Page 80 of The Renegade Mate

"Not interested, Derek," Sofia said, holding his gaze and putting down her tray. "I'll never be interested." And with that, she turned and walked away, Derek's eyes trailing after her.

I wondered if I was the only one who knew she was full of shit.

"You're going to have to work a hell of a lot harder than that, bro," Ryan laughed. "You've got a fuckload of groveling to do, if you're finally ready to admit she's your mate."

"Yeah …" Derek trailed off, his expression dark.

"What about Brock's enforcers?" I asked, pulling Derek's attention back from wherever he'd gone to in his head.

Derek grimaced. "Most of them escaped. They'll be helping Brock but we know who they are. The rest of them are being guarded by our enforcers."

My stomach rumbled loudly. Ryan glanced at me and smiled.

"We'll deal with that later, Derek. Right now—"

“Right now, you both need food. Before you two starve,” Derek said as he passed us two plates loaded with food.

I dug in gratefully, the first bite of juicy burger melting in my mouth. A blissful moan escaped me as I chewed; I hadn't realized just how hungry I was.

After we’d eaten, I curled up in Ryan’s lap, basking in the warmth of the fire and my Pack’s presence. Apart from those with serious injuries, everyone who had fought for us that day sat around the fire, silent, protective. I felt safe and happy. Ryan's arms came around me, holding me close as he rested his chin on the top of my head.

“We should get some rest. We’ll need to head back soon, announce ourselves again at Three Rivers. It’s important we do it on our territory as well,” he said softly, though he made no effort to shift me from his lap.

“In a minute,” I murmured.

Ryan pressed a kiss to the top of my head, his lips curving into a smile against my hair. “As long as I have you in my arms, I’m in no hurry to go anywhere.”

Warmth flooded me at his words, my heart swelling with love for this man who had turned my whole world upside down. I tipped my head back to meet his gaze, drowning in the depths of his blue eyes.

My contentment dimmed when a sleek black SUV rolled to a stop about twenty feet from us.

What now?

The driver’s side door opened, and a statuesque woman stepped out. Her skin was a rich shade of ebony, glowing in the morning light, and her piercing amber eyes seemed to take everything in at once. She wore a tailored white pantsuit that screamed authority, with a lavender silk blouse peeking out underneath. A silver wolf-head pin adorned her lapel. I didn’t recognize her, but power radiated off her in waves.

The woman glanced around, her eyes settling on me and Ryan, then headed straight for us. She moved like she was someone who knew how to fight and was confident they were the baddest person in the area. “Alpha Mai Parker and Alpha Ryan Shaw?”

I lifted my chin. “Yes.”

She nodded, her lips curling in a half-smile that was both pleased and predatory. “Excellent. I’m Talia Johnson. I work for the Wolf Council, and I’m here to commend you both for how you handled the Brock Harris and Hayley Parker situation.”

I blinked, confused. How did they know? Was someone keeping them informed? And was it usual for the Council to send a representative to congratulate all new Alphas? I didn’t think so. The Council only usually turned up when there was trouble, and she’d missed that boat by a few hours.

Her voice was velvety, but with a steel undertone as she continued, “The Council has been notably impressed with your resilience and your strength in the face of threats to your authority. You both have proven yourselves worthy Alphas for the Three Rivers.”

“Thank you,” Ryan said, his tone icy. He didn’t like her sudden appearance any more than I did. “We appreciate the Council’s vote of confidence.”

Talia’s eyes twinkled, and her smile widened just a bit, revealing a row of impeccable teeth. “You’re guarded. That’s understandable. I assure you, I’m here to help.”

Help? I took a guess at her real motives. “Are you here about ripple? Or about the witches?”

She swung her eyes to me. I felt like an ant who’d just ridden a tiny unicycle in front of a human. I’d done something surprising, and now she was assessing me.

“Both actually.”

“So, you think they’re linked, too?”

She inclined her head. “I can see that we have a lot to talk about, Mai Parker. However, my primary role here today is to remind you that the Three Rivers Pack is due to nominate a new Council member in five days.”

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