Northern Lands: Bound by fate

Chapter 15

ZANDER

The talk with Calandra had calmed my grating nerves. It showed me that our bond had been forged and had grown stronger as we spent more time together.

In between all the realms that had been discovered through eternity, I had found the other part of my soul. After her stubbornness faded and we let the promise of what could be lead the way, we encountered something pure and incredible.

It was a sense of belonging, like I had finally found my place in this world. It wasn't my apartment, my pack, or my motorcycle. It wasn't running free through nature when Conan took over in his wolf form.

It was her.

Calandra was my home.

The moment Alpha Kaan called me into his office, the euphoria that consumed me faded away and all the darkness returned in full force. There was a hole in my stomach, a nagging pit of dread that opened up when I walked over the threshold of the packhouse and made my way upstairs to the Alpha and Luna's floor.

I repeated the conversations in my head, mulling over the details. The meeting with the Council had not gone as we expected. To be honest, I believed it made our current situation even worse. Only because of the occurrences of the past and the jealousy of others.

My worry about talking to my Alpha and Beta concerning the threat that hung above Calandra's head wasn't because I didn't believe they would offer the pack's help and refuge to their Gamma female. My fears lay in how Calandra would react to how the pack issued that protection.

A pack of werewolves had a sense of unity. They wouldn't let Calandra out of their sight, never let her go anywhere without a patrol accompanying her. What if she felt suffocated and retracted herself from all the progress we had made between us?

"Zander," Leander said, shattering my train of thoughts into tiny icy shards that ran down my spine. He noticed the worries etched on my face and wrapped his hand around my shoulder.

No words of encouragement left his lips to dampen the raging turmoil inside. Only the weight of his steady and firm hand as we both walked inside Kaan's office.

As soon as the door closed behind us, we sat in our habitual places to discuss pack strategies. Alpha Kaan was behind his desk, his arms folded over his brutal chest. Leander stood against the wall in the corner, his place in the shadow to observe the room. I repositioned the armchair opposite my Alpha so I could look at both males.

Kaan didn't wait a beat to begin his questioning. "The warning the mermaid issued. Is it legit?" he asked, brow furrowing and his eyes zeroed in on me. "Are we certain they will come for her?"

I heaved a breath before responding. "The mermaid wouldn't have used her legs to warn Ilaria if there wasn't an actual threat," I answered, and I truly believed my words.

From the conversation Ilaria had with Calandra, I understood that to have changed to her human form to warn us, Nereida made a sacrifice. I knew little about mermaids, as we had only one creature like her roaming the icy lake of Northern Lands. Her legs could only be used once a year, and she nonetheless came to Ilaria's aquarium.

"We don't know what we're dealing with," Alpha Kaan mused, stroking his beard with his hand. "We'll need more information about the creatures that roam the Asterion realm."

"Calandra will fill us in on everything we need to know," I reasoned.

"Are you sure she won't reject you again?" Leander questioned from his position in the corner, his arms folded over his chest. "She did before and you aren't marked."