With Hands to Hold | ✔

|35|

Vincent was surprised to find that the inside of the cabin was fairly empty. There were branches, and furs gathered together in a makeshift bed, as well as a few well put together weapons lining one side of the small space.

In another corner, laid out on leaves, sat meat, berries, herbs. There were even a few home grown vegetables. It was clear that these two had been living this wild lifestyle for a long time.

Vincent sat beside a dugout pit in the ground with Seth sat close beside him, a small fire crackling gently and warming the air.

Seth sat quietly and patiently as Vincent told him everything; about the land disputes, about the ways Damien neglected his pack, about the ways that man had neglected his very mate.

He tried to keep calm as he spoke, the very nature of the conversation sending pure rage to his core. God what he wouldn't give to have Spiraea sat in his lap at that moment.

Seth listened intently. The girl, Orion sat quietly on the furs listening too— there were moments that she wanted to interrupt but she said nothing. Out of intimidation or respect, Vincent wasn't entirely sure.

Once he was done, Vincent turned to Seth with little more than a stern grimace. "I don't want to force you to do anything, but this is your pack and you have a duty, honour and right to know about the things that are going on."

Seth nodded with a pensive look on his features, half ready to tell Vincent that he'd help. The rogue took a glance over to his female companion, Vincent guessed that she was his mate from the way that his gaze softened.

She looked terrified, she was already shaking her head silently when he looked over to her. The rogue, Seth, let out a sigh before turning back to Vincent.

"I need to talk to my mate about this first."

"I'll give you both a moment," Vincent nodded in understanding. He walked out of the small shack, joining his men outside.

He couldn't help his anxiety as he paced up and down; this was a decision that would affect the rest of their lives it was no wonder the girl was terrified. But could she, would she, convince Seth that shunning his history and duties as an Alpha was justifiable?

Sure Vincent could imagine living in the wild, alone with your mate seemed like a good plan for a little while, but after a while a wolf would begin to miss the community of a pack. Besides, it was not just about those two, it was about an entire pack— an entire world of people who needed help and they were the only ones who could.

Vincent prayed that he would hurry and make the right choice— he wanted very much to resolve this conflict. Not only that, he wanted to go home, marry his mate and hold his son.

He let out a harsh breath half unsure and completely tired. He had insisted that he was the only one capable of finding and convincing this rogue to come back to his pack... He hoped that he was right, and that the time away from his woman was not spent in vain.

A few moments later Seth walked out the hut with Orion by his side. She wasn't looking at him, she looked in the opposite direction, evidently still upset. A few tear tracks stained her cheek, and another tear fell that she quickly wiped away.

Seth tried to comfort her, but she pulled out of his hold so instead he walked up to Vincent with a nod.

"I will take my pack back from Damien, but I can't do this alone."

Vincent smiled, the first smile in the last five days that he had been away from his mate, his hand clasped Seth's shoulder in support and friendliness.

"You don't have to."

He encouraged them both forwards, and they made a short plan for the journey home. It had taken them two day to get as far out as possible, but with Orion, a human, they were unsure of how fast they would be able to travel.