The emergency meeting took place in Damian's study....all three brothers, Eve, and Elder Markov who'd been called immediately after Cain's unexpected restraint.
"Explain it to me again Apha Silas," Markov said, his ancient eyes sharp with interest. "Your wolf communicated with you directly? Told you he was choosing to wait?"
"Yes," Silas confirmed. "I could hear him clearly.....clearer than I ever have before. He said, 'Our mate isn't strong enough yet. I wait.' Not a request. A decision. He's decided to delay the claiming until Eve is ready."
Markov leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "In three hundred years, I've never heard of an alpha wolf showing this level of control during the claiming period. Once one wolf claims the mate, the others become desperate, feral, barely able to maintain human form. But Alpha Cain is....he's choosing patience. That's not animal instinct."
