Page 14 of Sasha's Wounded Wolf

“Nico,” I warned.

“Why?” Bastion wanted to know.

“Because other than the four men Rowan thought of as brothers, there was only one other person who’d met my sister. One man who’d tried to talk Rowan out of taking her as his mate. He was very vocal about what she lacked and how unworthy she was.”

“He’s probably gone then,” Bastion stated. “We cleaned the garbage from the Rigtons when we took them into our pack.”

Nico snorted, but I replied before he could.

“This garbage is still here. Closer than you could even imagine.”

“Give me a name,” Bastion demanded, using that alpha tone to try to make me fall into place.

“You’re not my alpha,” I snapped, my hackles rising. “Rowan was the only alpha I’ve ever accepted. There will never be another.”

Raina snorted at that then put a hand over her mouth to try to stifle a laugh.

“Christ,” Bastion growled, glaring at his wife. “Where have I heard that before?”

She shrugged then sobered as she looked back at me. After a long glance, she nodded.

“I know who it was. The same man who told me I was mating one of the James Pack because he commanded it. That I was to make myself available when Bastion and some of his pack came to visit. So they could look me over and let me know who I was mating.”

Bastion growled, standing. Several other wolves rose, as well.

“You were always my mate,” he snarled. “That was never in question.”

“There was a little bit of a question,” Raina offered, holding her thumb and finger slightly apart.

“I’ll kill him,” Bastion said, voice suddenly soft and calm.

Raina went to her husband and placed herself in front of him, her back against his chest, tugging one of his arms around her waist and holding it there. It was obviously something she did often. I watched the tension ease from him until he pulled her even closer and bent to inhale the scent of her hair. I understood that. Rowan had often come to me after dealing with things. He said I soothed him. That all he needed was my scent to ease him.

“Tell me, Sasha,” Raina asked softly. “Is it my father who kept you away all this time?”

I nodded.

“He might have some old-school ideas when it comes to how a pack is run and what a mate should bring to the pack, but he wouldn’t have turned you away.”

I laughed at that, but there was no mirth in the sound.

“He would have kept me around long enough to give birth to my son then found a way to slit my throat.”

“No,” Raina denied.

“You’re right,” I agreed. “He probably wouldn’t want any offspring that came from my womb.”

“No matter what you thought of him in the past, losing Rowan changed him. Broke him,” Raina insisted.

“It definitely sounds like it from how you said he proposed you should mate with Bastion,” I agreed with a snap. “And I’m sure losing Rowan did break him. I’m glad it did. That’s nothing less than he deserves.”

“For saying you’re not good enough for my brother?”

“The day before I was attacked,” I stated.

“What?” Bastion asked when Raina shook her head in confusion.

“The day before the attack is when Rowan took me to meet his father. To introduce me and let his father know that he’d be presenting me to the pack as his mate as soon as Raina arrived. Richard Byrd scoffed at the suggestion. Made his feelings about how worthless I would be as a mate well-known. He told Rowan to go ahead and fuck me out of his system, if he needed to, then to find a mate.”

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