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Birmingham International was packed, and I threaded my way through the crowds, eager to get to my plane. I had plenty of time, but I was walking on tight strung nerves, and I knew I'd only be safe once I'd landed in Aberdeen.
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Aberdeen station was just as packed as Birmingham International had been, but I felt more confident. I was in Scotland now, and the laws were very strict; if you were a supernatural refugee coming from England, you were free from harrassment once you crossed the border. I'd done so, and once I'd explained myself to the relevant people in charge, they promised to do all they could for me. If my parents were in the hunt for an international incident, they'd be in a world of trouble. I almost wanted them to try so I could give them the bollocking they so richly deserved.
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I had one last train to catch, and once I'd settled myself in my seat, I reached out to Harry, alpha of the Blue Moon pack. This was the biggest gamble I'd taken so far; the Blue Moon pack had a fearsome, somewhat dark reputation, and no sane wolf worth her salt would want to be near such a pack.
But desperate times called for desperate measures. 'I hear you loud and clear,' Harry replied, his mind gently brushing over mine. 'Where's the fire?'
I gave him a quick rundown of the situation, and he growled as he carefully picked through the memories I showed him. 'You've never sworn to your old coven?' he asked.
'No,' I told him. 'Father would never let me; he said I was "tainted" and he didn't want me infecting the coven with my mutt's blood, as he called it. But he told me I would never be allowed to leave the coven, and, as you can see, I've done so.'
'Wise move,' Harry approved. 'Well, we could use some new blood. You're on your way?'
'I am,' I said.
'Will you be wanting to swear by proxy, in case your dear old dad decides to try for an illegal move?' Harry asked. 'I don't want to put undue pressure on you, lass, but I've tangled with Derrick in the past, and I know there's no more dangerous man on earth than one who's backed into a corner with nothing to lose.'
'I'll swear, and gladly,' I said.
The swearing itself was quick, and surprisingly painless, and when I got my sight back, I felt comforted, safe and protected. It was different to what I was expecting, and Samba was just as astounded as I. 'We're not the bloodthirsty bastards our reputation makes us out to be,' Harry said. 'But that doesn't mean we can't put the wind up arseholes who think it's fun to treat their daughters like scum, when all they've done is had the good sense to be born a werewolf. Sit tight; I'll meet you at Inverness.'
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At Inverness, I peered around, heart in my mouth, and before long, I spied a man coming towards me. He looked more like an accountant than the alpha of one of the most fearsome packs known to wolfkind, but there was no mistaking the authority he carried about him, and I instinctively bowed my head. "Alpha," I greeted formally.74Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp7jQ0YwvU9
Harry stopped, blinked, and then chuckled. "No need to be so formal," he said, giving my hand a firm, warm shake. "We don't stand on ceremony too much. Let's get you back to the packhouse and settled in. Then we'd best be preparing for the storm."
I could indeed sense a storm on the horizon as I let Harry guide me through the press of people to the car he'd parked somewhat sloppily in the kiss and ride space. In no time out all, we were through the Inverness traffic and on our way to the Blue Moon packhouse.
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The packhouse turned out to be a supremely impressive castle, located on a hill that gave a commanding view of the countryside, and as we pulled up in the front yard, I caught a distinctively salty whiff on the air. "We're right by the sea," Harry said, helping me out of the car. "Time enough for you to get to know the place; you've had a beastly long day, and I think this is one of the rare times where I'll get to invoke my right as alpha and order you to bed for a good few hours' sleep."
I didn't disagree with him; I had had a very long day, and truth be told, I didn't mind being ordered to bed. In fact, I barely had time to kick my shoes off before sleep took over, and I practically fell onto the mattress, sound asleep well before Harry had closed the door. I did have one last thought before I let slumber take me; had Harry used a bit of magic to get me to go to sleep so quickly?
In the end, though, it didn't matter; I was safe.
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