27. Cannon
I lookedat Kezia in disbelief before turning to the older shifter. “Kezia lacks social skills,” I apologized for her. “A lot of social skills.”
The wolf beside me tutted as she leaned forward. “I say it like it is. You told me you had a lot to talk about, well…let’s talk. I want to know everything you know about my mom and dad, Bale, and who killed my parents.” She glanced at me. “And who tried to kill my brother and me, and why you thought they succeeded and that he was dead.”
Barbara looked between the two of us, and as she reached forward for her cup of tea, I saw the tremor in her hand.
“You don’t need to be scared of either me or Kezia,” I spoke gently. “This is a safe space for you,” I assured her. “Neither Kezia nor I will speak of what we learn here to any other.”
Kezia straightened up and dug her elbow into my ribs as she did. “Well, I can’t promise that,” she told Barbara honestly. “I will tell my brother. The alpha will probably tell his beta, Royce, who the alpha will think isn’t the same as telling someone, but Royce will tell his wife, Hannah, and I believe it will go no further. However, my brother Kris will tell Cass, his mate, and…” Kezia cleared her throat. “Cass is Bale’s daughter.”
Barbara looked between the two of us, wetting her lips when she looked away. “Anterrio Pack is a pack set in the past. It’s a reason both Andrea and I were eager to leave. We both hoped for matches outside of the pack.” The older shifter patted her hair. “My Lee was from a pack out west. We met at the Luna Ball, and while he is no alpha, I knew he was mine and me his.” She turned her attention back to Kezia. “I am glad that Kris is an alpha,” she spoke honestly. “I worry who the Goddess selected for him, but Luna is as mysterious as the moon.” Barbara sipped her tea. “How did Bale take it when Kris took over the pack?”
“He hasn’t.”
Barbara paled. “Does he know?”
“Yes,” I confirmed. “It seems the Anterrio Pack likes to fudge the truth about mates, and no one has questioned what it means that Kris and Cass are true mates.”
Barbara was nodding. “It was always that way. It wasn’t until I met Lee that I realized we’d been fed untruths. Pack leaders don’t have the same authority or power as an alpha. The mindlink is so weak. The first time Lee spoke to me in my mind, I thought he was shouting.”
Kezia was getting more restless beside me, and I knew she was barely holding on to her manners. Not that her manners were good at the best of times, and I knew she’d snap soon.
“You were happy with your husband?” I asked. Barbara nodded enthusiastically. “And your marriage was a good one?”
“The best,” she told me with a weak smile.
“The point?” Kezia asked under her breath.
“The point is that I am wondering why a female who was in a loving marriage left her pack when her husband passed and jumps at the slightest thing.” Sitting back, I looked the shifter over. She was slight in stature, almost frail. Mousy brown hair and light brown eyes made her overwhelmingly average. “Who hurt you?”
Barbara swallowed. “Alpha, I don’t know wh?—”
“I told you that you are in a safe space,” I told her with more bite in my voice than I intended.
Or do you prefer to talk without Kezia knowing your tale? The she’s eyes widened as her gaze darted to Kezia.
My husband loved me very much, Alpha, but his pack is hard. They fight amongst themselves and are…restless.
I took her in one more time. Her skin was almost as pale as Kezia’s. Her nervousness was ingrained in her. If I had to guess, I would say that her husband had beat her, but I heard her truth when she spoke about her love for him. But it was more than that, and I took a guess.
You said you were west? You were with the rogues to the north of Seattle?
Barbara lowered her eyes from mine and gave a simple nod.
Did they harm you? When Lee passed? A simple shake of her head, but I noticed she was shaking again, and I didn’t believe her. You are safe here. You are at no threat. My pack is no longer the same as the pack that my father ran.
“I know that, Alpha.” She extended her hand towards Kezia. “I am not ashamed of the fact I took flight from that pack.” Her shoulders straightened. “My Lee never let any of the others near me. We were a hard pack, strong, but too many males together and…” Once more, her eyes darted to Kezia.
“And strong males prey on the weaker females,” Kezia said with understanding. “Your husband was one of the pack leaders?” Barbara nodded in confirmation.
