Page 86 of Mated Exile

He leaves out much of what else I'm here to do, at least today, but that was part of the plan too. As I take a step forward and slip my hand into John's, I try to quell my pulse and keep a neutral expression on my face. "Nice to meet you."

"And you as well." John deLance leans forward, his brows drawing together just slightly, head tilting to the side. "But I'd heard you were an exile... ashiftlessone at that."

Beside me, Lance stiffens. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Not at all." His hand drops, and he flashes a smile in my direction. "I don't allow shiftless in my pack, of course, but I'm not alone in that. I'm only confused because although I'dheardyou're shiftless, Delilah, I can sense and smell your wolf. Which seems counterintuitive, given that, according to the curse, I believe that means you should be dead."

I have to lick my dry lips and summon my best poker face, but thankfully I prepared for this. It's not unusual for alphas, just like bonded mates, to smell or sense another's wolf. "Iwasshiftless, up until very recently. There was a chip in my neck to keep me from falling to the curse's terrible fate. But like everyone else in the pack, I hope by the Summit tomorrow, the curse will no longer be something to worry about."

"Ah. That explains it." His expression smooths, and he motions towards the trail. "Shall we go together, then? It'll be fitting to have the late alpha's daughter by my side as I take control of the pack he was unable to save."

Though his words make me want to bare my teeth and snap at his neck, I resist the impulse. "Lead the way."

John deLance does just that. He leads the way up the trail, towards our ancient and powerful stones, beneath the lintel stones and towards the cauldron of flame. With a simple touch, he brings it to life—though not with the vigor or fury that it lit up atmytouch, I notice. Then he walks the perimeter of the stones, drawing his fingers across the engravings on them, his alpha connection leaving glowing magic behind in the runes.

Finally, he steps forward towards the center of the circle, and faces all of us, his pack members and the Glass Pack here to observe alike. "The flame recognizes me, as do your stones, and as your land did before. Will a pack member step forward so I can see if the bonds will recognize me?"

This is the part where Roarke was supposed to volunteer, but as he's about to, Bennett steps in. "I will, sir."

I bristle at his tone. Unease grows in me as Bennett steps forward, and I ripple my awareness out, feeling the severed mate bond in his chest. The assembly all around me is full of them—from Kieran's black hole, to Lance's healed-over scar, Finn and Roarke's tiny shadows, and other cuts and scars throughout our pack. All have them save the Stone Pack and Bastian, who I can't seem to sense even a little.

"Here, as you can see, is the wound where the mate bond once was." The alpha places a hand on Bennett's chest, making the wound visible and glowing, even to the eyes of those who don't have alpha abilities like him, or magic like me. "If you simply reach into the spirit, however, and pluck at the bond..."

My breath catches as I watch him do what I tried, but failed, to do with Kieran. Reaching out towards Bennett, he plucks at the bond, smoothes it over—and somehow folds it back into his very soul, leaving a healed-over scar where an open wound once was.

With a sigh, Bennett stares up at the alpha with gratitude on his face. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." John steps back, a smug look on his face, and turns to the rest of us. "I hope that this means you'll be making me your new alpha tomorrow, so that I can continue my important work here and heal the land. Of course I'll only be able to help out a few before I leave, and there will have to be changes to the pack, like exiling the shiftless and removing some of the less necessary humans. Letting the weak in has only hurt you in your time of need. I'll return to oversee those changes and heal as many as I can, so that in a few years, all will be right here again."

His words set my teeth on edge. Especially as, by peering at Bennett's chest, I can see how the mate bond hasn'tcompletelyhealed over. It's still there, just less prominent and open than before. Like Kieran's black hole, it'll open up and keep growing, returning to its previous state in time.

The pack can't see that, though. A few murmurs go up, and I feel eyes in my direction. It's not hard to guess what they're thinking. Why trust their pack to a formerly exiled hybrid, after all, when they can simply let an actualalphaheal them? Tension grows thick in the air, and it's a relief when Roarke steps forward, taking over.

"We hope that won't be necessary, John. While we appreciate you coming here, and we need your help, we're hoping that having an outside alpha take over the pack will be our last resort. There's another option we'd like to try first, before the Summit tomorrow, if you'll cooperate."

He frowns a little, brows drawing together. The wolves he brought mutter, one crossing her arms and glaring at Roarke, another moving closer to his alpha. With a raised hand, John calms them down, even as he demands, "What is it that you need from me? And why couldn't it be addressed over the phone?"

"It's a delicate matter." Roarke glances over at me, and I feel his tension, so I let my awareness ripple out in preparation for this all falling apart. "I know it's a lot to ask, but we need a little bit of your blood."

The alpha considers this for only a moment. "So that you can lift your pack's curse?"

"To wake our elder for guidance, but yes, that's the hope."

"And I can imagine who will be alpha afterwards." He shoots a knowing look in Roarke's direction. "No, I don't think that I will."

Thirty-Six

Delilah

Ican't believe the words I'm hearing from this asshole's mouth.

"You have to help us." Scowling at him, I step into his line of sight, jerking his attention away from Roarke. "We need the blood of an alpha to wake our elder Vivia. It's the only thing that might actually save us from this curse without sacrificing the pack—myfather'spack."

"Then your father should've done more to save it while he was alive." The man actually raises his hand andshoosat me, as if he thinks he can make me go away. "This pack is better off controlled by atruealpha. Someone who can heal the land, wake the flame, and repair its severed bonds. I'll make sure that happens—that little boy over there wouldn't know how to lead a pack if his life depended on it."

Roarke stiffens at this, and I hear a low growl emanate from his chest, or maybe Lance's chest; it's hard to tell as the tension ratchets up a notch. Growls are emanating from the other side, too, and I notice how the Stone Pack members gather closer to their alpha, eyes narrowing in our direction. A few irises begin to glow with unnatural color, and the scent in the air changes as wolves come to the surface.

Roarke and I meet each other's eyes. Instinctively, I reach out with my influence, and feel him do the same. We're not the only ones. There's another energy in the air, pressing in and whipping emotionsupinstead ofdown,increasing the tension. John deLance is a powerful alpha, and he holds tight to his pack's spirits. He's also influencing the Glass Pack members all around us. Loosening his fist on them will take time.

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