Chapter 10 #3
Occasionally, I’d bring Ryker with me on my travels to check in with the various packs. He was surprisingly well-behaved during the visits. Mostly because he just ignored everyone and walked away when he got bored. That was definitely a trait he’d picked up from Warrick.
My gut twisted, causing me to grimace. Fucking Warrick. That man was the bane of my existence even when he wasn’t fucking here.
Sorin walked across the room and poured two glasses of an amber liquor.
I was a little surprised and annoyed when, instead of bringing one to me, he brought it to Rynn.
She took it from him a little hesitantly before he very deliberately placed himself between her and Altair, a move that did not go unnoticed by anyone in the room.
Rynn’s father, Cyrus, outright glowered at the two of them from where he sat on a settee to the left of the desk. Sitting next to him was a young lycan with golden-blond hair and striking green eyes. Ivan, Altair’s youngest son.
Altair and Cyrus were close in age and both were fourth-generation Velesians.
They’d seen a century come and go, but neither looked older than forty.
Most of the fourth generation was still around, and only some were starting to show their age.
We had no idea what would happen with the fifth generation.
Cade and I were both sixty-three, but we didn’t look any older than Rynn.
Just like with the Moroi and Furies, the fifth generation seemed to have stopped aging in our twenties. The Drudonian scholars had no idea when or if we would start to age again. We might live in a land full of vicious monsters, but at least we got to stay young and pretty.
“There is always a silver lining if you know where to look,” Cade’s mother used to say.
Ivan was only a couple of years older than Rynn, but there didn’t seem to be any familial love between them, based on the coldness in his eyes as he stared her down.
Rynn raised her chin and glared back at him.
That’s my girl.
I frowned. No. Not my girl. Where the fuck had that come from? Shaking my head slightly, I refocused on managing the situation.
“Mind if I take a seat?” I asked, drawing everyone’s attention back to me.
“Go right ahead.” Altair gave me a wolf’s smile. “You don’t have to ask, Bastian. What’s ours is yours.”
I looked at Rynn. “It is, isn’t it?”
That got a chuckle out of both Rynn’s uncle and father, whereas her brother looked like he was ready to rip my head off. Ivan just had a bored expression on his face.
I took a seat on the settee opposite Cyrus and Ivan and glanced at Rynn. “Get me a drink, darling?” I made it a question, but the command in my tone was clear.
It was a challenge to bite back the laugh that tried to escape my throat at the absolute murderous expression on Rynn’s face.
She definitely would’ve punched me if I’d acted this way at home around the rest of the Alphas.
But she couldn’t do it here in front of Cyrus.
I had clearly missed something about the dynamics of this pack, and Rynn had acted cagey when I’d asked about her family.
It was too late for me to really do anything about it now.
The deal had been struck. We were allied with them, and Rynn belonged to the Alpha pack.
But my curiosity wouldn’t let it go. Not to mention any insight as to how their pack worked would make it easier to manipulate them in the future, or prevent them from manipulating us.
As if on cue, Rynn stomped over to where her brother had gotten her a drink and grabbed another glass. I couldn’t see her pour it because her back was to me, but I was fairly certain she was spitting in it.
Altair grinned at me once more before looking to Sorin. “I believe you have a patrol you were going to do today.” Not a question.
“It’s not pressing,” Sorin said smoothly as he watched Rynn walk stiffly across the room and practically throw the drink in my face. “I can do it tomorrow."
“It was pressing this morning,” Cyrus chimed in. “Perhaps you should do it now.”
The muscles along Sorin’s jaw tightened, and I suspected he was trying to think of a valid reason to stay, but Cyrus and Altair wanted him gone, and I needed them to continue thinking I was on their side so they’d speak freely.
I set my drink on the side table and grabbed Rynn by the waist, tugging her down to sit on my lap.
She hadn’t been expecting the move, and before she could retaliate, I had my arms wrapped around her middle in what looked like a hug but was really just me pinning her arms against her sides.
I brushed a kiss against her neck, and she went absolutely still—definitely plotting my murder—and I met Sorin’s thousand-yard stare. “I’ve got her.”
Ivan snorted, but Sorin’s gaze never strayed from mine. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
Probably so he could hold me down while Rynn kicked me.
“Sure.” I gave him a lazy smile before settling farther back in the seat. Rynn tried to slide off but went still when I tightened my grip. “So,” I drawled, looking away from Sorin to Altair, “why don’t you catch me up on how things have been?”