26. Tate
Tate
The moment I crossed into pack territory, a familiar mix of anxiety and adrenaline surged through my veins. The wintry air made my breath steam when I wound down the window to clear my head. Always essential before I saw my father.
The rutted track wound through the tall pine trees, climbing higher until the valley stretched out below, the lake glittering in the late afternoon sunlight.
Montes pack lands covered tens of thousands of unspoiled forest and alpine pastures where our wolves could run free without fear of being shot by human hunters.
My grandfather had made a deal with a local coven back in the day.
In return for supplying muscle and game deliveries, the coven’s witches had buried ward stones at intervals to protect the boundaries around our property.
Thanks to magic top-ups every few years, the invisible barrier had kept humans away ever since.
Mom appeared the minute I pulled up outside the stone-and-timber house where my father, the current pack alpha, lived and worked. To my relief, there was no sign of my father’s truck, or that of his beta, Callum.
I prayed they stayed away for a while longer so Mom and I could catch up without my father monitoring her every word.
My petite mother flung her arms around my waist and hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe. She’d lost weight, I noted. More weight than she could afford to lose. Was Dad restricting her food intake again?
“How are you, darling? Enjoying school?” Despite her attempt to sound upbeat, I caught the slight wobble in her voice.
“School’s fine. Are you okay?” I pushed her away gently and studied her face, searching for signs of abuse. But there were none. He knew I wouldn't stand for it.
Now that I was taller than him, he was more careful. Not since the last time we'd fought, when I’d come close to killing the bastard after his wolf tried to make me submit.
If I challenged him today, I would win, but our pack law stated an heir couldn’t become alpha until they’d completed at least two years at a shifter academy. It was supposed to ensure ruling alphas had the skills needed to lead the pack.
I called bullshit, but since I wasn’t exactly looking forward to becoming the Montes pack alpha, it didn’t matter to me. It should have been Atticus, not me. Something my father never failed to remind me each time I disappointed him.
But Atticus was gone, and in the meantime, my father continued to grow his empire and pull us deeper into the murky world of the shifter mafia.
“I’m fine, darling.” Mom smiled, but the shadows beneath her eyes gave her away. That and the way her dress hung from her slender frame.
At only thirty-nine, my mother was in her prime. She should be hale and hearty, with many decades of good health ahead. But my father’s iron grip on all aspects of her life, from what she ate to how much sleep she got, had slowly and irrevocably affected her well-being.
“You’ve lost weight,” I told her as she led me into the kitchen.
“Maybe a few pounds,” she conceded. “Your father’s had a lot of visitors lately, so I’ve been extra busy cooking and cleaning.”
Visitors?
Mom switched the coffee machine on and pulled out a chair. “I’ve made your favorite cake, darling. Chocolate with pecan nuts.”
I let her fuss around me, cutting a wedge of cake and making me a coffee the way I liked.
The cavernous kitchen was spotless, as always.
Every surface gleamed. No doubt the rest of the house was the same.
As the pack luna, my mom could easily have hired people to help her manage such an enormous property, but Dad refused.
He said a luna’s role was to care for her alpha, and if she couldn’t manage her daily tasks, she didn’t deserve to be luna.
“Who’s been visiting Dad?” I asked casually. Nobody good, I imagined.
“Oh, I didn’t ask,” Mom replied dismissively before turning the faucet on at full velocity. Then she wandered over and whispered in my ear as she collected my used plate.
“The Frosthaven alpha and his beta, plus several mages.”
“The cake’s lovely, Mom,” I declared as she walked back to the sink to wash my plate.
“Thank you, darling. I love to bake for you and your father.”
My paranoid father had cameras installed all over the house to monitor Mom and pick up useful snippets from visitors and pack members.
I desperately wanted to know why the Frosthaven alpha, Tank’s father, had visited Dad, but didn’t dare risk my mother’s safety by asking her more. Tank had not mentioned a visit, so I guessed he didn’t know about it.
Any conversation about important things would need to take place outside, where my father couldn’t monitor us.
