Page 7

I stand on the raised deck, watching Ava and Harper below in the garden. Although it’s unfenced and borders the vast forest behind, they never stray beyond the lawned area, always remaining within easy reach of the house.

They’ve been here nearly a week now, and Ava is still tiptoeing around the house. Being in the garden feels like a massive step. She’s scared, alright. I just can’t tell if it’s fear of the wolves she was fleeing or worry about seeing pack members that’s got her spooked.

I’ve tried talking to her, and I see glimpses of the girl I once knew, but it’s buried under layers of fear and secrets. Having coffee in the kitchen yesterday when Harper was having a nap, it was almost like that summer. Our perfect summer. She was laughing at my attempts to fix the malfunctioning coffee pot that keeps leaking; somehow, I only made it worse. For a brief moment, my wolf felt the kind of peace I’d almost forgotten existed like I was finally able to just be myself again.

But then I tried asking some questions about Harper and where they’ve been living. Ava clammed up so fast that it was almost as if I could see the walls being physically raised before my eyes, and the moment was lost.

Watching Ava now, it’s so easy to remember that summer and how at ease I felt with her. How easy it is to want that feeling again. But what really has my attention right now, is Harper. She’s a cute kid, for sure. But it’s more than that. I haven’t thought too much about wanting pups; I figure there’s plenty of time for that. I don’t even have a mate, after all. I haven’t even spent much time with very young pups, usually struggling to find anything to say to the ones in the pack who look up at me with wonder when I tower over them. But something about Harper feels different. From the moment I saw her in the forest, my wolf feels compelled to care for her—perhaps it’s just an extension of how I feel toward Ava.

I find myself irrationally hating that Harper has a father somewhere out there, someone who had Ava—had what was mine.

I concentrate on what Harper is showing Ava, a bunch of flowers and leaves. But that’s not what interests me. It’s the way sparks surround the tiny bouquet. At first, I wonder if it’s a trick of the light, but as I watch, it happens again. Ava crouches down, whispering something to her, and I see her holding Harper’s hands.

Coming from one of the few families that possess magic along with our wolves, I recognize fellow magic when I see it. Harper’s father must have had the gift, as I know Ava doesn’t. I watch Ava desperately trying to calm Harper’s magic. She doesn’t know I’m watching, but I can see her glancing nervously around. Perhaps that’s why they don’t stray too far from the house. It makes me wonder again who Harper’s father is.

Ava is vague about her age, and the child is very thin, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that she looks so young that she must have been conceived after she left the pack. After I rejected her, she must have run straight into someone else’s arms. The thought pisses me off more than it should. I’ve been with other women since she left, more than I’d like to admit, but the hypocrisy doesn’t make me feel any differently.

I debate going down there and trying to talk to Ava about it again; she usually shuts down anything to do with Harper’s lineage. She must realize that won’t work forever. To be fair, though, I think her plan is still to leave as soon as possible. She might even have gone already if it weren’t for all the increased rogue activity on our borders. Word is, they’re looking for someone. A child. Ava went white as a sheet when I told her, and although she swears blind, there’s no reason anyone would want Harper, now that I’ve seen those sparks, I’m not so sure.

Although she still mentions leaving, I can see the trepidation in her eyes. I must be more of a bastard than I ever imagined, because my wolf wants her here, and if the only way to keep her is fear, then I’ll take it. But she can’t hide out here forever, locked away in the cabin. It won’t stop the whispers building around town.

An alert on my home system indicates Byron’s here to give me his update and pulls me from my thoughts. I buzz my beta through, tearing myself away from Ava and Harper. Byron stomps silently into the kitchen and heads straight for the pot of fresh coffee waiting on the island. I smirk, heading over to refill my own. He’s a hell of a friend and beta, but he’s useless in the mornings after patrol until he’s had his coffee.

“Long night?” I chuckle as he drains his mug.

“Eventful,” he replies, putting his mug down and cracking his shoulder. “Two skirmishes on the southern border. One of the scouting teams got something interesting though, overhead some chat that’s probably about your girl.”

I roll my eyes. “She’s hardly my girl.”

“You’re the one playing house with an outcast and her random kid,” he replies caustically.

My wolf has me on my feet in seconds. The mug in my hand flies toward my beta, and he ducks, raising his hands in mock defeat as I stop myself short of grabbing him by the throat. “Woah, steady.” He stands back, waiting for me to calm down. I stuff down the rage, knowing I can’t let my wolf get out of control. “I’m just messing with you, Cal. It’s your business.”

