Page 33 of Predator (Stope Packs #4)

Emily looked for a familiar face and spotted Bussy near the porch. “Bussy? What’s happening?” she called out.

The older woman, wrapped in a bright purple knit scarf with several shades of the color woven through it, ambled forward, her breath puffing white in the cold air. Snow clung to her boots as she stepped onto the shoveled path. “We’re waiting on news about Philip. Nobody’s heard anything yet.” Her eyes, sharp despite her age, darted toward the house. “It’s been too long.”

Emily’s shoulders slowly relaxed. “Oh. Thank goodness. I thought…” She shook her head. “I thought it was worse.” She opened the door. This time, Jackson let her.

He was out of the truck in an instant and around to move with her, his posture loose but ready, scanning the crowd as they approached the porch.

“Hello, everyone.” Emily tucked her hands into her coat pockets.

“Hey, Em,” called an older male near the steps, his white beard dusted with snow. His flannel shirt stretched over broad shoulders, but his posture sagged slightly with age. “We’re all here for the same reason. Still no word from the doctor. It’s not looking good.”

Emily pressed her lips together as she climbed the steps and then turned to face the crowd. “My father is strong. He’ll pull through.”

Movement from the tree line snapped her attention toward the forest. The air thickened as Victor stepped into view. His heavy boots crunched through the snow, and the slight smirk on his face sent a low hum of warning through her bones.

“It’s over, Emily,” Victor announced, his voice carrying easily over the quiet crowd. “No Alpha should be down for three days. It’s time.”

Her breath misted in the air as she turned to face him fully. “He’s not gone yet.”

Victor climbed the stairs two at a time. Jackson moved instantly, placing his body between them. He squared his shoulders and kept his eyes steady, watching Victor without blinking.

“There’s nobody else,” Victor said, scanning the group. “You all know it. I can lead this pack.”

“I can do it,” Emily replied. “I’m prepared to endure the trials.”

Jackson didn’t move, but his muscles visibly locked. His expression stayed carefully blank, but he met Victor’s gaze without wavering.

Emily kept her composure, knowing the thoughts running through his mind. They had no idea if the mating would cure her, and if it did, how long it would take. Basically, they had no clue. Plus, she had to figure out what these trials entailed. Now that she’d declared her intention, she had a right to know.

Victor widened his stance. “No. I’ll challenge you now, and then one of us will go through the trials.”

Jackson turned toward him. “We haven’t even seen Philip yet. This is nonsense. Knock it off.”

“Yes,” Emily said, her voice breaking on a gasp. Her left foot had gone numb, and the trembling she’d grown accustomed to snaked through her legs to crawl up her spine. What was happening? She blinked hard, trying to focus, but the faces around her blurred. She had to stay upright. She needed to be strong.

“Let’s go check on my father,” she said, but her voice emerged weak and strained.

Jackson murmured her name, grasping her arms.

The world spun faster than the snow. She fought to hold on, but the darkness clawed at her, dragging her down. Her legs buckled. Strong arms caught her before she hit the ground, Jackson’s warmth pressing against her.

“See?” Victor’s voice rang out, clear and cold. “I don’t know what’s wrong with Emily, but we all know she hasn’t been herself for a while. She’s not strong enough to lead this pack. The Ravencalls have regrouped, and the Ghostwind Pack wants to take us out. We need a strong leader, and it’s going to be me.”

“No,” Emily whispered weakly. The idiot didn’t even know that the Ravencalls had agreed to join Jackson’s pack.

“We’re going inside,” Jackson barked. “Everybody go home. You’ll get an update soon from your Alpha, Philip Nightsom.” He stressed the last words.

Emily stirred weakly in his arms, but Jackson held her firm and strode toward the house.

His boots clomped loudly against the porch, the hollow sound echoing against the tense air. He pushed open the heavy oak door, and warmth instantly wrapped around her. She blinked, her lashes heavy as her vision blurred. She clung tighter to Jackson, feeling his steady heartbeat against her shoulder, grounding her as the heat from inside pulled her back from the brink of fainting.

“Emily?” Her father’s voice came from across the room, thinner than she’d ever heard it.

