that seemed unconscious, partially shielding her with his body.
Brand was growing to like Alice"s pup, insolence and all.
“You"ll do.” With a chuckle, he grabbed the offered forearm.
Gunni"s fist clenched, but he didn"t pull away. Biting another male could be tricky at the best of times. Making him submit moments after he"d taken a mate qualified as the 166
absolute worst timing.
“Breathe through it,” Brand said. He let the wolf come forward, pulling from the reservoir of energy inside of him. He clutched Gunni"s wrist in a tight grip. After a shallow bite, he sucked a mouthful of blood. Gunni tasted like spring grass after a rain. Gunni"s wolf roared to the surface. He let go of Alice, and his right fist came flying at Brand.
Brand twisted Gunni"s left arm behind him, knocked him off balance, and pushed him to his knees. He swallowed, feeling the torrent of Gunni"s power raging inside of him. Very strong, and not inclined to cooperate, his wolf put up a brutal fight.
Sweat rolled down Brand"s face as he struggled with Gunni. The waning moon stripped his wolf of much of his energy. Coupled with the fact that he was tired and hungry, he didn"t have as much of a power advantage over the younger male as he normally would have. What he lacked in strength, he hoped to make up in determination.
Alice slid to the ground in front of Gunni, her hands rising to hold his face. “You don"t have to prove anything to me.” She leaned to kiss him.
When he felt Gunni relax, Brand released him. He spun the brood weaves as quickly as he could, not knowing how long Alice could keep his attention. He tugged them both out of Erik"s hold, tying part of their power into his brood.
Brand leaned to put a hand on each of their heads.
“Your blood is my blood. To the last drop, you are mine.” Alice collapsed against Gunni"s chest with a gasp. He cradled her against him, murmuring into her hair.
The warmth they felt for each other made Brand smile.
Their bond glowed with it. “Take care of her.” Gunni met his eyes and nodded solemnly. “We"ll wait here.” His tone, more statement than question, seemed to challenge Brand to try sending them away.
Brand fixed him with a narrow-eyed stare. “I make the 167
decisions.”
Gunni stared back; his jaw clenched and released several times in a slow rhythm. After a long hesitation, he bowed his head in acceptance.
“Get inside. I think you"ll be safe enough here, since I"m going to them.” He smiled at Alice. “You"ve always been much better to me than I deserve, and for that I thank you.”
“Come back to me,” she said as he turned away, her voice thick with tears.
168
Chapter 18
Brand hadn"t been sure what to expect at Ingrid"s cabin, but the calm scene outside her cabin under the clear evening sky was certainly not it. Golden hair reflecting the rays of the setting sun, Ingrid knelt with her hands folded in her lap.
Dagny walked next to him as he approached. He stopped in front of Ingrid and glared down at her. Deciding that was the wrong tactic, he relaxed his tensed jaw.
She looked up, her face expressionless. “Brandúlfr, so pleased you could join us. I feared we might have to hold the Conclave without you.”
He struggled against his irritation, keeping his face calm.
“A difficult task, considering I am the accused.”
“Perhaps. No matter, you have graced us with your presence after all.” Her mouth twisted into a frown as she examined him. “Go into my cabin and garb yourself appropriately.”
He put a hand on the small of Dagny"s back and turned away. Ingrid coughed. “She stays here.” He didn"t bother to look back. “No.” 169
“She is the object of dispute.”
That statement drew him up short. He glared over his shoulder. “She comes with me.” Urging Dagny onward, he went into the cabin.
Dagny pointed to the stool in the center of the main room before she walked through the door leading to the bathroom. He sat with a weary sigh. The altercation with Gunni had taken more out of him than he could afford. Drained and on the edge of collapse was not the optimum way to begin the coming ordeal. He closed his eyes, intending to relax before he washed. The light brush of Dagny"s fingers on the back of his hand jolted him awake.
Worry pulled her mouth into a pinched frown. “This is a bad idea. You"re exhausted.”
He forced a smile, lifted her