“Are we staying?” Ren frowned, looking from his father to my mother.
“It hardly seems polite to leave two lovely ladies on their own, seeing how Stephen can’t be here to watch over them.” Emile wandered to my mother’s side, letting his fingers slide through her hair. She paled but didn’t move.
“We can take care of ourselves,” I snapped.
“Not like a man could,” he said, fingers moving from my mother’s hair to trace her jawline. “Naomi, what nonsense have you been filling that girl’s head with? She’s not about to give my boy trouble, now, is she?”
“She will be a fine mate,” she said. “Deserving of your son.”
I stared at her, not understanding why she didn’t shove him away. I knew how strong my mother was; she might not be able to take Emile in a fight, but she could certainly fend him off.
“Fine indeed. Just like her mother, I suppose. You’re a good girl, Naomi. You know your place. I’ve always thought it a shame we weren’t better friends.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, but I could see her hands trembling.
“The night is young,” Emile continued, leaning down so his lips touched her ear. “And full of possibility. We could make up for lost time.”
“How dare you!” I was on my feet. “Get away from her!”
Emile whirled on me, snarling. “Renier, take your little bitch upstairs!”
“I’m not going anywhere!” Only Ren’s grip on my shoulders kept me from flying at Emile.
“Father, we should go; it’s late and we’re overstaying our welcome,” Ren said quietly. “Stephen will be coming off patrol soon.”
“I suppose he will, won’t he?” Emile’s smile was like the light of an oncoming train. “I really should pay my respects.”
“I have a lot of homework to get done and I still have to call the pack about tomorrow’s run to Haldis,” Ren added. “I’d prefer to go now. Please.”
“I don’t know where you get your work ethic, boy.” Emile finished his drink, slamming the glass down on the arm of my mother’s chair. “It’s been a pleasure, Naomi.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Ren didn’t look at me when he spoke, following his father out the front door.
I watched as my mother stood up, straightening her blouse.
“Well, we’d better get this cleaned up.” She began collecting glasses, placing them on the tea tray.
“Mom,” I said. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
“Whatever do you mean, dear?”
“Why did you let Emile do that to you?”
“He’s an alpha male, Calla.” She didn’t meet my eyes as she continued to tidy the living room. “It’s simply their way.”
“Dad isn’t like that!”
“No,” she replied, lifting the tray. I followed her into the kitchen. “But Efron and Lumine prefer different characteristics in their leaders. Lumine encourages a stoic approach and of course—”
“Finesse,” I finished. “How could I forget?”
She offered me a flat smile. “Efron thinks it’s better to have alphas who use . . . a firmer hand.”
“Is that what you call it?” I snarled. “Because I’d say Efron and Emile are both leches!”
“Don’t be vile, Calla,” she snapped. “It’s unbecoming.”
“Are you going to tell Dad?” I asked.
She piled dishes into the sink. “Of course not. He hates Emile enough, and you heard our masters say that cooperation is of vital importance right now.
We can’t have the men tearing at each other while we’re trying to set up new defenses. They’re so silly that way.”
“Silly?! No one besides Dad is allowed to touch you!”
“No inferior man can touch me. This was about rival alphas. Something you’ll hopefully never have to live with. Emile will take any chance he has to challenge your father. He’s always wanted to prove he’s the dominant alpha of the two packs. It’s only gotten worse since Corinne was killed.”
“But—”
She turned on me, holding up her hand. “Leave it, Calla. It’s over.”
“So this is what finesse is?” I couldn’t hold back my outrage. “Acting like a whore for any man who visits your parlor?”
I was on the floor before I realized she’d hit me. My cheek throbbed from the blow.
“Listen very carefully, Calla.” My mother stood over me, her fist still clenched. “I said it once, and I don’t want to explain myself again. Emile is not any man. He is the Bane alpha. You cannot cross an alpha male, even when you belong to another. You risk your own life to do so. Do you understand me?”
Still dazed, I couldn’t speak.
“Do you understand me?” I’d never seen such a hard look in her eyes.
“Yes, Mother,” I whispered.
“You must be tired.” She rearranged her face into a picture of kindness. “Once I’ve finished here, I’ll make you some chamomile tea and draw you a bubble bath. You have a big day tomorrow.”
I nodded, numbly climbing the stairs. Ansel’s door was shut, music blasting from within. My mother must have sent him upstairs when the Keepers arrived. He didn’t hear any of that.
I thought about knocking but headed for my own room instead, letting my baby brother keep his dreams about romance and true love a little longer. I closed the door and started to cry, wondering how much time I had before my mother would appear with tea and when the Keepers would discover how far my betrayal had gone.
TWENTY-FIVE
“YOU CAN’T ALL GO TO THE CAVE.” I PACED along the base of the steep slope. My packmates had pleading eyes locked on me. We were still waiting for the Banes to arrive. The bare light of dawn made the earth shimmer in rusty hues that reminded me of Haldis. I shivered, knowing that the mysterious object was the reason for this patrol and that none of my packmates shared that secret. None of them could go to the cave. They’d know I’d been there and with another wolf. I was desperate to keep them away.
“But Logan has some horrible pet in there!” Fey exclaimed. “It’s not fair if we don’t all get to see it. I’ll bet it’s monsterific!”
“Did you really just say ‘monsterific’?” Bryn asked, garnering a stony expression from Fey. They’d been bickering more and more since the night at