Page 28 of Dawn of the Pack

Suddenly, the four of them shift uncomfortably, and the conversation dies.

Sighing, I turn my focus back to my plate. Clearly, I’d said the wrong thing.

We suffer through the rest of the meal in virtual silence, and it’s not until my staff clears the dishes away and brings out desserts with a carafe of coffee that I attempt again.

“I suppose we can do away with the pleasantries at this point. You know why Dom asked you to come: Your alpha forcibly removed Derrek from my territory and I’m concerned about his safety. I don’t want to interfere with your pack business, but I need to know that he’s okay, and free to leave if he wants to.”

The three younger men turn to Jeff, whose jaw clenches and eyebrows lower. “You say you don’t want to interfere in our pack business, but it seems to me that’s exactly what you’re trying to do,” he retorts in a gravelly voice. “What business is it of yours if he’s okay? Leaf belongs to Pack Montrose.”

A surge of fury rises in my chest at the challenge, and I force it down with a few slow breaths. I can’t reveal just why he’s so important to me, or it’ll put him in even more danger. “He and I have been friends for a very long time, dating back to my childhood in Los Angeles. He was here, teaching classes, before your alpha entered my territory, claimed he was his heir, and took him against his will. I have every reason to be concerned about his well being.”

“The alpha can do whatever he likes with his pack members.”

“It’s my understanding that Derrek was disowned by the pack when he failed to complete a mission on behalf of the alpha.”

“Once he knew Leaf was his son, the alpha chose to be merciful and welcome him back.”

“I wouldn’t consider tying Derrek up and dragging him away very ‘welcoming.’”

“Well, like I said, it’s none of your business,” the older man replies stubbornly.

The fury gets the better of me. “If you’re so determined to be unhelpful, why did you even come here?”

Jeff meets my energy head on, snarling right back. “I wanted to know if you’re the incredible alpha Dom claims you are, or if you’re just a teenage girl on a power trip. So far I haven’t seen anything to impress me.”

A swift wave of gratification swoops through me to hear that, despite his behavior, my uncle has been singing my praises to complete strangers.

My mates have been dutifully silent until now, but at this insult, Milo jumps to his feet, his chair tumbling backward. “You will not speak to the alpha that way in her own home,” he snarls viciously. “You are a guest here, and as such, I won’t dishonor her by attacking you. However, if you have no interest in helping, I’m happy to show you to the door.”

When he rises, my eyes turn to him in surprise. A deep angry red creeps up his face, veins pulsing in his neck as he verbally tears into the much older man. His fingers grip the table so tightly they’re turning white.

“Milo.” I set a hand gently on his arm. “Thank you. I can take it from here.”

My mate exhales a long, unsteady breath and reclaims the seat Mr. Carson had already replaced behind him.

I give him one more reassuring pat and turn my attention back to my apparent opponent. “I’m not here to put on a performance for you,” I tell him coldly. “Dom assured me there were good people at Pack Montrose that want us to work together. I invited you here on good faith, but if you have none for me, this conversation is over.”

“He’s not free to leave,” Billy interjects in a rush. “He’s being held against his will. And they’re hurting-”

“Billy!” Jeff turns to the younger man in absolute fury. “Shut it, now!”

“What does it matter? She already knows he doesn’t want to be there. It’s hardly as if she doesn’t suspect they’re torturing him.”

It’s not the news I was hoping for, but his willingness to talk gives me a tiny crumb of hope.

“So what exactly do you expect of me, Jeff? What were you hoping to see that would impress you? So far, I’ve welcomed you into my home, served you dinner, and attempted to be civil despite your behavior.”

The older man snorts, his face turning red. “More than fancy houses and tea time, that’s for damn sure. All I see is a spoiled little girl who surrounds herself with weak males and differential staff that play into her every whim. You-”

“That is enough,” I growl, the alpha command rumbling deep in my chest as I stand and face him. “I don’t hold power over my pack because I threaten them with violence or submission. My pack is strong because we all believe in one thing, despite the curse we live under, thanks to your pack. So I’d say it is a sign of incredible strength that—despite all of that—I’ve reached out to you in the hopes we could work together. That members of my pack are here serving you without complaint or animosity, knowing that you enjoy freedoms your ancestors stripped from us decades ago.”

Jeff stands, leaning over the table to meet me at eye level despite being nearly a foot taller. “If you’re so strong, prove it.”

I glare at him without flinching. “And what exactly would you consider ‘proving it’?”

At this, he rises to his full height. “I’ve only been defeated by two wolves: the alpha, and the beta. If you can best me in a fight, then perhaps I’ll believe you can take on our alpha.”

He wants me to fight him as a wolf? Doesn’t he realize females are stronger?

---