“This is a good pack,” Kezia told her, reaching over and taking her hand. “I’ve been raised in the Anterrio Pack, and you won’t be surprised to know that they still keep to themselves. The whole time I’ve been here, everyone has been friendly. They are happy. They greet him like he’s a god,” she told Barbara with a jerk of her head towards me. “And I will deny this was ever said outside these walls, but I think he may deserve their respect.”
My wolf rumbled happily at the praise from my mate, and I hid my smirk of satisfaction behind my hand.
“I have been here a few months.” Barbara squeezed Kezia’s hand. “I have seen the lightness in this pack.” She shifted her gaze to mine. “A big difference from the last time I was here when your father still lived.”
“An alpha should never abuse his position,” I murmured.
Barbara nodded in agreement. “Stefan, Bale’s father, was like Rek, although not as cruel. Not as openly.” With precise movements, she cut open three scones, buttering them as she spoke. “Andrea and I were born weeks apart. We had no siblings, and much to both our parents’ disappointment, we were female. Stefan’s rule was that only one child could be born to each couple. Unless they birthed a male first.” Barbara added jam to each scone half. She handed me a plate first and then placed the scone on the plate. “Needless to say, Andrea and I were friends from the cradle onwards.” A fond smile played around her lips. “Andrea was so fierce. She rebelled against everything Stefan and his pack stood for. And I, as her willing accomplice, got punished as much as she did.”
“What kind of things did you fight?” Kezia asked, taking a huge bite of the scone. “Oh Luna, this is amazing,” she said, chewing and peering at the scone.
“Thank you.” Barbara blushed. “Hunting. We were only allowed to go with the males. Andrea and I hunted when we were supposed to be learning how to run a house.”
Taking my bite of the scone, I echoed Kezia’s approval. “Run a house,” I scoffed. “So archaic.” I pointed at Kezia’s empty plate and my own. “You seem to have picked up some skills though.”
“I agree, it is barbaric,” Barbara said with a nod of approval. “I learned to bake when I married. Lee taught me how to cook better, but baking filled in the nights when he was hunting.”
“Raiding, you mean,” I corrected sharply. The female’s cheeks flushed but she let it slide.
“This isn’t telling me about my mom,” Kezia added with impatience.
Barbara placed her plate with her half-eaten scone on the table. “Andrea and I were in trouble a lot. But we were also part of the pack, and we both knew that neither of us wanted to remain in a pack that repressed us. I was lucky. Lee attended the Luna Ball just after I turned seventeen. We courted and I was wed within three months. We convinced her parents to let Andrea come with me to Lee’s pack. While I settled in, it would be helpful for me to have a friend.”
“Stefan fell for that?” I asked in surprise.
Barbara smirked. “You have no idea, Alpha, of how much trouble Andrea could get into.”
With a glance at Kezia, I pursed my lips. “You’ve forgotten I’ve met her daughter.” I was rewarded with another dig in my ribs. “See?”
“Nate was a loner,” Barbara continued with a smile at us both. “He was an alpha,” she confirmed, and I saw Kezia nod. “But he didn’t want the responsibility of the pack.” She caught me frowning and gave a half shrug. “Not all are suited to rule.”
I agreed with that, but having met both Kris and Kezia, I was surprised that their father wouldn’t also be a strong independent wolf.
“What pack was my dad from?”
Barbara looked sympathetic. “I don’t know. He never told us, and my Lee, well, he always suspected he was born of a rogue.” Looking between us, she carried on with her story. “Andrea was his mate. It was so much stronger than my bond with Lee. I worried I wasn’t loving my new husband enough, but Nate explained the alpha bond to us.” She averted her gaze when she spoke next. “Honestly, that craving that the bond creates, the connection and hold it has over the ones bonded? I wouldn’t want it.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kezia shift in her seat. “The bond creates balance for the alpha,” I spoke quietly. “Have you noticed that the packs with no bonded alphas are the ones that are unhappy?”
“I don’t think it’s as simple as that,” Kezia muttered.
“Isn’t it?” She saw the challenge in my eyes and looked away.
“Nate and Andrea were bonded under the full moon by a shaman on his way to join a new pack.”
Kezia sat up excitedly. “My shaman?”
Barbara looked at me with uncertainty. “I…I don’t know. You have a shaman?”
“The Anterrio Pack has a shaman,” I explained. “Is it possible it was him?”
