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So, big guy is smart. Duly noted. His question is the most important question to ask. Why would I want to stay with these smelly beasts? They had no idea.

“My sister is being forced to…”

“I did not ask you to speak,” the Beta growls at me, cutting off my perfect lie.

I bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep from cursing him out.

“Then how else are you to get the answers you seek?” I question calmly.

“Her sister is being forced to marry a very cruel man. She needs to hide out until she can figure out a way to get her sister out of the arrangement,” Chayton answers for me. The Beta’s gaze never leaves my face.

“And why is that our problem?” Again, he asks while looking at me, but I’m assuming he again doesn’t want me to speak.

“Marley is only seventeen,” Liz replies. “She’s just a baby. And the man she’s supposed to marry is way older and very cruel. He’s already struck her once.”

That causes the Beta to flinch. I knew when I showed up, I needed a good lie. Something that plays on the heartstrings. Child marriage and abuse are perfect, because the truth is not an option.

“Let’s have a vote,” Chayton finally says. I guess he sees now is the time to take advantage of this moment. “All in favor of housing these twotemporarily.” I don’t miss how he eyes me when he says the word temporarily. “Raise your hand.”

Liz’s hand shoots up in the air. Unfortunately, it is the only hand in the air.

“Oh, come on,” Liz whines.

“I’m sorry, baby. There’s too much bad blood between us.” Chayton tries to soothe the rejection.

I don’t panic yet. There is one other option. I’m not really looking forward to it, but it is an option.

“If I may,” a deep voice says from the back of the room. I turn to catch sight of the person speaking. My stomach knots when I see the White Wolf step forward. Well, fuck, I guess I’ll have to go to plan B.

“Stay back. It might get messy,”I push the thought to my sister.

Her eyes widened at my sudden voice in her head.

“I am half vampire,” the White Wolf goes on to say. “Yet, you welcomed me with open arms. So was my mate, who is a witch.”

“That is different,” someone shouts. “You are half wolf and your mate’s people did not nearly decimate our kind in a fifty-year war.”

No, instead they sat on their asses and watched. But I guess that’s okay.

“That is true, but if you can look past my vampire blood, then surely you can look past this woman and child’s.”

I stare back at Alarick, feeling completely confused. If no one else knew who I was, he does. He even has reason to dislike me. Yet here he is defending me. Why? I wasn’t naïve enough to think it was because he wanted to be my friend.

His pale eyes never leave my light brown. I don’t need to sift through his mind in order to tell me he isn’t doing this for me. The White Wolf is here for a reason and for whatever it is, he wants me on his side. He is the only one here that knows my capabilities. He knows I can’t possibly be here to cause harm. If I were, half of them would all be dead by now.

“Maybe your mate can tell us whether we can trust her?” Chayton suggests.

I want to roll my eyes, but I refrain.

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I finally say.

“If you want to stay in this pack, you will let the witch tell us if you are trustworthy.”

Instead of telling the Alpha to fuck off like I want, I keep quiet. Alarick approaches me with his mate by his side. I can see the warning in his eyes. He doesn’t want me to hurt her. I smirk at him.

The witch approaches me slowly. Her dark eyes scanning over me. I can feel her trying to probe inside my head. I would laugh at her gentle attempt if I wasn’t trying to be taken as a damsel in distress.

She holds out a hand toward me. “May I touch you?” she asks softly.