Sáttmálans

Alistair's POV

Three days.

It's been three days since the ambush.

It's been three days since Calder's body vanished miraculously.

It's been three days since Haaken's arrival.

It's been three days since Noir was injured and rendered unconscious.

It's been three fucking days and it seems like nothing has changed at all.

Groaning, I sit back in my chair in the corner of the room and watch Noir. Her breathing finally became normal but she hasn't so much as stirred, let alone regained consciousness.

Before I could get lost in my thoughts again, Eira entered the room, followed by Ama and Thyra.

The gahes simply nodded in my direction before focusing their attention on Noir. Thyra however wobbled her way to my side and smacked me in the head with her stick.

Growling, I snatched the cane from her.

"What is the deal, you old banshee?"

"While you're sitting here, the village is in shambles while your pack works tirelessly to rebuild and restore what was damaged. Even the visiting pack is helping. What are you doing? Moping. Moping like a wee pup. Noir is going to be fine. You however, are being useless. Now get up and do your duties as alpha of this pack."

Growling again, I tossed her the cane and stood.

"You're lucky you're on the verge of possibly dying or else—," I was cut off by another whack.

"Stop y'er yammering. You don't scare me, boy. Now go."

Throwing my arms in the air, I let out a frustrated snarl.

Looking over at Noir, I sighed.

I'll be back soon, mo ástvinur.

With that, I left only to return to the main house.

I'll help but first there is some business I need to handle first and foremost.

"Bring me Khinn and Haaken, Bjarke if he is stable," I linked.

"Yes, Alpha," three voices said in unison.

A few minutes later, five piled in.

"Bræður," I said, nodding to Nebo, Cuyler and Valenner.

Turning my attention to the others, I leaned back in my chair.

"Haaken, from the beginning, tell me why you're here in my pack and why you appeared at probably the worse possible time," I said flatly, curious of what Khinn's reaction will be after he hears the story.

"I came to retrieve my daughter."

"Who is your daughter, again?"

"Rúna."

When I didn't say anything, Haaken sighed.

"Her name is Rúna but you know her as Noir."

I looked over to Khinn who was staring at Haaken, square jawed.

"You're mistaken. Noir is my daughter."

Haaken leaned up against the wall watching Khinn, his head dropping lazily to one side.

"Oh? So Desha wasn't already with child when she was given away and sold to Moon Rock?"

Khinn flinched at his mate's name.

"That child that was buried within her womb was of my seed. My daughter."

Before Khinn could respond, I cleared my throat.

"You two can reminisce after this meeting. Haaken, explain why you made an appearance 3 days ago."

The room tensed in that moment as Haaken kept his place on the wall and looked around before his sights fell back on me.

"Well, I guess there is no sense in being short."

I glared at him but he simply shrugged me off.

"I'm the Alpha of Crest Valley, a pack of purebred lycans. As you are aware, Desha was not a purebred lycan but a werewolf. Choosing Desha as my partner caused a lot of controversy but, to be quite frank, I simply didn't give a damn. We were betrothed but we never got married nor completed the sacrament due to the fact she had not found her Gods' given partner. I, on the other hand, had already found mine but the same day, she was slaightered."

Haaken took a moment to assess the room before crossing his arms.

"Desha and I were together a season when our son, Bjarke, was born. 5 seasons later, we discovered Desha was with child once again but that was when Lupine attacked Ironridge. Desha was out that day without my acknowledgement, something she thought was fun to do just to see my reaction."

Taking a breath, Haaken stood there, watching me with a crooked smile.

"Seems Rúna gives you the same kind of trouble," he teased.

That is an understatement.

"More than you know," I groaned, raking a hand down my face.

"Continue."

"By time I realized she was gone, I sent out patrols to help me locate her but all we found were four decapitated lycan's and no Desha. At the time, lycan's were considered rare. Killing one would take proper knowledge, a purebred with no tainted bloodline. Later that evening, I felt her pack-link spiritually disconnect from mine. That meant one of two things: she either was killed or she was initiated into another pack. With this realization, I sent warriors to scout the newly merging Moon Rock, your pack, obviously when your late father was Alpha and Blood Stone; the three closest packs to my own. When word got back to me she was in Moon Rock, I immediately made my way there and watched from a distance, ready to attack this newly formed pack only for her to find me on the third day, a mark on her shoulder."

Haaken stopped with a pained expression on his face before it became straight anger.

"Obviously you can understand why I didn't bring her back with me but furthermore, I discovered she was sold by members of my own pack."

Mánsal? Gods.

"I don't need to ask what you did. I have quite an accurate feeling. However, why now did you choose to come here? It seems pretty obvious you have legitimate intel on movements and plans. What do you want with Noir now?"

Gavrill shifted; his movement going unnoticed by the others as Haaken pushed off of the wall.

"The answer is simple: my daughter is 20 seasons old. How old are you, pup? She is well above age, she has shifted and in both forms, I might add, yet has not been unionized nor is she with child. I want her home. It seems to be dangerous for her here regardless of her mark that rests upon your shoulder."

"Oh?"

Well, this got interesting.

"33 seasons," I say flatly. "How do you know we're not unionized?"

"I see. Then you know the problem with that and because, even though I've been forced to not be present in her life, it doesn't mean I didn't watch over her."

"That as it may be, she is still my mate. Lycan, werewolf or other alike. Once the male finds their mate, by tradition, the female comes to live with the male, no matter their rank or species, pack or clan. Noir isn't going anywhere."

Haaken seemed to ponder on my words as he took his place back against the wall.

"I can respect this. However, with the current change in her life, I want the chance to get to know and be close to her. I will offer an alliance for this, something I don't take lightly given mine and my packs species."

"This could be of great benefit to our pack but not only our pack but the lycans, halfbreeds and our mate. I would accept it," Rune said.

"I agree, our mate deserves to know who her father truly is along with her brother but not only this, with an alliance, we can learn further things about the lycans, our own race: different combat and strategy tactics and we would have a powerful ally against any who oppose. It's a promising thing," Hael spoke.

"Hmm. I'll agree but on one condition."

"Name your price."

"Help me end Calder."

Haaken's dominating presence became fully known throughout the room as he stood his full height, cracking his neck, making my three in command shift uneasily.

He flashed me a hellish smirk— a smirk so sinister that it made me return the gesture as his smile reached his eyes.

"Nothing would give me more pleasure."

With that, the alliance with the lycans of Crest Valley was made.

Mo ástvinur - My beloved

Bræður - Brothers

Mánsal - Human Traffickers