Sucking in a breath, she opened her eyes, willing her vision to clear. It did. Jackson cradled her in the center of the opulent living room. A fire crackled in the stone hearth, the scent of pine logs mixing with traces of antiseptic and whiskey. Rich leather furniture and dark wood-paneled walls surrounded them, familiar yet somehow foreign in the tension-laced air.

Nadia sprang up from a chair near the fireplace. “Emily, you’re as white as the snow outside. What’s wrong?”

“I think I just nearly passed out in front of half the pack,” Emily muttered, embarrassment curling through her already raw nerves.

“Shit,” her father rasped from the sofa.

Aptly put. “I’m okay now, Jackson,” Emily said quietly.

He lowered her to her feet and turned her to face her father, bracketing her from behind and wrapping an arm around her waist. His body heat seeped into her, solid and unyielding, whether to hold her upright or mark her as his, she wasn’t sure.

She patted his hand. “I can stand.”

He slowly removed his arm. Steadying herself, she stepped toward her father and dropped to her knees beside the sofa. Up close, the change in him was undeniable. His skin, once tan and weathered from years of leading, now looked ashen. A blue vein stood out sharply at his temple, and his face seemed hollow as if the attack had drained the strength from his bones. His frame, once solid, had withered beneath the blanket, the loose folds of fabric revealing how much weight he had lost.

“How bad is it?” Her voice cracked.

“It isn’t good,” Philip said, running a hand down her hair with a gentleness that clashed with the harsh lines of pain bracketing his eyes.

Nadia paced near the window, arms crossed tightly over her chest. “Victor’s outside, giving some kind of speech,” she said, her voice clipped.

Fear scraped through Emily, sharp and cold. She glanced toward the doorway where Caidrik and Miliki stood, both Enforcers rigid with tension. Their eyes met hers, grim and unflinching.

Miliki shook his head. “I can challenge him, but I don’t have Alpha blood. I might win, but then what?” His gaze dropped to her, assessing. “You just passed out. What’s wrong with you?”

She sighed and shook her head. “I’ve been ill for a while with genetic problems.”

“Ill? With the same sickness that killed your mother?” Miliki’s eyes softened. “Oh, Em, I’m sorry to hear that.” The Enforcer looked stricken. He’d been in her life since she was a baby and felt like a grandfather to her.

“I might be okay,” she said, her knees still weak. “I mated Jackson last night.”

Philip tried to surge from the sofa and then fell back weakly. “You did what?”

“It’ll save her,” Jackson said shortly. “Something about chromosomes and mutated and recessive genes. I don’t know. You could call my doctors if you’d like a better explanation. Just know that my blood and mating me is the only thing that will save her. You want her alive, don’t you?”

Philip reached a gnarled hand out and brushed Emily’s hair away from her face. “Of course, I want her alive,” he said softly. “More than anything else.”

Nadia finally stopped pacing and strode over to them, grabbing a monstrous book with slate-colored binding. The pack’s grimoire looked dusty. “Caidrik and I’ve been going through this.”

“You have?” Emily asked, cutting her a look. She had tried to go through the pack’s ancient book of laws as a teenager and had fallen asleep within minutes. In fact, she’d forgotten the book even existed since they didn’t really use it any longer.

“Yeah, we’re looking at some old English in here,” Nadia grumbled. “He actually likes reading it more than I do.”

Caidrik shrugged one massive shoulder. “I like puzzles.”

Nadia nodded. “We’ve been searching for anything that can help.”

Emily held her breath. “Any luck?”

“No. I haven’t found anything yet. Victor, as an Alpha of the pack, has every right to challenge our current Alpha.” She looked at Philip. “I am sorry, Philip. I’ll keep looking.”

Philip pushed himself up to more of a seated position, keeping the blanket on his legs. “Would you please call me Dad?” he asked, his eyes lighting as if the request surprised him.

Nadia shifted on her feet. “Okay.” She looked at Emily. “I don’t suppose you could be the Alpha of this pack while Jackson remains the Alpha of his?”

