Page 42 of What a Wolf's Heart Decides

Ben let out a soft groan. “Good grief, Sabine, you’re as bad as Mom.”

Sabine laughed.

Glenna gestured around at everyone’s plates. “Let’s eat before all this wonderful food goes to waste.” She nodded at Haley. “Then I’ll tell you why Bard Bennett is so angry with me.”

As if a general had just issued a command, Ben and Sabine grabbed their utensils and dug in, their heads bent over their food. Glenna did the same, spreading a thick layer of butter over her topmost pancake before drizzling syrup over the whole stack and tucking in.

With an inward shrug, Haley followed suit. As soon as she cut into the fluffy tower, her appetite came roaring back. The first bite proved Ben right. Sabine really did make the best breakfast. The pancakes were toasted golden on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. After twenty-four hours without food, the combination of pancake, butter, and syrup was like heaven. As she ate, she swore she could feel her muscles gaining strength. No wonder she’d nearly broken down in front of Bard last night. She’d been stupid to skip meals. As Dom liked to tell the trainees at the Lodge, “A hungry werewolf is a dangerous werewolf.”

Or, in her case, an emotional one.

The four of them ate in silence, the only sounds the scrape of forks on plates. It was one of the benefits of eating with werewolves. Their metabolism meant they needed more calories than humans. As a result, no one was overly precious about table manners. In werewolf households, meals were usually consumed with a single-minded devotion to getting food from plates to stomachs as quickly as possible. That didn’t leave much room for polite dinner conversation.

Ben finished first, pushing his plate away and wiping his mouth with one of the white cloth napkins Glenna had set out. “That was great, Sabine.”

Sabine dragged a forkful of pancake through the syrup on her plate. “Any time, Benny.”

He rolled his eyes, but his mouth twitched. “I thought I asked you not to call me that.”

“You asked, yes. I just decided not to comply.”

Haley looked between them as she chewed her last bite. Their banter was like that of a much older sister to a little brother. It certainly wasn’t sexual.

Not that it matters. Not after his confession about being unable to find a suitable mate.

Glenna finished and set down her fork and knife. Then she pinned Haley with a look. “So. You want to know why I went behind the Alpha’s back to bring you here.”

“Um . . .” Haley tossed Ben a look. Apparently, Sabine wasn’t the only blunt wolf in Elder Lake.

Ben put a big hand over Glenna’s, hushing her before she could go on. “What my mom means to say is that she apologizes for lying to you and dragging you into a bad situation.”

“I didn’t lie to her,” Glenna said, pulling her hand away. She smoothed back a few blond wisps that had escaped her ponytail. “I lied to Maxime Simard.”

“Mom.”

Glenna waved him off. “Oh, fine. I admit I was dishonest.” She focused on Haley. “But I was desperate. One day, when you have a child of your own, you’ll understand.”

That was an aspirational statement if Haley had ever heard one. Assuming she could find someone willing to mate her, there was no guarantee she’d have offspring. Dom and Lily were an anomaly with their growing family. Most werewolf couples tried for years—even decades—to have a child.

But she didn’t challenge Glenna. For one thing, it wasn’t worth arguing with her. More importantly, though, it was becoming clear that Glenna was a dominant wolf. The cute apron and blond ponytail were just window dressing. The real Glenna was all tooth and claw, and she was obviously prepared to use both to secure a good future for her son.

She glanced at him now, some of the steel in her face tempered by motherly devotion. “I invited you to Washington because I want Ben to have a good life. Here, in his home.” She put emphasis on the last word.

Haley could respect that, even if she didn’t agree with Glenna’s methods. “I take it there aren’t any Stalwarts in Elder Lake?”

Glenna smiled, but there wasn’t any humor in it. “There aren’t any eligible females in Elder Lake, period.” A frown wrinkled her forehead. “Didn’t you know that? The Washington Territory hasn’t seen a birth or a mating in—”

“Ten years. Max told me.”

“He didn’t tell you everything,” Glenna said. She gave Sabine a quick glance. “We have the highest rate of latents in the country.” She spread her hands. “We’re desperate to increase our numbers. Still, Bard refuses to approve matings in the territory.”

What? Confusion coursed through Haley. “I don’t understand. He won’t approve any matings?”

“Not in the territory,” Ben said. “Dozens of couples have asked over the years. He said no every time.”

Glenna’s frown deepened. “So they left.” She let out a huff. “He can’t control what goes on in other territories.”

Haley shook her head. “But . . . that doesn’t make sense. You obviously need more numbers. He should welcome matings, not forbid them.”

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