Page 30 of Wolf Sacrificed

I pounded my fist on the desk hard enough that it made it rattle. “What do you think the alpha is going to say if I don’t show up and send someone else? If I’m offering him a space in our pack, the offer needs to come from me. My decision is final. If Father were here, this is the exact course of action he would’ve taken. I’m sure of it. You didn’t question Father. None of you. Stop doing it to me.”

My voice came out harsh.

Mom flinched, and Mark ducked his head down.

Good. Not that I didn’t want advice. I did. I’d take all the advice I could get. It was the doubt I didn’t appreciate. It had to stop now.

I glared at everyone in the room. “Does anyone else have any questions?”

When no one said anything, I motioned to the door. “All right, we all have things that we have to do today as well. The lumber should be arriving any minute, and I want to start working on building as quickly as possible.”

They stared at me a moment longer, but Brandon—Luna love him—was the first one to get up. The couch groaned as he moved, and he had to hold on to Mark’s knee to pull himself out of the sunken cushions.

He strolled to the door, giving me a small smile. “I’ll see you first thing tomorrow morning if I don’t see you before then.”

My chest lightened. I had a newfound respect for my brother. People had always second-guessed him. He didn’t fit into the typical wolf mold like everyone else. Brandon was a jokester and into gaming and computer stuff big time. He was an asset, someone I would use to my advantage.

The other three guys filed out of the room and closed the door behind them.

I gazed at my mom then at Lincoln. He’d been unusually silent for the most part during the meeting.

I sat back on the desk and crossed one leg over the other. “You don’t approve.”

It wasn’t a question.

Mom and Lincoln went to both speak at the same time. Lincoln held his hand out, indicating for my mom to go first.

Mom closed the distance and put her hands on my shoulders. “My love, you are doing a great job with an impossible task. People are going to question you every step of the way. It’s in our nature. I don’t mean for you to think that I doubt you. I don’t.”

I ducked my head down. She might not have meant it, but that’s what it felt like.

She pulled me into a hug and smoothed her hand up and down my back as she made a shushing noise. “This is what your father would have done. You are right.”

I jerked back from her so hard I almost fell off the other side of the desk. I fought to right myself as anger brimmed below the surface. “Then why?”

She flinched, and her bottom lip trembled as tears shimmered in her eyes. “Oh, my sweet girl. I’ve lost Darrin and now your father. My heart can’t take losing anyone else. I’m terrified for you.”

She sniffled and wiped the back of her hand under her eyes. Then she blew out a breath and stood tall.

Mom tucked her finger underneath my chin, tilting it up so I had to meet her eyes. “If you tell the other alphas your plan and invite other enforcers along, you need this to go off without a hitch. There is the real possibility that you could fail because he has been careful to stay out of the fight so far. If that happens, I know for a fact you will be challenged.”

Eleven

Sloane

We were almost there.

My heart thundered so hard I was sure everyone else in the car could hear it.

Brandon flipped on the blinker, and the patter of it filled the cabin like it was a ticking time bomb.

Everything counted on this meeting going well. I could do this. I had to.

I held my breath as the park came into view. Lots of children played on the swing set and wooden playground. They ran around laughing and screaming as they chased each other.

Oh, to be young and carefree again. The weight of the world pressed against my shoulders, causing a permanent kink in the back of my neck.

Alpha Charles sat on one bench at the far end of the playground. Three enforcers surrounded him, guarding him, and it looked like he had several others a few feet away. They stood by a tree, their eyes intent on their alpha.

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