“Now that we have proper lighting, I want to show you more of our territory.” Magnus again turned his full attention back to her. She still wasn’t sure how to understand his mood. For an Alpha, he seemed so happy and jovial. Sapphire was used to everyone around her passing judgement on her and others. She could handle being found wanting for one thing or another. But this wanting to include her in his day or dragging her with him everywhere. That concerned her.
“More? What do you have in mind?” Sapphire wasn’t sure what Magnus had in mind.
“Well, I’ve been going around every morning and looking in on the repairs and construction. Then going into the shop to work on a couple of rebuilds they have commissione
April kept Hayden busy for most of the morning. He didn’t suspect a thing. So far, he’d passed all her little tests. She knew it was ridiculous, but she wanted, no need to know he was trustworthy. Her coven struggled, keeping under the radar of the Vagas Pack’s angry glare. It was getting hard to keep them at bay. They warded half the town against the Vagas Pack members because of how they bullied the townsfolk. The coven could only do so much because the old treaties were still magically enforceable. Until the day the Vagas Pack not long existed or permanently left the area. Their interference and harassment trapped the people of this region. If Hayden said about his Alpha not signing the nonaggression treaty, it meant the old agreements did not trap his pack. That meant the tides could change with their influence
Magnus finally got Sapphire on his bike and delivered what he needs to. From forgotten lunches to a new set of drill bits. He got them on the road to town. As they rode her silence, let him think further on the idea that Kilburn’s abuse was to keep her Luna traits buried and stunted so his failure of a daughter could benefit. But one word she kept saying bothered him. When he asked Sapphire why Kilburn called her parents traitors, she couldn’t explain the situation that labelled them as traitors. He’d never told her how they became traitors. Only that they fled the pack and were a disgrace. That reasoning sat hollow with Magnus, and it concerned him that Sapphire lumped herself into the status of a traitor because she was born to them. Alpha wolves were most often born to alpha wolves. Yes, there were exceptions, b
Frank Kilburn stomped back into his office after questioning the two fools. If Lenny thought he’d believe that he took on eight wolves and got out alive, he was as much of an idiot as he looked. He doubted Lenny even saw McDonnell at all. But seeing the white wolf was telling. Lenny knew exactly what Sapphire looked like in her fur. If McDonnell was there for real, then he too knew. Sapphire knew better than to open her mouth about the pack’s business. If she did, she knew what would happen to her. Others showed her long ago what happened to snitches who betrayed the pack. Either way, he needed her back under his control, and the sooner the better. He needed to make her come back to them. Willingly, if possible, but if he needed to drag her back, he would do it. Her place was here, and she’d stay there for the rest
Magnus couldn’t believe someone would dare to intimidate him into abandoning his mate. It was completely unfair to treat her like this. He could understand it if she’d mentioned or attempted to take control of the pack, but she never did that. As far as Magnus could tell, she didn’t see herself as anything but the reminder of a betrayal by family. What Magnus saw, though, wasn’t that at all. He saw a sweet-natured, strong female interested in living in peace away from those who didn’t want her and abused her. Their reasoning for committing this abuse was suspicious, to say the least. Magnus wondered if perhaps the betrayal was in reverse, and she was a reminder of their guilt. So why would they want her back if that were the case? How many people were involved and were their motives all the same? Or wer
Finally, her father sent word to release her from the prison of her room with a simply vague message. ‘Stay away from Cliff and get to work.’ What work? She told everyone what to do and how to do it. She was their leader. That was her job. But no one was listening to her. Den Mother Lizzie told her in no uncertain terms if she wanted something done, then she must do it herself. They didn’t have time to pander to her. At first, Ivory didn’t understand what Lizzie was talking about until she found daily chores left not finished. When Ivory complained, she was rudely told if she wanted it done, then she had to do it herself. When she tried to recruit her friends for help, they met her with excuses. Ivory found herself with chores and
Hayden checked his phone because it was unusual for it not to be ringing off the hook by this time. It always did. Life was never dull in this pack and with all the activity, there was so much to keep track of. Of course, he didn’t have a signal down here in the basement. He needed to take a break. He’d found several things, but there still was so much research that he needed to do. Now he regretted not bringing a team for this. It turned out to be so much more than just poking about in a book or two. Nothing was conveniently set up for reading. There weren’t nice signs or footnotes that said where to go next. It was frustrating and he could see why Eric passed it off to him. Eric didn’t have the time for it to set up his practice and deal with the pack’s ever-changing legal needs. Magnus attacking the
Sapphire sat on the back of his bike with a lot of things rattling around in her head. Why would Magnus think she was a threat to Ivory? It opened up too many unanswered questions, some of which she wasn’t sure what or how to ask. His words rang so differently than her uncles, and she felt like he was being honest when he spoke. Hearing others of his pack talk today and at that meeting, everyone felt so honest to her. She felt like a fraud among them, even though she couldn’t pinpoint why. She was so deep in thought that the trip went by without her noticing it. Magnus spoke to the guards at the front gate before they rode through to the packhouse. He’d not said anything to her, and she suspected he was busy with his own thoughts brought on by their words.&nbs
The old healer puttered through her sick room and looked at Cliff’s throat. “Okay, try to speak. You look healed enough to start.” Cliff’s voice sounded as dry as sandpaper over a rough log. “Testing” Grated out from his mouth. “Excellent. I do not know why the Alpha thinks he can just drop both of you on me and expect me to look after two grown men who can look after themselves while they recover. But you might as well tell me what got you both here.” “Some new wolf alpha attacked me when I had a little fun with Sapphire. Ivory told me no one cared what happened to her.”&n