Page 26 of Impregnated By the Alpha

“Last night?” I asked, perplexed.

She continued staring at me with wide eyes, and I realized I was going to have to dig deeper to figure out what she was talking about.

“I’m just here to drop off this basket and visit. Would it be okay if I came inside?” I asked.

Jane nodded and showed me into her living room. I placed the basket on the coffee table and sat down on a chair while my hostess sat across from me.

“I’m a little confused by your reaction to my visit. Did something happen last night?” I asked.

“Just the pack meeting. I assumed that was why you were here—to make sure we weren’t talking about you anymore,” Jane said.

“I didn’t know there was a meeting last night,” I admitted.

“Nile called one at the last minute because of how we were acting toward you at the diner yesterday,” she said. “He told everyone that if anyone spoke badly about you again, we’d be kicked out of Pinedale. I promise that I didn’t mean you any harm. Can you forgive me?”

I assured her that all was forgiven and cut my visit short. Aside from her sideways glances and mention of Diana yesterday, I couldn’t think of what harm she possibly could have done to me. I knew I didn’t have the full story, but I didn’t want to hear it from Jane.

Nile and I needed to talk.

“How was your morning?” he asked when I walked through the front door.

“Before I answer that, is there anything you’d like to tell me about what happened yesterday?” I asked.

After everything we had been through, I wanted to give Nile the chance to explain himself. We had enough miscommunication between us. The last thing we needed was more. And I wanted to see if he would tell me the truth.

Nile sighed.

“I had been wanting to talk to you about the pack meeting last night, but I didn’t know how to bring it up,” he admitted.

“It probably would have been better if you had told me about the meeting before it happened so that I could attend as well. But it’s been brought up now, so go ahead,” I said, signaling him to continue.

“After you left the diner yesterday, I asked the wolves if something was the matter. I got the impression that Diana had said something to them aside from the fact that she saw you and Penny out,” he began.

“And what did they have to say?” I asked.

“That Diana has been spreading lies about you in the pack,” Nile said. “Apparently, the rumor is that you are spending all of the pack’s money, hurting the community, and causing me to go bankrupt, all while you rack up debt in my name.”

“People can’t honestly believe that, though,” I said, waving my hand dismissively. “It’s not like I’m walking around wearing diamonds and designer clothes. I’m sure there is plenty for people to question about me, but never my loyalty.”

“On the contrary, Diana has a lot of influence because she was the pack’s old luna, and her daughter was luna as well,” Nile explained. “But you don’t need to worry. She won’t be bothering you again.”

“Nile, what did you do?” I asked.

“Only what needed to be done,” he said simply.

I crossed my arms. “I’m gonna need more information than that.”

“I told her that she needs to learn her place, and that if she can’t, then she won’t be a member of the pack anymore,” Nile said.

He couldn’t be serious. Being kicked out of a pack was the worst thing that could happen to a wolf. Becoming a rogue was a serious matter, and only happened in the most extreme of cases. That’s why rogues were such a hard crowd—they had lived hard lives.

“I understand that you confronted the pack to protect me, but you’ve made a mistake,” I said. “If Diana has as much influence as you say, then I doubt this is the end of it. The threat of excommunication is too much. You’ve turned her—and anyone who agrees with her—into an enemy! That’s going to cause division in your own pack and impact the alliance as well.”

Nile stepped toward me, placing his hands on my shoulders comfortingly. “It is important to me that you feel safe around me, and that includes being safe around my pack.”

I shook my head. “Not at the risk of the alliance or your pack.”

“Your safety and security are worth it to me,” he said simply.

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