Wild at Heart
Chapter 22

Nick picked me up a few hours after he left to deal with something pack related that he didn’t seem to want to talk about. I could see the stress on his face and the toll it was taking on his body since this past year. We haven’t had a calm since the storm.

Nick buckled my seat belt as soon as we got in the truck. It was this adorable habit he had, every time he got in, he instantly turned to me and snapped the buckle in place. At this point I didn’t even reach for my own seatbelt when getting in. But this was different, we weren’t in his brand-new little silver Nissan. We were in a huge dark green Silverado truck that made me feel so tiny inside, yet Nick fit perfectly.

He could feel my nerves of entering a new territory and his hand went to mine instantly. He wrapped his fingers around my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Talk to me, little wolf.”

“Have you ever left the North?” I asked.

“Of course.” He said with a nod. “I’ve been Alpha of this pack for almost ten years now, I’ve gone to the East many times to meet with Reginald about so many different things.” I caught an eye roll out of him. “We’ve tried this alliance a time or two, but it always fell through. We didn’t have the threats that we face now right around the corner.”

“Do we have threats?” I asked.

“The South pack has always been a threat to us.” He answered. “Watching and waiting for each other to make the first move.”

“You’ve been to the South pack?” The truck filled with silence as Nick hesitated to answer my question.

“I have.” He finally breathed.

“You’ve met Stefan?”

“I have.”

“And?” I asked after he didn’t continue. He signed loudly and shook his head.

“He’s everything you’ve heard.” He began. “He’s ruthless and rules his pack like a dictator. If you sneeze too close to him you’re either executed or banished to live your life out as a rogue.”

“Hasn’t anyone ever tried to challenge him?” If Stefan was challenged by another wolf and that wolf won the fight, that wolf would become the new alpha.

“Of course.” He said. “The problem is that no one has ever won.”

“Obviously, he’s had children. Doesn’t he want someone to take over?”

“To my knowledge, he has many children with many different females. I don’t know connections with them, but he’s very unstable. He’s a selfish alpha. His way, no highway option.”

“What about the West pack?” I asked after a few moments of quiet. Nick chuckled at me.

“Yes, I’ve been there too. Not willingly either.”

“Why not?”

“The West pack isn’t very accepting of males. They’re a very female driven pack and an unmated alpha visiting their pack was quiet... awkward to say the least.”

“Then why did you go?”

“I had to meet all the surrounding alphas when I became alpha to this pack.” He informed me. “Daniel and I traveled to every territory together, but I only went back to the East.” I caught a grin curl his lips. “Reginald is very welcoming.” I nodded, feeling no need to explain further on that. I could tell Reginald welcomed many wolves into his pack. “I have to warn you about this pack.” I turned to look at him, but he kept his eyes glued to the road as he drove.

“Warn me?” I questioned.

“They’re... eccentric.”

“I’ve met many of their wolves, Nick, I know they’re an odd bunch.” I turned back to look out the window. I thought I hated Octavia, but that day in the graveyard, something clicked between us. And then there was Chase. I couldn’t stand being around him for more than two minutes before I wanted to rip his throat out.

“I mean, they’re very open with their sexuality.” I raised my eyebrow at him and turned back to face him, but he continued to stare at the road like a safe driver.

“You mean they’re diverse?” I asked.

“No, I mean don’t be alarmed if you walk into a bar and two wolves are having sex on a table.” My cheeks turned a blushing pink and I bit my lower lip. Maybe that explained the electric shock Octavia’s touch had on me. Nick turned to me for a moment and grabbed my hand. “It’s only two days.” He assured me. I was more anxious about being in another territory than I was about replaceing wolves having sex in random places. I did whatever I wanted at home; it was my territory. The worse that would happen was I would be turned in to be punished by the Alpha, and now-a-days I didn’t mind being punished by Nick. But what would happen in the East pack if I happened to offend someone? What is considered offensive to the East pack?

“How much longer until we’re there?” I asked. I knew the trip wouldn’t take long since the East pack was the closest to ours in all the territories, but my nerves made me feel like we’ve been driving for day.

“Won’t be long now.” Nick said as he reached for the radio and turned the volume dial up. I knew he was hoping to ease my nerves with the music, but all it did was make me doze off.

When I woke, all I could see were trees and a dirt road. I saw up and tried to stretch as much as I could with the seat belt still intact.

“Good morning.” Nick said to me with a grin. I glanced down at the dash, the blue numbers lighting up told me it was 10:56PM. I turned to him and smiled.

“Not quite morning.” I looked around out the window again and pressed the automatic button that pulled the glass into the door. So many new smells hit my nose all at once I almost gagged. I saw something keeping pace with our speed in the woods, but I couldn’t quite make out what it was.

“I was going to wake you when we got there, we’re heading into town in just a few minutes.” Nick was so focused on the road that he didn’t see what I saw in the woods. Maybe I was crazy and it was nothing? “It’s been a long time since I made this drive.” Nick continued to talk, but at this point I wasn’t listening. I leaned just slightly out the window and narrowed my eyes at the blur that passed through the trees. In the flash of a second, the blur was gone, and I couldn’t locate it, even though we weren’t driving that fast. I inhaled the smell of the wind as we drove and I caught the scent of a wolf. I knew we were being followed. Suddenly, that blur came into my vision all too clear as the wolf ran right out in front of Nick’s truck.

“Nick, watch out!” I screamed almost as instantly as he jerked the wheel to miss the wolf. The truck slid off the dirt road and I grabbed for anything I could hold on to. I squeezed my eyes shut so I wouldn’t have to see our crash into a tree. The squeal of the breaks and tires left a burnt rubber smell in my nose, but I felt no impact. I opened my eyes when I felt Nick’s hand across my chest.

“Are you okay?” He asked me. I nodded and looked up to see that Nick had just missed the tree in front of us. “Are you sure?” He was examining me for injuries, but I had none.

“Nick, I’m fine.” I assured him. “Are you?”

“Yeah.” He nodded and finally let a breath out when he noticed I wasn’t lying when I told him I was okay. “What the fuck was that, Emma?” I looked around the woods for the wolf I knew I saw, but it was as if it vanished in thin air.