War of Hearts (True Immortality) - S Young Page 0,44
the words flat, “and since you refuse to put on the radio, I thought a little conversation might pass the time.”
“Chart music is shite,” he offered as an excuse for the lack of radio.
“Well, it’s music or conversation. Those are your choices.”
“I choose the lesser of two evils … My pack is the last in Scotland.”
“And you’re the alpha.” It wasn’t a question. She’d never met a wolf with more alpha in him than Conall.
“Aye. We’re also one of the last clans in the Highlands that still operate like a traditional clan. I’m the chief. But that’s hereditary. It has nothing to do with my wolf.”
“Your wolf? So, do you think of that part of you as a separate being?” She was genuinely curious to know.
“Aye and no. It’s complicated.” His tone was brusque. “Next question.”
Thea studied him thoughtfully, wondering if she should ask what was on the tip of her tongue. Finally, she went for it. “If you’re the chief, then I take it your mom and dad aren’t around anymore?”
His fists tightened around the steering wheel, the action betraying emotion his face sought to hide. “My dad invested in shares in oil and was invited to tour some rigs in the North Sea. He was on the platform of one when the rig exploded, killing him and many of the workers.” He let out a huff of bitter laughter. “He was Clan MacLennan’s strongest alpha in centuries, and he was felled by an oil rig explosion.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. And she truly was. If anyone knew what it felt like to lose someone in such a horrific way, it was Thea.
“Aye, well, my mum was devastated. She was an alpha female, so she advanced not only to pack alpha but to chief of the clan. Predators came out of the woodwork to take advantage of her grief.”
“What do you mean?”
“Any alpha can challenge another for control of their pack.”
“Any? From anywhere? How is that fair?”
He smirked at her indignation. “It’s the way of things. Most packs dinnae suffer from strangers challenging their leadership. But Pack MacLennan is not only the last pack in Scotland, we’re also the owners of GlenTorr Whisky and a profitable fishing company.”
Thea raised an eyebrow. GlenTorr Whisky was one of the most famous whisky brands in the world. She’d served more than a few glasses of the stuff in her time as a bartender.
“These greedy bastards came in and challenged your mom?”
“Aye. And a challenge cannot be unmet.”
Realization dawned. “One of them killed your mom.”
Conall looked at her again and Thea’s breath caught at the fury in his eyes. Oh, this wolf carried a lot of anger. I know the feeling, Wolf Boy, she whispered to herself, feeling a sudden affinity with him.
“I think she wanted to lose.” He looked away, that muscle ticking in his jaw again. “I dinnae think she could bear life without my dad.”
For some stupid reason, Thea felt her throat thicken with emotion and she turned to look out the window while she tried to control the feeling. It was just … She couldn’t imagine what it must be like to love that deeply. Or to be loved like that.
Her parents had loved her.
She clung to that. Always.
But it differed from romantic love. Thea wasn’t much for romance. She curled a lip at the thought. Nah. It wasn’t something she’d ever encountered or ever expected to even if she lived forever.
The sudden thought of eternity made her shudder, like always.
“She barely took her last breath when I challenged the wolf who killed her,” Conall continued. “I became alpha to the relief of the clan, but I was challenged many times. Remaining undefeated for so long finally settled things. There hasnae been a challenge to the leadership in four years.”
“You killed them all?”
“A wolf can give in during the challenge by showing his belly. It’s an act of submission. They leave the fight in dishonor, but they leave alive. I only had to kill a few. And only one of them left a parting gift.”
Her eyes flew to him and he turned to her, revealing the deep scar that scored his skin from the tip of his eyebrow to the corner of his mouth. He ran a thumb down the scar. “He used a silver blade before the shift.” He returned his attention to the road.
Thea curled her lip in disgust. “Cheating bastard.”
Conall gave a snort of laughter. “Aye. But I was stronger than him.”