Hunger of the Heart (Wolves of Ravenwillow Book 1) (4 page)

Eric had to fight the urge to smile. It had been months since he’d heard from Doyle and his pack, much to his relief. Doyle’s pack may be an odd one among shifters, but Eric respected Doyle. As Alpha of his pack; Doyle welcomed many different shifters and offered protection where it was needed. He found it amusing that others of his pack viewed Doyle with such distaste. The grizzly bear shifters may be a bit odd and extremely possessive of their mates, but they at least didn’t fight amongst themselves like these people before him were doing. He didn’t care about the challenges that Doyle was battling at the moment, it wasn’t his business. He had enough to worry about with his own pack. What he cared about was their alliance, nothing more.

“The peace treaty with the pack of Darkwood Springs is what this pack needs.” he stated firmly as he tapped his finger against the table.

“And who said that was what this pack needed?” Derik; the third elder stated with a scoff.

“What you should be doing is focusing on strengthening your pack; not making friends. There are several wolf shifters in Darkwood Springs, not to mention several rival packs nearby. Why haven’t you made any attempt to expand this pack’s reach?” He asked, giving Eric a rude, accusing look.

“Expanding the pack’s reach”
was just another way of saying to make war with other packs in effort to take control. In the past it’s what was done amongst wolf packs. But the thought held no taste for Eric. He was by no means a peace loving man; he was a man that did what had to be done. Damn the consequences as long as the outcome was worth it in the end. He did want his pack to be strong. Constantly engaging in pack wars for more power was not what he wanted.

“The treaties with other shifter packs are important to the survival of this pack. One of these days, there will come a time that we will need the aid of the shifters of Darkwood Springs. For this pack to survive and thrive we need to have allies.
That
is what will increase our strength, not warring with other packs for more territory.” His hard gaze fell on each of the elders as he spoke firmly.

Silence stretched through the room, as the elders must have seen that his mind wouldn’t’ be changed on the topic.

“Our pack will never be strong until we have an Alpha pair to protect and govern us.” Jonathan; the fourth elder reasoned gently, earning several approving nods from the others.

And there it was, the true reason for the elder’s ambush meeting today. Eric growled in the back of his throat. Why couldn’t they just leave this matter alone? He was a strong and fair leader. What the hell would having a woman at his side matter?

“What does this have to do with the security of my pack?” his voice rumbled out with displeasure.

Peter folded his hands on top of the table before answering. “An Alpha female is required within any shifter pack. The reasons for this are unimportant, but it is something that needs to be addressed.” At the end, his thin finger tapped against the table in emphasis. Peter’s voice rang out with a tone of authority that he seemed to think he possessed in that moment.

“This is not the fifteenth century,” Chris stated, moving from his guarding position by the door to come and stand beside Eric. Folding his arms over his chest, he frowned at the arrogant elders. “It’s never been a requirement that our Alpha has to have a mate to control and run this pack.”

Eric was grateful for his friend’s support, but he was too furious to summon the effort to show it. None of the elders ever liked how he’d won the title of Alpha. Unlike most Alphas; who were born into the position and only had to challenge their parent for the title, Eric had been different. He’d been born of two low ranking parents that held no title within the pack. He’d always known that he wouldn’t be content to follow the leadership of another. So, he’d fought and shed his own blood for his title and he’d be damned if some snooty elders were going to find ways to take that away from him.

“As of this moment, we’ve come to an agreement.” The female elder said gently, responding to Chris’s words as she waved her wrinkled hand toward the other expressionless faces around her. “We’ve agreed that it should be a requirement. Your recent interests have shown us that you are not concerned with what is best for all the members of this pack and its future and
that
puts the safety of this pack at risk of attack from another. By seeking out other; unnecessary alliances and your refusal to seek out a replacement for the position of Alpha female, you have made us appear to be a weak pack and we cannot tolerate that.”

Eric’s teeth gritted together, his eyes flashing with dangerous rage. How much more of this was he expected to sit back and listen to? If it were possible he would gut every elder before him and he’d do it with a smile. Releasing a slow breath, he leaned back in his chair. “With all due respect—” he began; but was cut off as Peter shook his head and held up a staying hand.

Did he just shush me?!
Eric raged silently. He didn’t know how much more disrespect he could take before his beast exploded.

Rising from his chair, Peter smoothed a hand down the front of his silk tie with an unhurried motion. “With all due respect,
Alpha
.” He practically sneered. “This isn’t up for discussion. As elders of this pack we believe that you’re no longer the best option for this pack.”

“I don’t like threats, Elder Peter.” Eric growled out.

Peter simply smirked at him. Turning to nod at the other elders, he motioned for them to rise as though he’d just called the meeting to an end with the simple action. Without a word the other elders rose from their seats and left the room without a backward glance. Turning his attention back to Eric, Peter stepped as close to his Alpha as Chris’s shielding body would allow.

“My suggestion to you, Alpha,” Peter began. “Find yourself a replacement mate and show the pack that we have two strong leaders. A lone leader; no matter his strength is still an easy target. You have not met a challenge in some time and that can change very quickly with your recent disregards to the elder council.”

“I rule this pack, not you or any of the other elders.” Eric hissed out, rising from his chair to hover menacingly over the thin man.

Smirking, Peter shook his head; unafraid. “Regardless; give our words some thought. Otherwise, when you are challenged for your title, you will not have the support of the pack behind you.” With those words uttered gently, Peter turned and left the room with slow strides.

The moment the door closed, Eric paced away from the table with a murderous expression falling over his face. His wolf rose to the surface. Fighting to break free and destroy any that opposed him. The elders had no right to tell him to get married or else loose the loyalty of his own pack. They were advisors for God’s sake! They held no power over him!

“Eric?” Chris’s voice cut through the murderous fog that shrouded his mind.

