Page 11 of The Wolf She Shouldn't Desire

“So, you are calling my coven member a liar?” Zander responds.

“It’s one possibility. I would love to hear from him myself.”

“He is not part of your coven to question. And it sounds to me like you are defending the wolves rather than one of your own kind.”

“Talia wouldneverdefend the wolves, Zander,” my father states with a hint of laughter. “Right, Talia?”

“I defend those who are being wronged not those who are prejudiced bullies,” I respond.

Father glares at me at the same time I see the corner of Zander’s mouth tick into a smirk before it disappears.

“We all know she has a love for wolves, Silas” Zander sneers. “Do not fool yourself otherwise. It will become a serious issue for this coven if you are not careful.”

This time the glare is aimed at Zander, “I would cation you in tellingmehow I should oversee my coven and its members, especially my own daughter.”

“I don’t have a love of protecting wolves over vampires as you are trying to imply,” I hiss at him. “I simply have the brains to look at the whole picture in that if you attack the wolves unprovoked you are inviting a feud between species in this city that we have avoided for decades. Tell me, who are the wolves that attacked you and who are their allies in the city?”

Zander says nothing.

“Just as I thought. You don’t know and didn’t think to take that into consideration when wanting to go after the wolves. You’re inviting who knows how many werewolves that we know nothing of their level of power and strength to attack you and any allies that come to your aid.Thatis why you are not the leader of the most powerful coven in the city and why this coven has not and will not fall.”

Silence blankets the room along with the anger and tension between Zander and I. I can tell Danny is tense behind me as well. My father simply looks at us in contemplation, showing no emotions either way.

Finally, my father speaks. “Talia has some valid questions and concerns, Zander.”

I relax back into my chair and smile at Zander, which he obviously doesn’t like if the clenching of his fists is any indication. But it’s short lived.

“Find out who the wolves are and who their allies are as well as thoroughly question your coven members involved in the attack. We will revisit the matter once that information is obtained to see if the wolves need a reminder to not attack vampires in this city.”

My head whips towards my father. “What?!” I sharply ask.

My father again directs a glare at me. His word is final, and I am not to question him in front of others or ever. Even though I am his heir to the coven, he is still the leader and has no qualms in reminding me of my place in the form of physical reprimand if I am not careful.

I sit back and avoid looking at Zander. Out of the corner of my eye, though, I can again vaguely see the corner of his mouth lift in a smirk. For the rest of the time Zander is here, I sit back in my chair with a look of boredom on my face and do not speak. I semi listen to their conversation about what is going on in the city and certain major events outside of it, but for the most part, I tune them out and return to daydreaming in my mind. Danny stays standing perfectly on guard behind me and gives no indication away if he is as bored with the conversation as I am or not.

Eventually, Zander stands to leave. He shakes my father’s hand and turns towards me.

“As always, it was a pleasure, Talia.” He walks by me on my left side, opposite of Danny, but stops to bend down to whisper into my ear, voice low enough to where I hear but my father cannot. “You’ll learn one day where your place is, and I will be glad to put you in it in the foreseeable future. I’ll find immense pleasure in it actually. It’ll be foreplay for us when you’re mine.”

He hates me but he still covets me as the heir to the largest and strongest coven. No doubt he likes beating women around if the rumors I’ve heard in the past are true. I sit there in silence giving him no reaction thought even as fantasies of ripping his face off filter through my mind as he walks away and out the door finally.

Please let me go after him and cut his fucking tongue out, Danny hisses into my mind.

I turn to look at my father who has moved to sitting behind his desk in his usual spot of authority. “Why did you say we would revisit the issue with Zander? There is nothing to revisit, father, unless you want to start a feud with the wolves that could do more harm than good for the coven. Don’t let your loyalty to Zander as our ally endanger the safety of our coven.”

“Careful daughter,” he says without raising his voice but with a clear undertone of danger laced with his words. “I am the leader of this coven, and I know what is best and how to keep the coven safe. You brought forth some good questions to Zander that we need the answers to, but if the answers indicate no issue with retaliating against the wolves, then we will aid Zander as we should as one of his allies.”

“Father,” I plead and stand from my chair. “Whether or not you get the favorable answers you would require to move forward in attacking the wolves, do you honestly think that the wolves will not retaliate in return, especially if Benjamin purposefully antagonized the start of the fight? They will see you attacking them as a justifiable excuse to lash out at us, and you will start a war with them we cannot win without major losses, if win at all. Do not underestimate how powerful they are in a fight against us. Please, reconsider.”

“The discussion is over, Talia,” he quips back as he focuses on writing something on a piece of paper. “Do not question me again, understood?”

I stare at him in disbelief. With a frustrated growl, I turn and quickly retreat from his office before I do something stupid like throw something at him or punch him in the face.

Danny follows me quietly. When we reach my room, he follows me in, closes the door behind him, and leans against the door with his arms crossed.

I walk into my closet and work on changing my clothes, flinging clothes and various other items around until I amsatisfied with my outfit—all black and a hooded cloak to help hide my face.

“Where are you going?” Danny asks as I put my cloak on.

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