Chapter Twenty-Six
“I want to know who those mutts were and how they passed through our defenses!” yelled Connor on the phone.
“Either they take their heads out of their asses, or I’ll serve them on a platter!
” He threw the headset off sharply. Connor was many things, but calm and controlled wasn’t one of them.
Especially when the patrols hadn’t spotted even a trace of rogues, but the howls heard in the village the previous day had raised the alarm.
The scents in the air weren’t familiar to the villagers, and one of them even had a foul smell, as if the time he’d spent away from a pack had somehow damaged him. It smelled ... sick. Rotten.
At their uncle’s office, the twins were seated, waiting for his fury to be focused on them.
Not by choice, but Connor was still the Alpha, and his command made their wolves submit.
The fury that emanated from him in violent waves caused their wolves to whine and hide inside their minds but did nothing to appease them.
They wanted to be at the hospital, near their mate, but Corbin had forbidden it.
“Was I or was I not clear when I said I wanted that child to be left alone?” he asked, in a deceptively calm tone. A vein pulsed in his forehead, indicating an impending storm.
“She’s our mate,” growled Declan. “What would you do if it was yours?”
“Do not bring your aunt into this conversation!” boomed Connor. “You knew who she was and what was asked of us. Do you think the High King will look kindly upon us when he hears about this? For all he knows, she tried to commit suicide when she discovered she’d been shacking up with wolves!”
“She’s not...” Ciaran paused. Their uncle had that distant look that werewolves had when they communicated through the mind-link.
His eyes were unfocused, and he flinched before cutting the link.
The twins exchanged a glance, tensing their muscles.
Connor had a tense expression, and the way he opened and closed his fist did not bode well.
Finally, he blinked and looked at the desk phone, as if expecting it to ring at any moment.
“A couple is at the border, requesting permission to enter our pack lands,” he said, in a slow voice.
“And...?”
“It’s Dane Blueriver and his mate.” Connor cleared his throat before adding, “She’s the woman Lewis kidnapped and tried to forcefully mate.”
“What do they want?” asked Ciaran abruptly. The last thing their mate needed was more stress on top of her shoulders.
“It seems the woman, Lily, was raised as a human and drugged all her life to keep her wolf at bay. Her wolf emerged after the kidnapping.”
“And? She got out before being assaulted.”
“No, she didn’t... Apparently, she was also assaulted. But because she’s been dealing with her own issues, she thinks meeting Freya could help them both.”
“What she wants is to heal at Freya’s expense! I forbid it!” barked Declan and immediately knew he’d done it when his uncle’s gaze zeroed on him.
“You forbid it?” he asked, silkily. Damn, his uncle was even worse when he was speaking calmly than when he was shouting.
“Uncle...”
“I do love family reunions,” said Evelyn drily. They all turned and watched when Evelyn entered the office, the guard at the door clearly conflicted about barring his former Luna from entering.
“Matháir. Welcome. Don’t let the closed door stop you.” Sarcasm was dripping from Connor’s voice, but Evelyn was impervious to it.
“I didn’t. And you sit down before you have a stroke.”
She sat unceremoniously and looked at the guard, who was still looking at his Alpha and ordered, snapping her fingers.
“Be useful and bring us all some tea. And I would like some bourbon with my tea, if you don’t mind.”
“Matháir, it’s ten o’clock in the morning,” sighed Connor, even more tense than before her arrival.
He loved his mother with everything he had and was relieved that she’d chose to step down as soon as he’d mated.
Both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had strong personalities that would no doubt clash over time.
But sometimes, Evelyn could still surprise him and remind everyone around why she’d been such a formidable Luna...
Or, she could surprise him and ask for a drink early in the morning when she’d never been much of a drinker.
“So? It’s ten in the evening somewhere in the world. And we have things to discuss.”
“Matháir...”
“Give permission to that nice couple to enter pack lands, son. They’re here at my request.”
“What?”
“Nanna!” yelled both twins, but the older lady silenced them just by raising her hand.
“You will not interrupt me again,” she ordered, severely. And turning to her son, “I took the liberty of writing to the nice young man who entrusted us with Freya’s protection.”
Leave it to Evelyn to call the Beta of the Lycan High King “young man”.
“What? Why?”
“I was Luna of this pack for many years, son. I know how to address formally to the High King’s council.
Besides, for what I’ve been told, he’s taken an interest in this girl’s welfare, and I think he would want to know his protégée is mated again, this time with not one but two wolves under the High King’s banner. ”
“Shit,” someone muttered. Evelyn ignored it and went on, “It seems the young woman who was kidnapped is having issues of her own with her healing process, aggravated by her pregnancy.”
“Shit! Don’t tell me he impregnated her when he raped her.”
“No, the pup is her mate’s, and although her wolf emerged in the meantime and helped her transition, her nightmares continue. She can now shift, but her wolf doesn’t allow it since she’s pregnant.”
“A wolf is territorial any day of the week. If his mate is pregnant, it will only increase his protective senses.”
“Which is why her mate wants her away from trauma. But it seems this Lily is stubborn enough to convince him to come with her.”
“He’s trying to protect her...” muttered Declan. Couldn’t say he wouldn’t do the same.
“His mate was taken from under his eye and now is pregnant and willing to confront her fear head on. It makes her brave and him, scared shitless. Of course he’s trying to protect her. I’m surprised he didn’t tie her to the bed until the pup is born.”
Minutes later there was a soft knock at the door that preceded the entrance of the couple.