Page 5 of Hidden Pain

“Have they done much damage?” Hunter was growing beyond frustrated with a group of unknowns who saw fit to trespass onto his lands and take food meant for the pack. Not all of the pack members were solely carnivores like him. Some had grown to enjoy vegetables on occasion, and they’d had a small area cordoned off to grow them. His vision for his pack was to be as self-sufficient as possible.

“We lost most of the potato crop. I asked Janette to see what she can salvage and to order in new stock.”

Hunter nodded at his security officer’s handling of the situation. Janette was a hippy wolf who tended to the vegetable gardens as well as the contents of a secret shed containing a less legal product, which she thought he didn’t know about.

“Good. I want security doubled in that area.”

Everyone nodded agreement.

“Christian, have we got any intel on who could be behind it? Could it be the rabbit shifters again?” Hunter hated rabbit shifters. There was a rule implemented by the Council, stating he couldn’t hunt them, because they were shifters like him. He could only hunt rabbits that weren’t shifters. However, there was nothing in the rules to stop the furry, little fluffy tails from eating his grass and procreating regularly in holes they made on his front lawn. The females fell pregnant at the drop of a hat, or to be more accurate, one good fuck! They were a menace to society in his opinion. If the Council wanted to worry about something, it should be rabbit shifters taking over the world and not humans unveiling shifters.

“No, since we flushed them out with the water cannons, there’s been no sign of them.” Christian smirked and Hunter joined in as they both replayed the memory of rabbits flying everywhere when they’d sprayed them with high-powered water blasts.

“Ok, keep your ear to the ground. Go out and have a good sniff around. Hopefully, we can pick up a scent if any of the trespassers return. I will not let this happen anymore. Nobody comes onto these lands uninvited. These intruders need to be stopped.”

Everyone in the room murmured agreement with his order, and Hunter knew it would be carried out.

“Talking of invites…” The room silenced at his beta’s words.

“Yes…?” Hunter responded, his thick arms folded over his chest, already knowing what was coming next.

“Our guests…do we have a date when they expect to return to Montana? I know most of the Glacial Blood pack members have already left but some still remain. It makes it a little hard to secure our lands when there is a witch who can come and go as she pleases, visiting her friends and bringing others back and forth to visit the babies…cat babies.”

Hunter knew his beta wasn’t overly fond of his offer to help the Glacial Blood pack. Christian was used to being surrounded by wolves in Hunter’s pack. He was particularly averse to shifter felines, having been born into a family who had little tolerance for cats. Christian had worked on reducing his animosity toward them since joining the pack, however, sometimes his ingrained hatred flared. Hunter realized he needed to lay down the law about his decision to assist the Glacial Blood pack.

“The majority of the pack have returned to Montana, but it’s not safe for those who are pregnant or have children to return there at present. I’ve offered an open-ended invitation to Selene, Emma, Brayden, Scott, and the children to stay here under our protection for as long as needed. Brayden and Scott will be free to come and go, depending on their duties to their pack. This will continue to be facilitated by the witch, Jessica. There are no risks to our security that need concern anyone here. Jessica is an experienced Wicca and will not bring in anyone she feels could harm us.” He sat back in his chair when he finished speaking. His stern expression showing his lack of willingness to bend on this decision.

“I have to argue against this.” Christian continued to push his point. “We’re not a pack of all sorts like the Glacial Blood, we’re a pack of wolf shifters. We’re not used to mixing, and it could lead to friction and misunderstandings. Additionally, several of their members have had issues with the Council recently. They even tried Emma for murder.”

“And acquitted her,” Hunter interrupted.

“And Selene was caught on camera shifting. Her baby is a liability if it can force her to do that. What if it does it while she’s out on our lands? It could expose us to the humans and bring their vengeance to our door,” Christian continued.

Hunter had to admit his beta had a point about Selene. Her baby’s need to protect its mother made her a liability. “The Council has cleared Emma of any wrongdoing. She is a new mother and focused on caring for her children in a difficult time. Selene is an issue, and I’ll discuss it further with her and Brayden. Maybe Jessica could help with a spell. The Council has dispelled the video of Selene shifting as a hoax. Congressman Ross’ downfall aided that. I honestly don’t believe we’ll have any problems, but I understand the pack’s unease. We don’t want to have any issues with the humans surrounding our lands. We’re a peaceful pack and want to stay that way. However, I cannot turn friends away. We would expect the same kindness if it were us in that situation.”

Hunter needed to test the waters further on his pack’s concerns regarding the two Glacial Blood women staying at his mansion. What he was about to do was a risk, but one that would hopefully solidify his decision with the pack. “I’m willing to put it to a vote to ensure I have your backing. Subject to me reporting back on a solution with Selene, all those in favor of giving them sanctuary raise your hands in the air.”

Most of his pack raised their hands. Christian didn’t, however, which was a worry since his beta should have supported him. He couldn’t let it get to him, but he would have to watch how his beta interacted with their guests and replace him if necessary. It would be done reluctantly, though.

“Is that everything?” Hunter asked, placing his hands on the table ready to push himself up to stand and leave.

“One more thing.” Christian wasn’t done yet, and Hunter sagged back down into his seat. “The prisoner and Congressman Ross’ son. Why are they still here?”

This would be more difficult to explain. He wasn’t sure why they were both still here. It was more of a gut feeling burning deep inside that made him want to keep them close. Kingsley was wounded and partially broken by what had happened to him, and Lily wasn’t all she seemed—she may have been responsible for unveiling Selene to the humans, but it was clearly an order from a higher authority capable of manipulating whatever was going on inside Lily’s head.

“Kas wants Lily held until he’s decided what to do with her. He would take her to his dungeon in Montana, but he has more pressing issues with his brother at the moment. I offered to look after her for him.” Hunter paused and folded his arms over his chest. “I believe there’s more to Lily’s story than we originally thought, and I plan to investigate it with Kingsley’s help. Whether we like it or not, there is a war coming between humans and shifters. We need to make sure we can protect ourselves, and that means assisting those who may be a victim of it and learning all we can from those who have useful information to share. Kingsley is not like his father. His sister married a shifter, and he’s lost his finger protecting us. We owe him.”

Most of his pack murmured their acknowledgment of this fact although he made a mental note of a couple who didn’t seem very happy.

“So she’ll stay in the dungeon. What if we need it for other purposes?” Christian asked.

This time Hunter stood to get his message across. It made him more imposing.

“No, she won’t. Tomorrow, I’ll be bringing her up to the rooms next to mine.”

“Ebony’s rooms?” Christian interrupted him.

“Yes. And they’re no longer Ebony’s rooms. She’s gone back to her pack, and our marriage is over.” Hunter had returned his ex-wife to her pack after he’d seen her true colors and the level of prejudice within her. He wasn’t prepared to stay married to someone like that. After she’d left, he realized life without her was much easier…more peaceful. She wasn’t his true mate. His heart had never beat solely for her. The marriage was one of convenience and duty, and it was doomed to failure because it was loveless. He snapped out of his reflection to see his beta roll his eyes.

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