Page 20 of Wolf Crowned

I waved at the laptop. “Pick out what we need and add them to a shopping cart of whichever store can get them here the fastest and I’ll get them ordered.”

Brandon swallowed and then cleared his throat. “I’ll need a nicer one than your standard run-of-the-mill laptop.”

I sighed. Why did everything have to be so expensive? Oh well. We were fighting for our lives. I wasn’t going to skimp out on the one thing that could save the pack.

“Get what you need.”

Brandon drummed his fingers on the table. “Thanks, Sloane.”

I gave him a warm smile. “Hey, thank you. What you did was impressive.”

His face reddened. “It was nothing really.” He fidgeted with his shirt collar.

Mom opened a kitchen cupboard. “I had no idea you could do all that, Brandon. Good job.”

The reddish tinge deepened. “Thanks, guys.”

I clapped my hands against my thighs before standing up. I didn’t want my brother to feel anymore awkward than he already was. “Keep up the great work. I need to go make the rounds and see how the rebuilding is coming along and check on the wolfsbane.”

Brandon put his hands back on the table and leaned forward. “The last of the wolfsbane was planted last night. It should just be harvesting the rest up now for whatever we intend to use it for.”

Mom made a noise in the back of her throat and shuddered. “I hate that stuff is here. It makes me nervous with all the youngsters running around.” She fiddled with the necklace around her neck.

I hated it too. “It’s a necessary evil, Mom. I’ll make sure to tell everyone to talk to their kids again about the danger.” I mashed my lips together. “We are outnumbered and Alpha Dane uses it too. We have to stay in the fight.”

Willa stopped stirring her mixture and glanced up. “Alpha Dane will use everything he has to hurt us. We need to protect ourselves any way we can.”

Mom heaved out a long sigh. “I know that, but I don’t want to see us lose ourselves and values during this fight. It does no one any good if we compromise the very thing we are fighting for in our quest for victory.”

Mom had a point, but I was going to do everything I could to protect this pack and those I loved. I prayed Luna made sure I didn’t lose my sanity in the process.

Eight

Sawyer

I swallowed hard as I offered my hand. “So we have a deal, then?”

Luke Brighten’s gaze drifted to my outstretched arm and then dragged back up to my eyes. He puffed out his cheeks as he blew out a breath.

My belly knotted. What if I’d made a mistake telling him everything?

There was nothing stopping him from running to my dad and telling him I was the mole he was looking for. It would get him ahead in the pack and out of the prisoner quarters.

No. I couldn’t think like that.

My dad’s top enforcer, Drake, had been harassing Ruby the past few weeks. The girl was terrified of him. Taking out Drake and my dad was the only way Luke could ensure his sister was protected.

But did he know that?

Luke clenched his hand and then let it relax before slipping his palm into mine. “You make sure that scum stays away from my sister for good and I’ll rally the enforcers that are being kept here.” His gaze slid to his sister. “I’ve been here long enough, I know who can be trusted and who can’t.”

Ruby collapsed onto the bed, making the springs creak. Her green eyes staring vacantly at some unknown spot on the wall. “What do I need to do?”

I gritted my teeth. “Keep up appearances if my father or any of his men are around when we are together.”

She licked her lips, her attention snapping to me, a fire burning in her eyes that was hot enough to burn. “That’s it? No funny business. Or is this a ploy to get in my pants?”

Luke cleared his throat. “Ruby,” he hissed. He gave me an apologetic look.

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