“It’s called doing the right thing. She’s just a kid,” I say, glancing out the window at Harper running around.

“And Ava?” Byron presses more gently this time.

I release a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, and with it, some of the tension. “Well, she never exactly got a chance in this pack. Maybe she deserves a break, too. But she’s nothing to do with me. I’m just doing the right thing. Now, what’s this info?”

“Some rogues with a cabin on the northern ridge appear to have been keeping a slave. Some noise about her causing a load of damage and taking off. Seems to have been a kid involved.” He adds, “There seems to be a lot more interest in finding the kid than the woman, though, which is odd. Lots of rogues out, looking which is even stranger. They seem organized on it.”

The rogues have been working together more recently, but they certainly aren’t organized. What could have made them decide to work together on this? And why do they care so much?

“Let’s wait for the other patrols to get in and see if anyone has any further updates on it. I’m supposed to be reporting to my brothers on how we’re decreasing rogue activity, and so far, it’s only escalating.” I grimace at the thought of not appearing strong on this.

“Well, you’re not going to like this bit either, then,” Byron says more cautiously. “You’ve got your own reasons for keeping ‘em here, but out there, they’re putting two and two together on the uptick in attacks. Ava’s family has always brought trouble; folks aren’t happy with her holed up here. Charlie’s asking a lot of questions, too.”

My wolf bristles at the thought of anyone questioning my leadership. I stuff down the feeling—anything not to react like Ralph would have. “Charlie probably should have worried more when his sister was being held as a slave,” I mutter, knowing damn well I’m as much, if not more, to blame. “I’ll be at the meeting later to answer any questions. But tell anyone this: whatever the rogues do or don’t do isn’t on the heads of a woman and child.”

Byron seems to take my meaning and nods solemnly. “Understood, alpha.” He says, putting his mug in the sink and heading for the door. I don’t see him out. Instead, I return to watching Ava and Harper for a moment. Ava’s fair hair practically sparkles in the morning sun, taking my breath away. Harper is running circles around her in the meadow grass, and I feel my wolf’s hold extending to both of them now. I sigh in frustration; from what Byron said about the pack’s reaction to her being here, nothing has changed.

Besides, she hates me. Byron’s wrong about one thing: we’re not playing house. She avoids me, and I work all day to avoid the fact that she’s avoiding me. She has no wolf to speak of and is far too meek to change the pack’s opinion of her. The only time I see her fire is where Harper is concerned, but even that is wrapped in layers of fear. The pack would destroy her - again. The only one who doesn’t seem to care is Harper. She was shy at first, clearly worn out. But now, she’s constantly seeking me out, peering around doorways to spy on me, shrieking joyfully, and running off. It’s hard not to smile at her innocence and sense of adventure.

I notice Ava gathering Harper’s things and motioning her to head back to the house. Weighing whether to stay and talk to her about what Byron revealed, I decide to wait until after the pack meeting and go into my study, shutting the door. I never think of myself as cowardly, but I’m starting to feel as though there are some questions that I’m not going to like the answers to.

Running the pack, even without the rogues causing problems, is a full-time job. The numerous business investments that ensure our wealth stretch from the island to the mainland, and many were divided along with the packs. I’m still dealing with the fallout. The afternoon passes quickly, my eyes straining to read the spreadsheets after hours of concentration. Perhaps this is why Ralph was always in a bad mood, I muse, stretching and checking the time.

I hear Ava and Harper in the living area as I head out. Ava is reading something to her, and it’s only as I slip out, deliberately saying nothing, that I pause on the porch. I’m almost tempted to go back inside and be with them. I shake my head. That is not my family, not my kid, and not my woman. The line between wanting to be a good alpha and help someone and the fact I rejected her is clouding my vision on this. I just feel bad because I fucked her before the rejection—I should never have even gone there knowing how the pack would react. Sure, I still feel a pull to her, but it’s not like she’s Luna material.

I need to get my head on straight.

The hall is overflowing as I arrive. Pack meetings are always well attended, but this is exceptionally busy. A few wolves nod in greeting as I head into the building, but it’s not long before I spot Charlie weaving his way toward me.

“How is she, Cal?” he asks, the same as he has done all week.

“She’s good. Kid seems fine too,” I reply. “I don’t have much news for you. Maybe you need to try talking to her yourself.”

He runs his hand through his hair, looking conflicted. “You said she wouldn’t see me. I don’t want any drama.”

