Chapter 7 Irritation

**Fenrir**

My night had been hellish, Koda had spent the entire night scratching at my mind. Imagine claws sliding down a chalkboard, that was the feeling I had every time he appeared. His restlessness wasn't normal, and I still didn't understand why.

The previous day, the trip had been exhausting, and I ended up opting to rest at a small roadside hotel. Now I see that was a mistake, I didn't get any sleep, and I woke up more irritated than usual, which wasn't a good sign. Every time I thought about Alpha James's pack, Koda would bother me again, and in the state I was in, I feared he would take control of my body at any moment. I was too tired to keep suppressing him, and he would end up taking over if I couldn't contain him.

"We need to go, Alpha," Ethan said, knocking on my door. When I opened the door, I saw his eyes widen. "What happened to you?"

"Koda," I replied as I walked to my bag to grab some clothes. "I'll take a shower; I won't be long."

Ethan didn't respond. He could see from my face that something wasn't right, so he just waited for me in the room. After a few minutes, I returned, freshly showered and ready to continue our journey. I was already too far in to quit, and I believed Koda wouldn't allow me to anyway.

Alphas tend to have more strength than other pack members, which means their wolf also has greater control over their body. At that moment, Koda was testing my limits. He knew I was holding him back, and that's why he was pushing to tire me out. It was the quickest way for him to take control of me.

"I already packed your bag," Ethan said.

"Then let's go," I said, walking out. I found all my warriors already in position in their vehicles, just waiting for me to continue the journey.

As soon as I got in the car, I felt Koda stir again, and that was not a good sign. "You need to take a break, Koda!" I said, rubbing my eyes. "I can't. Someone is calling me," he replied. That surprised and worried me at the same time; it wasn't common for that kind of connection between wolves.

"It won't be long, Alpha. I believe in about three more hours, we'll finally be at Alpha James's pack," Ethan said beside me.

Ethan's words were the trigger for Koda. I began to sweat as I tried to contain him in my mind, but I was failing miserably. I couldn't shift in a moving car; I would end up causing an accident with everyone inside. I watched as Koda's fur began to appear on my arms, and when a pained groan escaped my lips, I saw Ethan gasp beside me.

"Fenrir!" he said in desperation.

"Stop the car," I told Sam, who was driving. "Stop the car now!"

I only heard the tires screech as he braked abruptly, pulling over to the side of the road. I jumped out like a madman, my head feeling like it would explode at any moment from the pain caused by Koda forcing his way out. I saw my warriors surrounding me, ready to intervene at any moment.

"Stay back!" I shouted at them. If Koda came out, I wouldn't be able to stop him, and I couldn't prevent him from hurting them if they tried to restrain me. "Bring Ethan."

"If you do this, you'll be vulnerable, Fenrir. It's dangerous," he said, against the aconite injection I had brought with me, but I didn't see any other way to contain Koda at that moment.

A scream left my lips as I fell to my knees, the pain in my head intensifying even more.

"Stop, Koda!" I yelled at him in my mind.

"Let me out, Fenrir! Someone is calling me!" he replied, growling in my mind.

"Who? Who's calling you?"

"I don't know, but I feel pain with every passing hour. I need to reach this person," he said, still growling.

"Tell me, from what direction is the call coming?" I asked, trying to understand this madness.

"From Alpha James's pack," he growled, mentioning the man's name with disdain. I could feel all his contempt at having to say his name.

"We're going there, you need to calm down. If you do, once everyone is distracted, I'll let you out to explore the place and find who's calling you." I saw everyone's eyes widen at my words. They knew it wasn't a good idea, but it was the best I could do at the moment.

"Are you serious?" he asked. So, I let him feel all my emotions. I would never lie to my wolf; he was a part of me and felt everything I did.

"Yes, I am, but you'll have to promise me you'll behave until it's safe to come out," I told him. I heard him grumble in my mind, but he could also see that I was determined to knock him out if he continued to hurt me. Koda had no choice.

"Fine," he replied before curling up in my mind, giving me relief. I breathed audibly as the pain disappeared. When I opened my eyes, I found the worried faces of my warriors.

"What was that?" Ethan asked, walking toward me.

"Koda told me someone's calling him. He can't explain, that's why he wanted to come out and search," I explained quickly.

"He doesn't know who it is?"

"No, he just told me it's coming from Alpha James's pack." That made Ethan's brow furrow. He didn't like it.

"Maybe it would be better to turn back. If it's coming from James, it can't be anything good," he said, shaking his head.

"I can't. I promised him he could search. If I break my word, he'll break free, and it'll be worse."

"I don't trust James," he said, shaking his head.

"Neither do I, but dealing with Koda will be worse."

"Then let's speed up. I can get there in an hour and a half, and we can settle everything," Sam said.

"Do it. The faster we resolve this, the faster I can go home," I said, getting back into the car and closing the door.

The rest of the drive was peaceful. Koda had pulled back, allowing me to get some rest. I woke up only when we arrived at the pack. Koda stirred in my chest as soon as we passed through the gates. We followed the road until we stopped in front of an imposing house. Outside, to my dismay, Alpha James and a girl were waiting for me.

"Welcome, Alpha Fenrir, it's a pleasure to see you again," the man said, extending his hand, but I didn't take it unless it was to tear it from his arm.

"Alpha James," I said, just nodding.

"Let me introduce my daughter, this is Paola," he said excitedly. I looked at the girl in front of me with disgust. It seemed I was starting to understand the reason for James's insistence on seeing me.

"It's a great pleasure, Alpha Fenrir," she said, smiling and coming to give me a hug, but thank the goddess, Ethan was quick to step in front of me.

"Don't touch the Alpha, miss. He doesn't like that kind of contact with people he doesn't know," Ethan said firmly, watching with satisfaction as the girl's once-gentle eyes turned hostile.

"Forgive us, Alpha, I believe she was just trying to be friendly. But come in, you must be tired from the journey. Allow me to show you your accommodations."

I didn't respond, just followed him inside in silence, but I was already mentally alerting my warriors not to stray far from me. I had a bad feeling about all of this; they were up to something, I could feel it.