Chapter 1 #2
“I guess the lovebirds do care about each other,” Faegan joked to his men.
“Here’s what I’ll allow. Donnel, you can stay and suck off the teat of this estate for as long as you wish, and I won’t cut her up.
When she is no longer of use to me as a breeder, then she can be yours again.
And you—” he jerked her tightly against his body.
“You will submit to me like a proper Pack Alpha’s mate and play the part to perfection.
Give no one reason to believe you are anything but a dutiful mate.
If you do, I promise never to harm him, directly or indirectly. ”
“Yes,” she tearfully whispered.
“No!” Donnel screamed again. “It’s not worth it! He’s not worth it! Please don’t do this—I love you!”
“Oh, I paid her father well,” Faegan said. “Probably more money than he ever has or ever would see in his life. It’s amusing that you thought you could keep this a secret from me, Donnel.”
Faegan’s smarmy grin faded. “Growing this pack is all that matters. And we can’t do that if non-shifters like you waste breeding opportunities with good shifter bitches.
I specifically told you that you can have any girl you want in this pack who isn’t a shifter or who comes from non-shifting parents.
But your seed will not be sullying a proper shifter womb. ”
Donnel honestly thought he would be sick. He sobbed as Faegan roughly grabbed her upper arm and dragged her toward the stairs.
“Take him over to the cottage and keep him there until after dawn,” Faegan ordered without looking back.
Hyacinth cried as Faegan dragged her off and she cast one last look over her shoulder at Donnel.
“I love you,” she mouthed as Faegan’s men literally picked Donnel up and carried him out of the house, the two of them far stronger than him.
Decades later…
Donnel kept his hands in his pockets so he didn’t fidget as he watched his brother. Faegan currently sat at his desk with his back to Donnel and stared through the window, which looked out over the house’s spacious gardens.
After an agonizingly long time, Faegan swiveled his chair around to face Donnel.
“You think you can convince him to do it?” Faegan asked.
“I know I can. But he will demand assurances from you.”
Faegan leaned back in the chair and sucked his teeth. You’d never know the man’s two sons died only months ago in the Blitz. He hadn’t reacted with the slightest bit of grief, only irritation—and anger—that now he needed new heirs.
And Hyacinth could no longer bear children.
“But her parents aren’t shifters,” Faegan finally said.
“Her older sister who married a wolf shifter? She gave birth twice, both shifter pups. Check it out for yourself.”
Faegan’s nose wrinkled. “I never should’ve allowed that mating. I had no idea she’d have pups with one of them. Much less shifter pups.”
“But she did. And the point I’m making is that his parents weren’t shifters, either. But he is. And, again, their pups are shifters. Even with shifter parents, you can’t guarantee pups will be shifters. Look at me, for instance.”
Faegan arched an eyebrow at him. “Yeess,” he drawled. “Look at you. Such a waste.” He laced his fingers behind his head. “Why are you so eager to arrange this? I thought you enjoyed that little slut? And here you are, offering her to me?”
Donnel already hated himself enough. He forced his brain to compartmentalize and keep the larger picture in focus. “I wanted to make sure she was loyal to the pack, and she is.”
“But she won’t want me.”
That’s for sure.
But that’s not what Donnel said.
“Callum can guarantee that for you. Who wouldn’t want to be the Pack Alpha’s mate?”
Faegan cocked his head. “And you’re really okay with this?”
“You said that night that I could have her back when she couldn’t have more pups. Well, she can’t, and you need new heirs. I’m offering you an even better deal now.”
“And you still want her?” Faegan looked genuinely confused.
Donnel dodged that comment. “Allow this, and I will let you buy me out. I will take Hyacinth, leave for America, and we will never return. We will never talk about you. We will create new identities and claim our pack was all killed in the Blitz. You will get a new mate, and Callum can make her forget her past and ensure her obedience.”
“Yes, but what about her family?”
“You can easily take care of them, I’m certain.”
Faegan briefly scowled before cackling. “Oh! That’s cold, even for you!”
He shrugged. “She won’t remember them. And no great loss there, anyway.” Donnel knew her father had made a habit of diddling the young boys he hired to help him on his farm, and her mother actively looked the other way.
The rest of her family was filled with a variety of gobshites and pillocks and drunkards that the world would never miss.
The ones who were worth a damn had long ago left for other parts.
“Yes, I had heard talk about those people.” Faegan leaned forward, templing his hands on his desk. “So what do I get out of this?”
“You’ll get an obedient mate who’s still early in her fertile years and should be able to give you plenty of heirs.