I chuckle darkly. “Looks like we might get that anyway.”

I don’t give him a chance to answer, needing to get this meeting underway and very aware that talking to Charlie about all this only makes me feel more like a bastard than I already do. His guilt is written all over his face, but he’s also reluctant to step up and deal with his sister. He’s spent his entire life from adolescence distancing himself from that family, and he’s in no rush to be dragged back in, by the looks of things.

Byron is calling the meeting to order as I step onto the stage, a sea of faces shrouded in respect and curiosity staring back at me. We begin with a breakdown of rogue activity, and I provide an update from my brothers, all saying much of the same. Tristen seems to have stepped up the most, destroying a few camps and exiling some rogues to the mainland, something we’re beginning next week with the first set of prisoners set to leave—and good riddance.

The questions gradually turn to Ava: Why is she here? Is the child hers? Is it the same child being hunted by the rogues? What has Ava done wrong now?

The questions mount, along with my building frustration and rage. I glance over at Charlie, standing with his mate; from the set of his jaw, I can sense he’s close to exploding, too. The conflict is written all over his face.

“Enough.” I slam my fist onto the table, and the room falls silent. “Enough. Have you heard yourselves? A child was being attacked—a child technically of this pack, whatever the family. We don’t know enough yet, but we do know where our loyalties lie against the rogues. So, focus on the issue at hand.”

“Why is she staying with you? At the alpha’s house, no less. She has her family’s old cabin in—” someone pipes up from the crowd.

“She would be taken easily from there,” I snap. Murmurs continue around the hall. Admitting that she couldn’t protect herself or her child only reinforces the narrative about her, but it’s true. “I will have no one questioning my decision on this. Understood?”

I hear a few “ yes, alpha”s from around the room, and that will have to do for now.

“Tough crowd,” Byron mutters as the pack disperses.

“They’re restless about the rogues. Ava is an easy target,” I admit.

Byron pauses for a moment before replying, “You know, it might work better if she was out and about. That’s a cute kid. Let people see that, and they’ll ease up.”

“Did they ever ease up on Ava?” I ask dryly.

“Oh, I don’t know, I guess you must have at one point,” Byron replies, already walking away. I stare at his retreating back in surprise; I didn’t think anyone knew what had happened between us. For the first time, I wonder if it’s as secret as I thought.

Returning to the house, I find it almost shrouded in darkness except for a small lamp in the kitchen. Ava stands at the sink washing the dishes, some leftovers covered on the counter. She half-turns as I enter, drying her hands. “We ate. Harper was so tired,” she says with a small smile. “But I kept this warm for you.”

The soft lighting makes her look even more beautiful; her small, curvy frame makes my hands itch with the urge to grab her and pull her close. She looks like she’d weigh nothing at all. Weak. My wolf growls in frustration, and when I look back at her, I see the uncertainty in her eyes.

“You know,” I say, stalking toward her. “A lot of the pack meeting was about you. I think it would be better if you and Harper were seen out in town. Stop hiding away.”

She takes a deep breath and glances around. “We can leave if it’s easier. I don’t want to cause any problems.”

“Goddammit. That’s not what I said,” I snap. “You just need to act…normal. The pack functions better when everyone fits in, you know that.”

Tears well in her eyes, and it only pisses me off. Why can’t she just be normal and get the pack to accept her? Charlie managed it. “I won’t expose Harper to their hate. She deserves so much better.”

I run my hand through my hair, exasperated and annoyed. “It’s not hate ,” I say, stepping closer to her. To my surprise, she doesn’t shrink away.

“What would you call it, then?” she says, eyeing me defiantly. She’s pissing me off. The meeting pissed me off. Everything is pissing me off.

My eyes flicker to her mouth, and I know the exact moment she realizes as her breath hitches. She finally diverts her eyes, but I find that’s the last thing I want. Leaning down, I capture her lips in one crushing movement. My hand tangles in her hair, and she melts into me with a soft moan. I can taste the fear on her lips, but it only makes me more determined to take her.

She gasps as I deepen the kiss, her hands coming up to my chest in surprise. She leans into me more, and I feel her body starting to melt against mine. My other hand slides down to her small waist, pulling her closer, feeling the soft curve of her ass beneath my fingers.

Suddenly, she pushes me away with surprising force, and I stumble backward. “We can’t do this,” she gasps out between breaths. “If you don’t want us here, we’ll leave. But you’re never having me like this.”

With that, she turns and runs from the room. I don’t go after her because what would I say? This is exactly how I want her.