Page 56 of The Renegade Mate

I sighed, taking a step back from my brothers and running a hand through my hair. “I want to run over there and rip all their heads off. But they’ll kill Mai and Sofia as soon as I step foot inside the gates.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re finally seeing some sense. Here,” he handed me a note, his eyes softening for just a moment, “I found this in the kitchen. Mai left it for you.”

I took the note, my hands steady as I read Mai’s handwriting.

I don’t see another way. I can’t just let Sofia die. This is what Alphas do, Ryan. We put ourselves on the line to protect our Pack. If you and I are going to make this work, if we are going to be together, then you have to trust me. You can’t wrap me up in cotton wool. It would take longer, but it would kill me just the same as Hayley’s knife would.

- Mai

Fuck!

She was right, and I hated that. Hated that she was there, in the compound with Brock and Hayley, and I couldn’t reach her. Hated that if we were going to be the Alpha pair, she would need to repeatedly put her life on the line and there was nothing I could do about it. Not if I wanted her to stay with me.

“We need to gather our supporters,” I ordered. “Brock and Hayley will take them to the Meet. We’ll do whatever it takes to bring them back.”

I looked around the room at the faces of our renegade Pack. Wally’s whole stance screamed his determination to make us see sense. Jase was in the corner. He looked small and still held a guilty look in his eyes. He felt bad about letting Mai go, but right now, I didn’t have it in me to forgive him. Not until I had her back in my arms, safe and unharmed. Mason stared at me, a look of pride on his face. Derek was a roiling bundle of rage, just waiting to explode. I could use that. I’d just need to make sure he was pointed in the right direction when he went off.

This was it. My Pack now. Our numbers were dwindling rapidly, but while there were still some of us alive and ready to fight, we’d keep going. We’d get Mai and Sofia back. We’d get justice for Jem. We’d rebuild what we lost. And then Mai and I were going to have a long, hard talk about her making decisions behind my back.

Chapter thirty-three

Mai

Asharp, metallic clang resounded as my eyes fluttered open, an unpleasant welcome back to consciousness. The stale, cold air and gray concrete beneath me were hints of where I found myself: trapped in a basement. Again. I turned my face, scenting the air. It was just me in here. No Sofia. Where the hell were they keeping her?

I pulled myself up into a sitting position, my ribs screaming at me and my head thumping. Brock had a mean right hook. Dried blood was crusted on my face. I traced the cut over my right eye with my fingertips and felt that it had closed. My muscles ached, and I felt stiff and sore and fucking angry.

I was in a cage, one of six in the room. I guessed this was in the cage room in Jem’s house. No, not Jem’s anymore. Hayley’s and Brock’s. Every Pack had one: a place to safely keep any werewolf who might harm others. This included those who were injured, grieving, or teenagers who were having a hard time controlling their wolves with all the hormones raging through them. It was the most secure place to put a werewolf, and I’d never heard of anyone escaping a cage before.

The thought turned my stomach, and for a moment, I thought I was going to be sick. I shook my head, wincing at the pain the movement caused. If I was here, in the cage room, where were all Ryan’s enforcers and their families who were swept up by Brock being kept?

I narrowed my eyes as the room door opened, the bright light hurting my head.

“Nice of you to join the land of the living, Parker,” a voice echoed through the room.

“No thanks to you,” I murmured, touching my head.

“Oh, please. I didn’t really hurt you. Not the bad-ass, precious sister of Jem.”

I frowned, realizing that Brock was still hung up about Jem beating Oliver to be Alpha. Brock’s dad had been the Beta of the Pack under Oliver, and they both thought he would take over someday. Then Jem came along and challenged him for the Beta spot.

“You know, I could get used to seeing you like this,” he said as he prowled closer. In school, Brock had been a lanky kid, but he’d filled out since then, and now he was a wall of pure muscle. His sandy hair fell in a tousled wave over his forehead, and his eyes raked over me, gleaming.

“Locked down here, waiting for me. Always wondered what Ryan saw in you. Maybe it’s about time I had a taste myself.”

I sighed. I’d been locked in a basement before, when Seth took me. I’d been there, done that. “Could you try not to be so predictable? Honestly, the creepy sex thing? It’s not about sex or desire; it’s just another way for you to show your power over me. You want to dominate, Brock, I get that. But be a bit original. You’re going to have to try harder if you want me to be frightened by a pathetic little weasel like you.”

His eyes flashed in anger, but I had to give it to him, he controlled it.

“Brave words from a caged shifter, Mai.” He smirked, leaning on the bars of the cage. “You know, you’re right. This isn’t about sex. It's about power. Power that you’ve never respected.” His voice softened as he leaned forward. “My dad was the rightful Beta of this Pack. He had power. Then Jem came along and took it from him. I don’t know how—that’s not important—but he cheated. Only Oliver was stronger than my dad, and Oliver was prepping him to take over. There's no way Jem could have won in a fair fight. The Three Rivers Pack was supposed to come to my dad. In time, it would have been mine. The succession was guaranteed. This Pack, Mai, this Pack was supposed to be mine.” He stared at me, the hatred in his eyes obvious to see. “But then Jem and Ryan killed him.”

“Oliver?” Hell, yes, they killed Oliver. Oliver was an asshole who should have given up the Alpha spot when his mate died. Instead, he clung on, becoming more bitter and sadistic each year.

“Not Oliver! My dad.” Brock snarled. “Jem was the traitor! That’s all he ever was, a cheat and a traitor. He murdered my dad, and stole the Pack from me.”

I knew after Oliver died, there’d been a brutal battle between Oliver’s enforcers and Jem and Hayley’s supporters. I hadn’t realized Brock’s dad had been one of those who had died.

“I was on the cusp of being accepted into the enforcers. I trained with them; I hung out with them. I was made, Mai. Then Jem and Ryan took over and booted all of us out. Put in some stupid rule about being twenty before you could even apply. I had nothing. No dad, no job, no position. I had to beg for food; did you know that? Fucking Ryan found out about school. About me joshing you. You, Jem’s precious little sister, who couldn’t hack it and took off. That wasn’t my fault. Ryan, your own mate, was the one who fucking rejected you. But he went out of his way to make sure I wasn’t welcome here, that no one would give me work. I had to leave. But I didn’t run away like you, Mai." Brock stood back, looking me up and down, contempt written all over his face. "No, I went to get stronger. To find allies. To learn so I could come back here and take what is rightfully mine. That’s the power I’ll have soon.”

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