She resembles Hyacinth enough. You can start over and breed more pups who stand a very strong chance of being shifters.
While her parents aren’t shifters, they are both from full pack lines.
Meaning any shifter pups she has will be pure.
Isn’t that what you want? Does it really matter if her parents are shifters as long as they’re both full pack and your children end up shifters?
You also are shed of me and free to do whatever you wish.
Callum can erase her memory so there are no loose ends. ”
“How do I even know Callum will do this?” Faegan asked. “He could simply walk in and kill me.”
“Tell him you’re done chasing him and pay him. Hell, ask for Bryn’s shares of the estate, and tell him that if she gives you that, it’s over. You can lie to him.”
“What if he tries to Prime the truth out of me?” Faegan asked.
Donnel admitted his plan was a little thin in places, but it was the only one he had aside from committing outright murder with his own hands.
And he’d promised Hyacinth he wouldn’t do that. As much as it pained him, he’d rather not break that promise to her.
“I’ll talk to Bryn. I can convince her that this is the only way to finally have their freedom.
She will never have pups if she thinks you will still try to capture them.
You can chase her down later. I’ll stay in touch with her, and when you’re ready to bring her in, I’ll help you find her.
I’ll have her ask him not to touch you.”
He slowly swiveled his chair back and forth. “Why do you want Hyacinth so much when you could have almost anyone else? I would’ve even allowed you Frannie, despite her being a shifter.”
Donnel struggled and won against the urge to nervously swallow. If he showed too much eagerness, Faegan would oppose him just for the sheer, sadistic joy of it.
“Why does it matter to you what I want? I didn’t think you cared about what I want. But you promised us that night. That when you were finished with her, she would be mine. And I’m even sweetening the deal.”
“Hmm.” He rocked back in his chair. “I did promise, didn’t I?”
Not that it would be the first or even the millionth-and-first oath Faegan had shredded without a second thought, but if Donnel carefully preened the peacock…
“Times are changing,” Donnel added. “With the war ending soon, there will be a lot of money to be had in the rebuilding efforts. You can freely profit from it without Father’s pesky will impeding your way.
You’ll have my shares, you’ll have Bryn’s shares.
With Hamish dead, his shares were absorbed back into the estate.
You’ll finally have it all, and new heirs to pass it along to. Isn’t that what you always wanted?”
“Why does this feel too…easy?” Faegan asked. “There’s a lot of supposition swirling around all of this.”
He tightly fisted his hands in his pockets.
“I can’t go to Bryn without a plan. You’ll look like you’re a virile Pack Alpha, and your mate will appear to be stoic, strong, and loyal to the pack.
You survived and overcame a family tragedy.
What a success story. The bonus is Frannie is young enough you can fill her over and over again, enough times you can likely get shifter females out of her that you can then auction off. ”
Faegan slowly nodded. “That is…tempting. But how’d she avoid catching with bastards from you? Is she even fertile?”
“I’m careful and pull out,” he said. “Plus, she takes herbs that keep her monthlies regular, and we never do it when she’s in her fertile time. We’re always very careful.”
“And her difference in appearance?”
“Not like Hyacinth’s left the house much in the last couple of decades. So what if she looks a little different? Color her hair, and no one will know any different.”
Faegan studied Donnel for a long moment. “How soon can you arrange this?”
“Within the next couple of weeks,” Donnel said. “But I need to approach them with the plan already agreed to. Otherwise, Bryn will sense that charade in me. Callum has to believe she believes it. Meaning I need an agreement from you.”
Faegan stood and rounded the desk. “And if I pay you, you’ll sign over your shares?”
“You can have the whole bloody thing.”
Faegan held out his hand. “Deal.”
Donnel shook with him. “Good.” He stared his brother in the eye, wishing he was strong enough, mean enough—courageous enough—to rip his throat out and solve the whole thing.
But he wasn’t.
And Faegan had convinced Hyacinth that, should Donnel kill Faegan, his men would kill her family, and then Donnel. Despite her father selling her off to Faegan, she still loved her family and begged Donnel not to move against Faegan.
Her mother passed last year, and her father was killed by bombs last month. Her other siblings had scattered to the winds.
It wasn’t like any of them had been loyal to her, but Donnel had never been able to make her see that.
As Donnel turned and walked out, he fought the urge to immediately wipe the hand he’d shaken Faegan’s with on his trouser leg.
He waited to do that until he was heading upstairs and out of view. He’d planned for this moment, trying to finagle all the parts into the proper alignment in a way Faegan wouldn’t suspect, so Faegan would believe it was all his idea.
And, so far, it looked like he had.
Please, Goddess, please!