Barbara looked unsure. “There was no shaman in the Anterrio Pack when we left.”
“Where did my mom and dad go when they were married? Back to Anterrio?”
“No. Married, to an alpha especially, a female is not required to return to her pack. She belongs to her alpha.”
I grinned at the look of horror on Kezia’s face. “Belongs?” she screeched.
“Balance,” I reminded her.
I was rewarded with the full force of her fury as she snapped her head around to meet my gaze. “Belongs to her alpha?” she asked scathingly. “Fuck that.”
I heard Barbara’s gasp. “Kezia, your language,” I scolded softly, holding back my laughter as I watched her eyebrows disappear into her hairline. The look on her face told me in no uncertain terms that we would be discussing this later.
“Keep talking,” Kezia ordered Barbara, giving the older woman her attention once more.
Luna, her manners would need work. I couldn’t have Kezia present during pack negotiations if she had no restraint. Her wild and free nature was alluring, but I also needed someone with discipline and control. I didn’t envy my future self that conversation.
“Nate was visiting all the packs in the area. I don’t think he had any intention of joining any of them,” Barbara carried on with her story. “Andrea was tasting freedom for the first time. She loved that Nate allowed her to do whatever she wanted.” She sighed. “It came as no surprise the next time I saw her that they were choosing to live as nomads. She was pregnant and glowing.” She smiled with fondness. “Everything about them both was so…” Barbara paused as she searched for the right word. “Content.”
Kezia sat back, her face stricken but her eyes full of longing. “I knew they would be happy,” she whispered to no one. “Kris always said he remembers their laughter.”
Reaching out, I pulled Kezia into my side, offering her comfort, which she took as she pressed into my side. I saw the other female’s look of surprise and hoped I looked like an alpha offering a pack member comfort and not an alpha needing his mate at his side.
“How does Bale fit into this?” I asked, hoping to take the female’s attention off my mate, who had rested her head on my shoulder.
“Andrea was like her daughter,” Barbara told me simply. “She was beautiful.”
I felt Kezia stiffen at the compliment.
“Bale liked pretty things, but he hated her wildness. He told the pack that he intended to marry Andrea, another reason why she was so eager to escape with me and Lee.” Barbara looked down at her hands. “I never thought he would go after her.”
“He definitely followed her?” Kezia demanded, leaning forward.
Barbara nodded. “Yes, he came to my wedding. He made a fool of himself, as usual.” She scoffed. “Luna, I hated that male. Always watching us, trying to get Andrea to go places with him alone. Claiming her as his no matter how much she objected. He would know when we sneaked out, and he would tell his father, and then we would be punished on our return.”
“Punished how?” I asked.
“Holding cells. To give us time to reflect on our actions.”
“Under the hall?” Kezia asked knowingly. When Barbara confirmed it, Kezia once more looked at me. “Another thing my mother and I have in common… Being locked up by someone thinking they know better.”
“Now, now,” I murmured. “Let’s not confuse an obsessed stalker and an alpha protecting his pack.” At Kezia’s unimpressed snort, I grinned. “Your brother put you in the cells, too, remember.” Kezia opened her mouth to argue, but Barbara’s next words caused both of us to stare at her in shock.
“Other times, they would flog us.” Barbara rubbed the back of her neck. “I believe that stopped when Stefan died.”
“He whipped you?” Kezia’s jaw was slack. Turning to me, she ran her eyes over me. “Don’t get any ideas,” she warned me, and I bit back my grin.
“So, when Andrea rejected Bale, he did…what?” I asked Barbara.
“He left.” She thought about it. “When I saw Andrea when she was pregnant, she told me he had confronted her one more time, as she and Nate had visited Anterrio Pack one final time.”
“She went back?” Kezia’s surprise was like my own.
“Andrea wanted her parents to know she was happy and about the child.”
“Bale wouldn’t have liked that,” I mused.
“She told me he flew into a rage, and Nate challenged Bale.” Barbara looked uncomfortable as she spoke. “The hunters attacked them that night and ran them from the pack. They barely made it out alive.”
“But they didn’t kill them,” I spoke out loud, absentmindedly reaching for Kezia and taking her hand. “Did you see them again?”