Emily sucked in air, her temples aching. “It might’ve been possible had I not just passed out in front of everybody. I’m not strong yet, Nadia. I have no idea when I will be, and Victor is ready to go through the trials right now.” Whatever the hell those were.

“What the fuck are the trials?” Jackson asked shortly.

Philip looked at him, then at Emily, and his shoulders sagged. “We still follow the old laws. There are three trials a new Alpha has to endure and survive to become the Alpha of this pack, and that’s after any possible challenges.”

“What are they?” Jackson looked at Emily this time.

She shrugged. “I have no clue.”

Philip’s jaw tightened, his lips pressing together. “The trials are none of your business, Jackson. I’m sorry, but you’re the Alpha of another pack. You don’t get to know this information unless and until you decide to become the Alpha of our pack.” His gaze moved to his daughter. “Emily, since you declared her your intention, I could tell you, but Victor is just going to challenge you first. You can’t beat him right now.”

No kidding. She couldn’t feel her feet right now.

Nadia pushed her hair away from her face. “What about me?”

Philip’s gaze softened even more. “You’re not a fighter, Nadia.”

“Who says a fighter has to survive the trials?” She shook her head. “I haven’t even gotten to what they are yet. They must be explained in the grimoire.”

“I know what they are. I survived them,” Philip murmured. “You need to be a fighter. Trust me.” His chin lowered. “I’m healing, but not quickly. It could take weeks.”

Emily’s temples pounded. “Victor won’t wait weeks.”

“No,” Philip said, his voice rough with fatigue. “I don’t see much of an option. I can try to hold Victor off, but I don’t know how long it’ll take for me to regain my strength. They used silver in the attack.”

Emily gasped, leaning back. “Nobody told me that.”

Nadia’s eyes widened, so much like hers that it was like looking in a mirror. “He didn’t tell me either, or I would’ve shared.”

“I didn’t tell anybody,” Philip admitted. “They stabbed me in the thigh, so I can’t shift to heal myself.”

“I wondered about that,” Nadia said. “I thought you might be too weak, but I didn’t want to say anything.”

Philip nodded, his gray hair looking thinner than it had just a week before. “Yeah, it could take months to heal from this. In my current state, I probably won’t be able to shift for at least a month.”

“That will be too late,” Emily said, frustration crawling through her.

A heavy knock sounded on the door before Victor strode inside and took in the occupants.

Jackson bristled, stepping forward instinctively, but Emily shook her head. If he attacked, Miliki and Caidrik would likely back Jackson up, but the pack members outside would not.

Victor scanned the room, his gaze steady. “I’m sorry about the current situation, but this is over.” His eyes flicked to Jackson. “Get out of my territory. I don’t want members of any other pack here while I prepare to undertake the trials.” His gaze locked onto Emily. “You mated him.”

She blinked. “How did you know that?”

“I can smell it,” Victor said simply. “Can’t you?”

Truth be told, all she could smell was Jackson, but she didn’t know if she was giving off the vibrations of mating. Her pulse pounded in her ears as Victor’s words hung in the air.

“You just passed out, Em. You’re done.” His cold gaze flicked to Jackson. “You have half an hour to leave my territory with your mate.” Then he looked at Nadia. “I’ll give you two more weeks to get to know your father, but then you need to return to your farming community with your guard dog. We are not adding additional members to this pack. Ever.” Finally, his eyes settled on Philip. “I expect you to be ready in two weeks for the ceremony that will make me the Alpha. Don’t make me kill you.”

With that, he turned on his boot and exited the house, shutting the door quietly behind him. The silence that followed pressed against Emily’s chest.

Her head dropped as her father patted her shoulder.

“Sometimes, things happen that we don’t want,” he said softly. “There’s a good chance Victor will mate somebody strong and with good lineage. One of his progeny might step up as Alpha. Or…maybe when I feel better, I’ll challenge him. Or, even in the far future, thirty years from now, either Jackson or your child will become the Alpha. That’s the agreement.”

Emily swallowed the lump in her throat. There was no guarantee her father would ever recover. She lifted her gaze to Jackson, searching for an answer, but none came. Victor, her dumbass, brutal cousin, was about to become the Alpha of the Slate Pack for the foreseeable future, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.