Page 38 of Pack Kasen: Part 2

Finan’s pause before he speaks suggests that he knows I’m changing the subject. “Marisa didn’t like the attention that Aren was paying you. She’s on punishment duty for the next month.”

I blink. “Punishment duty?” It’s like we’re in the Middle Ages or something.

“Aren is Alpha here. It is his right to decide how to dish out punishment. Hanging you from the decking wasn’t her choice to make.”

He starts walking back to the house.

Since this conversation is juicy, I trail him, not wanting it to end yet. “So he could have done it?”

“He could,” Finan says calmly.

“And you would have let him? Even though you knew I wasn’t a feral?”

He pauses before he says, “The Alpha’s word is law. Punishments can be severe.”

“So he could have killed you if you tried to stop him?”

“Aren wouldn’t have killed me,” he says confidently.

“But he could have?”

“He could. But he wouldn’t have.”

I’m in a world I don’t recognize. The Wolf King’s word is law, and if you don’t fall into line, he punishes you for it.

He must have cared about Marisa to sleep with her. That didn’t stop him from turning around and immediately punishing her when she did something he didn’t like.

“And who’s going to punish him for nearly killing me?”

“I believe he’s paying the price for that.”

“How?”

He stops feet from the house. “You are not letting him off the hook. Aren is used to having his way. He has since he was still in the schoolroom. Ask Gregor what he was like as a pup. Aren would have expected you to have forgiven him by now.”

My eyes narrow. “I’m not even close to forgiving him. He needs to beg.”

A hint of a smile lifts one corner of his mouth. “So he is learning an important lesson.”

“Which is?”

“That you can’t bend everyone to your will.”

I cross my arms as I focus on the creek. “What will happen when I go back to the city?”

“I think you already know the answer to that.”

I do.

Blowing out a frustrated sigh, I turn to look at him. “I have him climbing my apartment balcony to look forward to, don’t I?”

“He needs you.”

I guess that means yes.

“No,” I bite out. “Hewantsme. Because he’s learned that I’m something special to him. If I hadn’t been his mate, I’d be dead.”

“No, you wouldn’t.”

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