Drawing in a deep breath, Eric forced his wolf back into the cage of his mind before turning to face his beta. Releasing a deep sigh, he rubbing a tired hand over his stubble dusted jaw before returned to his chair.

As much as he hated agreeing with the elders, he knew they had a point. Without a mate, he was vulnerable. He’d been Alpha of the Ravenwillow wolf pack for twenty years, upon taking that title, he’d taken a mate. His wolf went still at the memory of Emma and Travis’s mother. Rage boiled in his stomach like lava. Pursing his lips in anger, he pushed the memory of his mate-by-choice aside.

Pack law dictated that there must be an Alpha pair; if he waited much longer the elders would push the issue further. He needed the support of the elder council to have the loyalty of his pack. As much as the thought turned his stomach to think about it, he would have to consider finding a woman to fill the leader position beside him. He would either have to choose a mate from one of the available females of his pack or a neighboring one. Or he would face challenges daily for his position as Alpha and if defeated, his pups and he; if he wasn’t killed, would be driven from the pack. But could he bear to enter into another loveless and despondent mating?

A light knocking at the door caused Eric to growl low in the back of his throat. “WHAT!” He snarled out.

Slowly meeting room door opened, a tall muscle bound man stepped through. His body encased in a black and blue, pinstriped suit. The top three buttons of his silk, navy shirt undone. His short golden hair glowed against his rough olive skin.

“What type of greeting is that? Should I feel insulted?” A crooked smirk formed across his firm lips. “Jason told me I would find you here.”

Pushing his present worries aside, Eric forced a friendly smile on his face. “Damon, I see you were able to pry yourself away from your current bedmate and your mirror for our meeting.”

Chuckling Damon ran a hand through his hair with a mocking look. “Who am I to deny the desires of a beautiful woman when she looks my way?”

Rolling his eyes, Eric shook his head at his old friend’s teasing. Damon was beta of one of the many packs of wolf shifters that Eric had formed treaties with. In all the years Eric had known Damon, he found him to be a playful lover of many and a strong wolf like no other.

“Whose bed did you slink from this time? You must have known her well if risk being late today.”

Taking the seat near Eric’s chair at the head of the table, Damon grinned with amusement. “I knew all I needed to know at the time. She has the largest—” He paused, holding his hands out in front of his chest as if he were cupping a bountiful pair of breasts. Damon shot a playful grin at Eric as he finished, “Heart.”

“Right,” Eric acknowledged disbelievingly. “Enough talk of women’s
hearts
. Let’s get Jason and get this meeting over with. I want to head over to the building site before it gets late.”

“My friend you need to get out more and treat yourself.” Damon stated with his usual teasing grin. Standing, he pushed away from the table. Walking around the opposite side of the long table, Damon’s eyes flickered around the room. “I noticed the beautiful Myra has graced us with her presence today.” His eyes searching Eric’s for a reaction of some sort.

“Feel free to take her with you.” Eric whispered with an unfeeling tone.

Shaking his head, Damon clicked his tongue mockingly at Eric. “Thank you for the offer, my friend. But
my
Alpha would have my head if I ever thought of taking another male’s mate.”

“
She’s not my mate!
” he snarled, growling low beneath his words, causing him to sound more animal than man. His wolf snarled at the very idea. Myra…his mate; not a chance in hell!

“You say that as if you already know who it is.” Damon stated, no doubt fishing for information in hopes that Eric would give him something to gossip about.

Rising to his feet as well, Eric’s gaze shot to the watchful gaze of his first beta. Chris watched him with a cool silence that he was known for. Turning away from Chris’s watchful eyes, Eric ignored the amusement that danced within Damon’s expression. Pacing along the opposite side of the table, Eric shook his head in denial. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Damon shrugged his shoulders carelessly. “Makes no difference to me, I was just hoping to hear that you had finally found your true mate. I’ve been dying to see the great Eric Daniels brought down a peg by a slip of a woman.”

From behind him, Chris began to laugh only to cover it the sound with a round of fake coughing as Eric turned to look at him. His true mate? The fates weren’t that kind to him. When he’d visited Darkwood Springs to meet Doyle face to face, he hadn’t been able to push aside the feeling of jealously that surged through him at seeing Doyle with his own true mate. The bond between Doyle and his mate; Aria was evident to any that saw them together. It was as though they were linked together by thousands of ropes, with no way to separate one from the other.

He craved that; or at least he had at one point in his life. It was far past the time that he should have found his one true mate, if he was worthy enough to have one. After all this time, he seriously doubted that there was still any hope of finding her; the one meant for only him.

In his youth, he’d enjoyed many females of his pack and many not of his pack. When he’d searched for his true mate with no luck, he’d settled for a simple mating among his own pack and he’d chosen Beth.

He’d known that Beth; the mother of his children, wasn’t his true mate. At the time; it hadn’t seemed to matter much. As Alpha, it was expected that he would mate a strong she-wolf that would stand by his side and give him strong pups. Beth had been his best friend and it had made sense at the time. Even though she hadn’t stirred his wolf, he’d hoped that they would have found some happiness in their mating. He’d been wrong.

Not soon after Emma and Travis’s birth, it became obvious to him and others around him that Beth had found her happiness in someone else’s arms. He hadn’t expected love from her, but he had expected loyalty. Before he could confront her about it, she’d disappeared without a trace and her lover with her. For years he’d endured the sympathy filled looks from his family and pack.

He had long given up hope that Beth would return and be a mother to her children. He'd let go of the dream of waking up every morning with his unknown and unfound true mate, the dream of utter happiness and the feel of a true mates love. Hearing from many mated males, the overwhelming and powerful feeling of finding your one true mate, and the over rush of powerful emotions. No words could have been found described to him the intensity of emotions that he would never experience.