Page 45 of Destined Bear
The other Alphas sit around the massive sixteen-seat table, laughing and talking as if they’re old college buddies. The entire scene is bizarre and not at all what I was expecting when we came.
The whole vibe is off.
“Alpha Emeric!” Nox rises from his seat to greet us. “Hello, Vivienne.”
“Hello, Alpha Nox.” I cringe slightly as I recognize Brynn, his mate and Emeric’s former almost-bride. Emeric and I still haven’t addressed that awkward piece of our history. “Hello. I’m Vivienne.”
Brynn stands and extends a delicate hand. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
She’s so pleasant and immediately puts me at ease.
“Have you?” I respond.
“All good things.” Bryn offers me a very warm smile. “How is your mom doing?”
I’m taken aback by the question. “You know my mom?”
“She’s met Circe,” Nox explains. “And Circe tends to leave an impression.”
I can’t help but smile at the observation as Emeric snickers in agreement. “That she does.”
But my beam fades as I think of Mom still lying in bed at the house, unresponsive and without a prognosis. “It doesn’t look good for her, I’m afraid.”
Everyone makes a commiserating noise, and I hastily clear my throat to keep my voice steady.
“Please, sit. What can I get you to drink?” Roman signals for one of his waitstaff to come, and we order drinks before one of the other Alphas speaks.
“It’s not that I don’t enjoy your company,” he drawls, his thick southern accent charming me slightly. “But what the hell are we doing here?”
All eyes turn to us. Heat rises in my cheeks as Emeric touches my hand under the table. My palms sweat, but Emeric holds fast to me, and we share a long look. Here it goes.
“You must have heard about the attack on our packhouse,” he begins, turning his attention toward the other Alphas. “The fire that destroyed it a couple of days ago?”
Roman stiffens, and so do I. Out of the corner of my eye, a flurry of movement grabs my attention, and when I turn, I realize that some of his staff are covertly sneaking out of the dining room. The hairs on the back of my neck rise uncomfortably, but I don’t point it out as Emeric continues.
“There is no doubt that the perpetrators came from Stonecrest territory. We caught them on our cameras, and we have witnesses.”
“But who are they?” Nox is intrigued. “How do you know they’re from Stonecrest?”
“Our enforcers have names of the attackers now.” Emeric stares steadfastly at Roman. “We want to know how far up the chain of command this attack goes.”
Anger ignites Roman’s face, but before he can speak, Nox interjects. “I think what Emeric is asking is, do you know anything about this, Roman?”
“What the hell do I want with your territory, Emeric? You’re hours away from here. The logistics would be a nightmare.”
I almost laugh, but it’s not funny. The tension thickens in the room.
“There is a rogue faction running under your nose,” Emeric tells him. “If you don’t know anything about it, you should look into it.”
“Are you giving me advice on how to run my pack?” The words are hauntingly familiar, and even Emeric recognizes them.
“I said the same thing to someone recently.” Emeric’s eyes flick toward Nox, then rest on me. “And you know what happened? We got attacked because I refused to listen. I’m offering you a friendly piece of advice.”
“It doesn’t sound like advice. It sounds like a threat,” Roman intones, standing. “And I’m not sure I like it.”
My body tenses, and I inhale as the other Alphas rise. I prepare to whistle, but Nox slaps his hand down.
“That’s enough ego for tonight. If you don’t want to heed the warning, that’s fine, but we did not come here to get involved in a brawl.” Nox pivots and looks at us. “I did offer to help you. That offer still stands.”
