Page 18 of Wolf Sacrificed

Willa and Sloane put their heads together, saying something I couldn’t quite hear.

I shoveled bacon and waffles into my mouth at the same time. My belly rumbled loudly, like I wasn’t trying to fill it as fast as I could. In between heaping bites of food, I took a swig of my juice as I gazed around the room.

Even in the small enforcers’ lodging area, there was still a sense of familiarity and family. But this was Sloane’s pack in here now. Everyone else was new. Sloane would need to find a way to get the packs to mingle and become united under her.

Mark filled up a glass of orange juice and came to stand next to me. “The lumber should be delivered this afternoon. We can start more construction work either later today or tomorrow.”

I nodded. “Good. Getting everyone housing will boost morale. Does Sloane know yet?”

Mark took a few big gulps of his orange juice. “Not yet. I’m just passing it along. She seems to be having a good conversation at the table.”

Mark was right. She was fully engrossed with the whole table, not just Willa.

Good. The more she interacted, the better.

I cut off a piece of waffle. “I’ll let her know. She wants to finish building the residences first. That way, everybody has a place to stay.”

Mark finished off the rest of his juice, swallowing hard enough that I could hear him as he drank it down. “I know. It will be good for everyone to have a bed, four walls, and a roof around them.”

“Agreed.”

Mark set his glass on the counter and folded his hands over his chest. “She didn’t look good. You shouldn’t have her out there around the other alphas like that.”

I ground my teeth. I wasn’t sure how she looked to everyone else, but my hands told me that she’d packed one hell of a punch when she threw it just right.

“She has to practice,” I said. “There’s no way around that.”

Mark’s jaw worked. “The alphas are questioning her already. She can’t show weakness.”

I narrowed my eyes at Mark. “I would never put Sloane’s safety in jeopardy. She’s showing that she’s willing to learn how to fight.”

Mark grunted. “And also that she doesn’t know how to fight. Lincoln, she looks weak.”

A growl bubbled out. Mark took a step back. I wanted him to be a little afraid of me right now.

“Your sister is not weak,” I hissed. “She’s anything but. I know a challenge is coming. She does too. She’ll be ready, but she needs people to believe in her.”

Mark rubbed the back of his neck as he leaned in and kept his voice a hushed whisper. “Look, I understand what you’re trying to do, Lincoln. But this pack can’t afford to lose another alpha. My mom has lost my brother and my father. What do you think it will do to her if she loses her daughter, too?”

My stomach knotted. My heart thudded painfully. It would kill Kathleen to lose someone else. She tried to hold herself together, but it wasn’t a secret that she was barely hanging on. Not that anyone could blame her.

I put a hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Sawyer and I won’t let anything happen to Sloane or the pack. I give you my word.”

Mark held my gaze for a moment longer before nodding. “Good. I hope you’re right.”

I felt Sloane coming closer before I saw her.

Her hand covered mine, the one that was on Mark’s shoulder. “Everything okay?”

I could hear the hesitation in her voice.

I mustered a smile. “Yeah, Mark was just telling me that the lumber is going to be delivered this afternoon.”

Her gaze shifted between the two of us like she wasn’t sure if she believed me or not. Then her eyes lit up, and a smile spread over her face. “If it gets here early enough, we’ll start building immediately. It will be nice for everyone to have a home of their own.”

Mark pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. “I have to get going to guard duty.”

Sloane squeezed between us and hugged her brother. “Be careful out there.”

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