Barbara shook her head. “No, we moved west. I heard about her death years later. They told me she was attacked by rogues killing her mate and her child.”
“Rogues like your pack?” Kezia challenged, her voice tight with anger.
“Yes.” Barbara met the challenge head-on. “It’s why Lee and I went there. I wouldn’t settle until I knew the truth, and he was unhappy with the current pack.”
I watched as she spoke, my senses alert for any hint of a lie. “And what did you find?”
“A pack that was rough and undisciplined but that wouldn’t kill a child.” She took a deep breath. “But one that would be easy to blame.” Sitting up straighter, she looked like she was struggling with what to say next. “What I say next, you may not believe me, but I have no reason to lie to you.”
“Tell us,” I encouraged.
“Stefan was deranged.” Barbara adjusted herself in the seat one more time. “He didn’t shy from torture, and although we were flogged and locked up, or withheld food, it wasn’t the worst he could do to us. In that way, we were lucky.” Barbara ignored Kezia’s scoff. “But we heard rumors.” Nervously she licked her lips. “It was said amongst his team that he had a far worse form of punishment.”
Once more, I watched the shifter in front of me pat her hair nervously. “Which was?” I asked.
“Silver,” Kezia whispered.
Barbara looked at Kezia, her eyes wide. “How did you… Did they use it on you?” Her timidness was gone as she lurched forward in anger. “Did they torture you?”
“No.” Kezia reached for her to comfort her. “I was shot with it.” Pulling her hand away, she pointed to her upper arm. “And I have the scar to prove it.”
Barbara’s eyes were glued to the spot where I had shot my mate, and it was my turn to move with discomfort in the seat. I saw Kezia’s lip curl upwards, and I pressed my knee into hers and was rewarded with a little nudge back.
“How did the pack use it?” I asked Barbara.
“The rumor was they melted it and poured it on open wounds.”
Both Kezia and I winced. The agony would be… I shivered at the thought and once more pulled Kezia into me. Her shiver was more pronounced than my own. She’d been shot; she knew the pain like no other in the room.
“My parents were murdered,” Kezia said softly. “Kris remembers that males came for them. He remembers our mother screaming for us to run.” Tears slipped down her cheeks. “He thinks we ran.”
Barbara was also crying. “I’m so sorry, Kezia.”
“You thought Kris was dead,” Kezia spoke to her. “But you recognized me as my mom’s daughter. How?”
I hadn’t known that bit and watched the older female with interest.
“You look so much like her,” Barbara explained easily. “I knew who you were the moment I saw you.” She looked between us. “The resemblance is uncanny.”
“If that’s true, then that means Bale has always known exactly who you and Kris are,” I realized.
“And that means he’s always known Kris is an alpha!” Kezia looked at me with alarm. “And that we are older than we thought, because he would know when my mom was pregnant!” Kezia gripped my arm. “Cannon, we need to get Kris out of there!”
“We still can’t say with certainty that Bale is responsible,” I reminded her, watching her eyes narrow in fury. “Think before you speak, pup,” I warned.
Kezia pulled back, her jaw clenched tightly, but I knew that she was merely retreating due to Barbara and that the fight was merely on hold for now.
After some more time with Barbara, we made our leave, Kezia hugging her close when she left.
Walking back to the house, Kezia walked with her head down, her eyes on her feet. “I have so many questions,” she broke the silence. “I went there for answers and now I just have more questions.”
“We can’t make assumptions,” I reminded her.
“I can,” she muttered darkly. “Especially when everything points to a certain pack leader.”
I had to agree with her, but I knew not to encourage her too much. My mate was unpredictable. “It may be a good thing the Pack Council is coming,” I muttered as we walked up the path to my house, and I moved in front to open the door for her.
“Landon.”
That made me stop and look back at her. “Forgot my name already, pup?” I tried to tease, but it pissed me off she just spoke his name.
But Kezia was staring across my yard, to the side of the house and the pathway that led from the bunker. “It’s Landon.”
Stepping away from the door, I saw the son of the pack leader who could have killed Kezia’s parents walk into my town like he belonged here. Just like the cocky, arrogant little shit he was.
“What the heck does he want?” Kezia whispered beside me.
The growl I let out caused my mate to look at me with apprehension. “Let’s find out.”