Carters POV
Before my father arrived, I wanted to speak to Erika first. Hopefully, somewhere in her mind, our bond would allow us to be on the same wavelength. Our connection as Enforcers relied on tapping into each other telepathically. It's not the standard pack mind-linking of basic instructions and general banter.
This was far deeper, being in sync, no words needed—a skill every Enforcer had to master before creating an effective team.
I was anticipating each other's moves before they were made.
Hence my fucked-up situation with Max, who was using it against me. Fucker
Erika, I knew, would have this skill honed to fine art, but would she allow me in her head? Would she trust me? There was no way of knowing it was between our wolves—a meeting of spirit minds syncing our moves, thoughts and words to protect each other. The trust involved was enormous. I decided to take a chance. She may not be with me, but I hoped she read my mood.
"Carter. What a fucking mess you have made with my pack." In all his overrated arrogance, my Grandfather stood before me. An air of superiority. His posture was rigid, and his fists clenched as he watched me.
"Hello, Anton," I said.
I was fifteen when I stopped calling them Grandmother and Grandfather; they didn't deserve it. I nodded at my father stepping in behind him, a guarded look on his face. Anton commanded the room with an air of authority he had never relinquished. His expectations had borne down on me as a kid. As they resurfaced, I pushed them aside now.
Summoning my wolf to the forefront of my mind. The familiar feeling of power and connection washed over me, grounding me in the present moment. With determined steps, I approached Erika and stood beside her at the far wall.
"Erika, please meet my grandfather, Anton Benson". She didn't flinch despite his grandstanding, a power he now pushed on her. Stupid old bastard, did he think he could stand over a Lycan of her lineage?
"Pleasure to meet you, Alpha", she said, her voice strong and never wavering. That would have pissed him off; I watched him as he shifted his stance. He turned his attention to me, his next move to ignore her.
"I heard she is your mate. You declared it at the same time you and your drunken brother beat fuckery out of our Head Healer. He's a member of one of the most respected families on this Estate."
"Enough about Guy. We're here to address present issues, not dredge up old conflicts that have long been resolved." My father's gaze shifted to Anton, their relationship a constant struggle between being enemies and allies. My father had challenged Anton's authority when he left to become one of the first Enforcers in the shifter world. It was a pivotal moment for wolves and for my father.
Although my Grandfather was a fierce wolf, my father's training and living within human special forces units in the early 1940s set him apart. His friends and new shifter allies gave him power in the shifter community—friends who did not seek the approval of the old dogs like my Grandfather.
I suspected he still resented my father for it. I never understood why Anton, a controlling man, harboured such deep jealousy.
"Is it true? Is the Lycan your mate?" Anton leered at me. I stalled. I didn't know how she would take this disrespect from him.
"Yes, it is true". Erika did not flinch or display any emotions of conflict or doubt. Emotions Anton would have been searching for.
"So why all the secrecy? You didn't just figure it out," he growled. I paused; this was not a situation I expected to find myself in.
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His Ghost
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