Chapter 7: Lucas

‘Mate,’ Rhonen pushed in my head. ‘Tell her.’

I ignored him. I hadn’t answered because I didn’t know how to yet. I couldn’t just come out and tell her she was my mate. That we belonged together. That she was mine now and I would spend the rest of my life protecting her. She’d be terrified.

“You were in a horrific state when you came into my territory, Sutton,” I said. “The state you were in is appalling and I won’t stand for it in my land. I don’t know how it happened. I hope you’re able to tell me when you’re ready. But I want you to know, we’re looking for who did this to you. They will pay for it.”

Sutton’s face went pale. Her silverware dropped to her plate. Her body started to shake and I could see tears starting to form.

“Sutton…” I reached for her. I couldn’t help myself. But she flinched and shied away.

“You… you don’t have to do that,” she sputtered. “Really. It’s not necessary.”

“It absolutely is,” I replied firmly. “He won’t get away with treating you like that. We’ve already found the car. We’ll track him down.”

Sutton seemed to choke at that news. She fidgeted in her seat, looking like she was trying to find an escape. I took her hand, reaching out with my other to cup her cheek, lifting her face to meet my eyes.

“Sutton, tell me what happened,” I urged. “Who did this to you?”

She shook her head. “They’ll kill me,” she said softly. “After what I did…”

A shiver traveled through her body. I didn’t know if it was because of the memory or from the chill of the day, but I wasn’t going to chance it. Still holding her hand, I led her back inside. Tucking her back in the bed, I moved my chair up close. It was time we talked things through.

“I promise nothing is going to happen to you, Sutton,” I told her. “You’re under my protection now. Tell me who did this.”

She chewed her lip again, looking off into the distance. Her fingers played with the cast of her broken hand. She still wasn’t ready to open up to me. Fair enough. It’s not like she knew me or had any reason to trust me. From her reaction to learning my name, I’m sure my reputation had left a strong impression on her.

I changed gears and took a different approach.

“I’d like to start over,” I said. “My name is Lucas Danvers. I’m the Alpha of the Ironpaw Pack of Lycuria. I grew up in a town called Wildmore. That’s where we first met. You walked up to my family’s farm.”

“You’re a farmer?” she asked a little skeptically, eyeing me up and down.

I chuckled. “I was,” I confirmed. “I grew up helping on the farm, but…” I stood up and went to a sideboard, retrieving a bottle from the cabinet and bringing it back to her. “I helped more with my father’s side of the business. We farm our own crops for our distillery.”

“So, you make whiskey?” She looked at the label on the bottle. It seemed familiar to her.

“We do,” I said with pride. “The best.”

“So, how did you end up becoming Alpha?” she asked.

My jaw clenched. It was a more painful topic, but I had a feeling it was nothing compared to what she had endured. And how could I expect her to open up about her worst nightmares if I couldn’t share mine?

“My parents were killed because of the actions of the previous Alpha,” I said. “At first, it was believed to be negligence on his part. I later discovered that he set them up. He wanted my father to sign the business over to him. My father managed to defy his commands and refused. So, he murdered them and made it look like an accident.”

“I’m so sorry, Lucas,” Sutton said compassionately.

“I originally just set out for revenge,” I continued. “I only wanted him to pay for what he had done. I had no interest in taking over the pack. But the more of his and his ranking members’ corruption and betrayal that I uncovered, the more I couldn’t ignore it. I gained support from other pack members, and eventually, I was strong enough to challenge him. That was almost ten years ago.”

“And you kept the company in the family,” Sutton commented.

“I did,” I said proudly. “And expanded. We’re one of the pack’s biggest employers.”

Sutton set the bottle down on the nightstand gently.

“It sounds like you’ve done well for yourself,” she said. “I’m sure your parents would be proud. But… I still don’t understand what this has to do with me.”

‘Tell her,’ Rhonen echoed again. ‘Want mate.’

‘Not yet,’ I insisted.

“Is it hard to believe I want to get to know you?” I asked.

Her brow furrowed but there was an unmistakable flush to her cheeks as she avoided my eyes. I suppressed a grin at the reaction. But there was still hesitation.

“We can start off with something easy,” I said. “What pack are you from?”

“Um… I guess I’m still technically a Dawn Stalker pack member,” she said.

Of course. I had a hunch it was one of those backward brutes that would be capable of brutalizing their own mate. I despised the Dawn Stalker Pack. We limited our interactions with them as much as possible.

“Sutton…” I reached out and took her hand. I was relieved when she didn’t pull away. I took the moment to enjoy the tingling sensation her touch created before going on. “I know you had a mate. I have to ask — was he the one who beat you?”