Wolf's Heart

Ulric snarled, but quieted when I placed my hand on his arm. I turned and looked at Terrance, “What do you want?”

Terrance smiled, “Well… isn’t that a loaded question. You’re going to have to be more specific, Sweet, or I might just take it the wrong way.”

This time I ignored Ulric’s snarling, my eyes now glaring at Terrance, “Fine. Why are you here?”

Terrance used his shoulders to push from the tree and walked closer, “I just heard that Katima’s going to represent us in the Haggard Tribe and I was wondering what you two were doing.”

The way he worded his comment suggested that he want to know what both I and Ulric were going to do, but the face that his eyes never left Ulric’s told me that he only cared about what Ulric was going to do.

When Ulric didn’t say anything Terrance continued, “I just wanted to know if you were going to leave again… and who was going to run the Tribe when your father steps down.”

So that was why he followed them here. He wanted to know if Ulric would be alpha or if the position was available.

Ulric didn’t answer right away, he just stared at Terrance. I could tell Terrance was getting restless, impatient with the waiting. He opened his mouth to say something when Ulric suddenly spoke.

“No.” All he said was the single word and that single word had the power to put flames in Terrance’s eyes.

“No?” Terrance asked, his voice an unbelieving squeak, “No what? No to you leaving? Or no to you being alpha?”

“No,” Ulric said again, “to you being alpha.”

I could see Terrance seething, his anger heightening, “Why not? You don’t want it. That rank should go to someone who does.”

Ulric’s brow rose, “Why do you want it, Terrance? Why should you be alpha?”

“Because I deserve it!” Terrance snarled, “I’ve done everything your father wanted me to, put up with the bullshit errands he made me do.”

Ulric shook his head, “No, why do you want to be alpha, Terrance?”

“The power,” Terrance sighed, as if in bliss with the thought, “The power I’d have…”

Ulric studied Terrance for a few seconds, then shook his head, “Being alpha isn’t about having poser, Terrance, it’s about caring for those you love. It’s about responsibility… family.”

Ulric’s tone turned thoughtful at the end of his statement, his brows furrowing as he ran something through his mind. When it seemed he came to a decision he looked at Terrance with a new purpose in his eyes, “It doesn’t matter anyways, because the position is already filled.”

Terrance snarled again, “By your old man? Kyros wants to retire, Ulric. Then the position will be open.”

Ulric shook his head, “No, it won’t, Terrance, because I’m going to take the position.” Ulric turned to look at me, “If it’s okay with you.”

I stared at him with wide eyes, “Why would my opinion matter?”

“Because,” Ulric said softly, “I want you to lead with me, but if you don’t want to we won’t.”

I continued to stare at him. He wanted me to stay? “I don’t… I don’t understand.”

Terrance groaned, rolling his eyes and he huffed, “He’s asking you to be his mate! He’s also doing a particularly horrible job at it.”

My eyes widened as I looked back at Ulric, “R-really?”

I watched him take a nervous swallow before he said, “Yes. Roana, would you be my mate? You’d have to live here, with me in the forest. I wouldn’t be able to live in a town… unless it has a really small population, but I’d have to still be able to-”

I pressed my finger against his lips, stopping his babbling with a smile, “Ulric, I’d love to stay here with you, in this forest. I’d love to be your mate… but most of all I love you.”

Ulric smiled and pulled me into his arms, spinning me in the air as he laughed. When he sat me down he framed my face with his hands, “I love you too, Roana. With everything that I am.”

He lowered his face to mine as our lips pressed together, and together we ignored the exaggerated sounds of retching coming from Terrance.