones I didn't want to strangle on a daily basis— laughed loudly when Edon growled as he neared. I looked down at Edon, unsure why he was reacting that way, when I noticed the sword at Rafael's waist. Since the man was a former Empire general, and currently my general, he was one of the only men who routinely carried weapons on his person.

Edon had obviously picked him out as one of the true threats in the room. And he didn't like him coming so near me.

I pushed down the warmth that spread through my chest at his protectiveness and held my hand up to him to try to quiet him. Edon lifted his head from my lap, continuing to bare his teeth to the general, but the man didn't stop his advance.

"Edon," I murmured. "It's alright. He's a friend. Calm, sweetheart."

My words seemed to mollify the wolf, because he shut his muzzle and quieted, but he was still on high alert, and he moved to my other side, so he stood between me and the general.

"Damn, how did you get a wolf trained like that?" Rafael asked as he reached out and shook my hand in greeting. He acted like Edon didn't begin to bare his teeth again when his hand was only a few inches from the wolf's teeth. "He protects you like you're pack."

I looked down at Edon and smiled gently when he met my eyes. I could almost see the words in his mind. Or maybe it was just my own selfish hope that he was thinking my pack.

"Lacy and I rescued him from... a rather terrible situation. He's become family," I answered truthfully, and I could see Edon's ears twitching. With pride? Joy? I couldn't tell. He watched Rafael far too closely.

"That's incredible. You're lucky. Wolves are fiercely loyal, and they put pack above all else, including their own lives. If he's adopted you into his pack, you've got a fierce protector for life."

I nodded, not sure if I liked that he would put my life above his own, but I liked the idea that he thought of me as his family.

Rafael's talk turned to the troops he was training near his home in the south, and I let my hand drift down to Edon again. This time, he seemed a bit more relaxed as I ran my hand up and down his neck. I barely noticed when Rafael stopped talking.

"He's all but purring," Rafael whispered, as if not to disturb Edon. I looked down at the wolf, and sure enough, his eyes were closed, and he was leaning into me, his chest visibly vibrating with pleasure.

I smiled when the wolf's eyes drifted open and he lazily looked up and met my eyes.

Gods those eyes would be the death of me.

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It was another five hours after lunch before the insipid councilors allowed the meeting to end. I was exhausted but determined to follow through with my dinner plans. Having spent the entire day around people, I needed to be alone. I allowed Robert and Cain to follow me to the kitchens, then to help me carry the dinner I had asked chef to prepare for me out into my favorite garden— the one I'd had Edon brought to his first day here. When they had set up the little picnic on the ground, I dismissed them, telling them I was perfectly safe in the castle walls, in the out-of-the-way garden, with my canine protector.