Dean let himself back into Kiera’s bedroom to find her sitting up on the side of the bed. “Get back into that bed right now.” He didn’t plan to use his presence, but it slipped out when he saw her. “Why am I here? I thought you said that me cabin is still available. Why am I not there? Or my cottage? Alpha Jonas, this doesn’t make any sense.” “Sense? You want this to make sense? I decided where my pack live, their position in my pack, and their worth to me. Your protection is my business, as are your health and welfare. I say this is where you’ll stay. Where I can assure, they’ll look after you properly, and there’s a guarantee about your safety.” Kiera sat there and her shoulders heaved with an exhausted sigh. He hoped the sigh hinted at her conceding to his will. “Well, back to bed now. I have no patience left. If you don’t obey, I will ensure that you obey me.” That turned her hopeless sigh into a frown of confusion. “What do you mean? You’l
Dean finally left two guards with instructions that only he was allowed in and to call him when her thing arrived. He’d oversee their installation into her apartment. Dean left Don a message that he’d found her. She was a mess and wouldn’t be returning to work. While putting in his time in the gym in the packhouse’s basement. He had Oli make a list of the people he would see, and he put the most likely offender to hurting Kiera and making her leave the first people on the list. They would become examples when their punishment became known. “This is quite a list of people, Dean. Um… I tried to get in to see her, but the enforcers said she wasn’t allowed visitors. I, uh… I wanted to apologize to her.” Dean looked at Oli. “I’m glad you’re taking responsibility for your part in all of this. I don’t want anyone near her right now because she needs her rest. Also, I don’t like the idea of you alone with her.” “About that. Is she your mate? It appears a littl
Trisha watched James mess around with things. “I know that one of these names is meant to mean something. I just can’t remember where I heard the name before. Keith, can you run this name and tell me what comes from the search?” “What name’s that?” She asked as Keith took the identification card in it’s plastic protective bag. “Henry Gingham. I swear I should know that name, but I can’t place where I heard it or when.” James just couldn’t pinpoint why the name was familiar. “Gingham? That’s the name of one of the older families in the Fort Granger Pack. The last one left before Dean or I were born. Really? How old was that guy?” Trisha looked at him, wondering how a Gingham got involved with all of this. Kidnapping? Black market blood sales? This created more questions and solved absolutely none. “Old, and looked like he’d been giving his blood or having it stolen from him for a long time by the state of his body. I don’t get it. If he were
Kiera looked at the tray before her and couldn’t believe the crap Dean stated before he’d left. She wasn’t locked in this room, but with guards at the door instructed to keep her in and everyone else out but Dean. Well, she might as well be a prisoner in the jail. It was just this cell had more amenities and a little more space. She still couldn’t get over the change in Dean and James. They both weren’t acting like themselves. How could Dean speak so calmly about James mating with Trisha? When did that happen? Why was Trisha looking for her? How did she know to look for her? Dean walked out before she could bombard him with so many questions about Trisha. He got away so easily because he’d dropped the mate piece of information. There was no way she could be his mate. They weren’t mates before they kidnapped her the first time, so why would they be mates now? Nothing made sense. Someone needed to intervene and bring some logic and common sense to all
“Elder Evans, I don’t care. She has done nothing. None of what you’ve claimed ever came to pass. I just spoke to a very upset mother who claims you gave her pups along with others candy to play in a location they were not to play. They claim you told them to tell anyone who asked why they were there to tell them Kiera chased them there and they feared for their safety. You had pups lie. For what? For some sick revenge on someone who wasn’t even involved. Who showed no signs of acting in such a manner?” “You weren’t there. You didn’t have to perform funeral rights on your own offspring. There’s no way you could understand. Don’t you dare sit there in judgement of me when you let that monster into our midst. I am trying to protect our people from the unblessed monsters.” “That’s it. They are my responsibility, not yours. She was born into this pack. She is one of MY people. Nothing that’s happened to her is her fault. Yet you are punishing her for something sh
Dean’s temper didn’t ease as he wrote the report to the Ruling Council. It would settle nothing, and he despised the pettiness, but he didn’t have time to deal with putting out fires others started because they were the petty people. But it sat in his belly, annoying him to no end. After that he dealt with the pack members who he’d found to be the more vocal or active in pushing for Kiera’s ostracizing. It was exactly as he expected. They’d mostly heard rumours rather than had experiences and they responded to the potential danger rather than any clear and present danger. He’d tried the understanding approach, but it was difficult to feel sympathy for their positions on this, with Kiera upstairs healing from her long trek through the woods to town. It didn’t help him at all that she ran past their territory to get there and didn’t stop for help. He wasn’t sure if she’d even considered stopping. That part made everything harder to swallow for him. Sh
Dean didn’t knock on her bedroom door when he entered Kiera’s bedroom. He believed she’d have to get over him sharing her intimate spaces with him. Kiera looked up from the window seat where she sat and watched the late afternoon. “You’re back. Why? Are you bored already?” “Really? You’re going to be rude like that to your Alpha and mate?” He knew now from Ellie that Kiera’s healing ability still worked for her, and she would heal completely in a matter of days. But for now, there’d be no mating between them. Dean would need to satisfy himself with being close to her. “Really Dean? This is just plain weird even for your usual games. My mate? Really? Why would you choose that? So you can lead me along and, at the critical moment, reject me?” Dean knew she’d not be a pushover, but he’d not expected Kiera to be his hostile. What brought this on? Sure, some she-wolves fought the bond that started the mating, but this… “You think we’re
“That’s it. You shouldn’t be on your feet, let alone out of bed. Since you aren’t taking the healer’s orders seriously, then I, as your Alpha and mate, will take it on as my responsibility to make you adhere to her orders.” “Do you hear yourself, Dean? Ordering me around. Claiming I’m your mate and still part of your pack. It’s like you’re ignoring anything that contradicts your world view or some such thing.” “I don’t care whether it’s petty or rude. I will bend your will and prove to you that you are, in fact, mine in both aspects.” “Oh, you wouldn’t dare. If someone found out, you did that to have someone to have sex with you. You’d look like a weak fool.” “Look around Kiera. It’s your word against mine. Who do you think people will believe? Think hard and long. Now, are you getting back into bed or am I going to force you into bed? I have no problem tying you to the headboard to keep you there. You know. That may be a good idea. I belie