Just as I was about to suggest we take a walk in the garden, a vehicle pulled up outside. The door swung open, and my father strolled in.
“Tate,” he barked. “My office. Now.”
He must have heard about the incident at the full moon party. The guys and I had dealt with the body, but there were too many people present to keep what happened on the down-low. Too many shifters with a grudge, delighted to leverage gossip for favors.
My wolf paced inside me, angry about being caged in the presence of my father and his mangy beast. But as much as I’d like to challenge Dad, now wasn’t the time.
“I heard about what happened at the party,” Dad said once the door closed behind us. He rounded on me before I could open my mouth to reply and slammed me into the bookcase.
I could have fought back, but it was better to see how this played out first. Dad usually gave no fucks if I killed another shifter in cold blood, so why was he mad about the honey badger?
“You stupid fuck,” he raged. “The shifter you murdered was the son of a business associate! He’s withdrawn his support for my new venture, which has left me in a fucking bind with our other associates!”
I couldn’t reply even if I wanted to. Dad’s grip tightened around my throat, making my lungs burn from the lack of oxygen.
My wolf chafed against the chains binding him. He growled and snarled, but I hung on. Losing control with Dad would only escalate matters.
A soft knock at the door caused Dad to relax his grip and step away. I coughed and rubbed my neck while my wolf raged inside me. He hated my father. We both did these days.
“I have cake for you both,” Mom said as she pushed open the door, her eyes glued to the floor in submission, like always. The plate in her hand wobbled, but she stood firm.
“Cake?” Dad growled, unhappy about the interruption. “Did I ask for fucking cake?” He snarled and lunged for Mom, but I jumped in front of her.
He could do what he liked to me, but I was not about to let him hurt Mom while I stood and watched.
“The honey badger tried to rape a feline shifter,” I explained to draw attention from Mom. “I couldn’t let that go unpunished.” I swallowed a snarl as Dad’s fist clenched. Mom’s eyes welled up when she saw the bruises forming around my neck, but I shook my head and nodded at the door.
“Thanks for the cake, Mom. It looks delicious.” I hoped she’d go, but no, she stood waiting for permission.
Dad huffed as he processed my words and then sat down, snatching a slice of chocolate cake from the plate Mom had placed on the side table.
The leather chair creaked under his bulk.
The old bastard spent too much time drinking and eating these days.
He’d lost his edge, and one day soon, that would come back and bite him in the ass.
“Coffee, Ginny,” Dad ordered after wiping crumbs from his hairy chin.
To my relief, my mother finally scurried away. I turned back to Dad.
“Perhaps the Frosthaven alpha can offer his support for the new venture,” I suggested, hoping Dad would elaborate on whatever this venture was.
“He’s already invested.” Dad muttered obscenities under his breath and shoved a glass paperweight to the floor in a fit of temper. “Fucking honey badgers.”
“I had to act,” I said, being careful to keep my tone respectful. “Our pack’s reputation was at stake.”
Dad ground his teeth but didn’t disagree—even he knew we couldn’t turn a blind eye to a rapist at a public event. “It’s lucky I have some leverage with the Devereaux pack. The Devereaux alpha can cough up some additional funds to cover the shortfall.”
That explained nothing. “What is this venture, anyway?” I inquired, being careful not to sound too interested.
“Nothing I can discuss.” He glanced down at his wrist. The faint rune mark peeking out from his cuff was new.
I’d seen them a few times on shifters that dealt with the mages.
This one was a magical NDA—if the bearer revealed information protected by the rune to the wrong person, they’d suffer a painful penalty.
“As your son and heir, surely I should be a part of pack business ventures?” I said, not commenting on the rune.
“I’m waiting for the final go-ahead, but once things get moving, don’t worry, you’ll be playing your part.” The sly grin he threw me sent an icy shiver down my spine.
Whatever bullshit Dad had the pack involved in—and if the mages were running the show, I doubted it was anything legit—something told me I wouldn’t like it.