The Unhappy Heart (Book 1 of The Wolfheart Trilogy)

22. A Reunion of Three

The meeting of Ulric and Torrin was certainly not as touching as the meeting of Weylin and Torrin. For Ulric was more interested in meeting the man who had stolen away his only daughter and married her without seeking her father's permission. 

Dagen did not need to introduce the two as both had met before though not in entirely pleasant circumstances. Torrin and Weylin were seated by the fire at their arrival, speaking of all that had happened since they had been separated several years earlier. Hearing them approaching, Weylin stopped speaking and turned to face them. Seeing who it was, he rose slowly to his feet and moved towards them. Torrin followed suit, although he slowed his pace, allowing Weylin to be between him and his gruff looking grandfather. As they approached, Rodarn whispered something to Ulric, who merely nodded distractedly in return.

Rodarn then went to grab his twin's arm. "We will fix dinner, so don't lose any numbers while we are gone." He turned and dragged his protesting younger brother away, ignoring the strange stares he received from Andrea and Dagen at his unusual generous offer. They didn't have time to think about it however, as Weylin and Torrin had reached them.

"Well, well, well," greeted Ulric, crossing his thick arms, and studying Weylin. "If it ain't the young rogue."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, sir," retorted Weylin, his voice thick with sarcasm.

Ulric's eyes narrowed. "Careful lad, you are on thin ice already. I may not hold with killing, but I will certainly make an exception for one who steals away young girls from their father's homes."

Weylin's eyes darkened in response to this accusation. "I did not steal her from you. Erica came with me willingly. She was tired of being a prisoner in her own home, forever shadowed by her over-protective father."

"Aye, but no doubt you used your silver tongue and smooth words to convince her to tell no one of where she went. No doubt you gave her promises of a happy life and a safe home. Promises that would never be kept." Ulric's voice had taken on an angry tone that grew stronger with every word. "She suffered no harm among my pack. It was your doing that caused her to lose her life. All blame rests on you and you know it."

Weylin bowed his head, looking suddenly like a defeated man. He seemed to be someone completely different to the person Andrea had seen seated before the mountain pack. His head was no longer held high, and his shoulder sagged as if he had finally let go of the last bit of hope that maybe, just maybe he hadn't been to blame.

"You're right," he muttered in a low voice, that Andrea had to strain to hear. "I am the one to blame. It is also true that I convinced Erica to never let you know who she had been wed to. It was also me who destroyed the letter she sent to you, telling you she was happy and safe. I feared you would find some hint in it that would allow you to discover us. I thought it would be best that you believed her to be dead. I guess I paid for it in the end."

"But not with your life," snarled Ulric. "She was the one who paid the price for your wicked schemes. You do not know the grief that struck me when they bore her broken body home to me. I knew not why she had left. So, in the lonely bitter nights that followed, my mind conjured up false worries that she had hated me. I knew not that I even had a grandson. You are lucky the boy lives, for if not for him, I would have slain you when I saw you and your blood would have fed the trees. It is for his sake and hers, that I now lay my anger aside and join with you for the good of all. And anyway-" he paused and a wry smile crossed his lips. "There's no denying the fact you are my son-in-law. Not the one I had hoped for of course, but still my son." He stretched out his hand and after a moment's hesitation, Weylin took it in a firm grip.

Andrea watched them shake hands in wonder. For in that moment something happened that no one had once deemed possible. Two Alphas, born enemies, grasped hands and sealed an alliance in which they were bound to fight and die together. Two packs became as one.
She glanced at Dagen and saw that he had a satisfied look in his eyes. Of course, he would be, thought Andrea with slight amusement. It had been him after all, who had planned all this and brought it about.