Page 37 of Tied in Knots
We all look back at Derek.
“Originally, yes. After we moved, and Pete started to become even more of a dick, I looked deeper and deeper into Dad’s death. Pete found out one day and threatened to sell Faith to the first pack who offered him cash for her. She was nineteen. I stopped looking, knowing I had to protect Faith, but then a job came up in London and it was the perfect excuse to get out of the house and start investigating again. I hate that I had to leave Faith but if I’d told her any of this, she wouldn’t be able to keep it to herself, and if it all came to nothing, I would be stabbing her in the heart again. I wanted to believe she was better off where she was, then me dragging her into this.”
“You say originally? You don’t think that now?” I can’t help how madly curious I am about this. So are the others, judging from the deflated aggression.
Derek shakes his head, wincing at the pain and then placing the ice pack on the back of his head again. “No, now I think he is still alive.”
“What?” Sebastian asks. “How?”
“This is what I’m trying to find out.”
“If you’re right, then I do need to speak to my father about this,” Sebastian says. “He can help. We have resources…”
“No!” Derek snaps. “If it gets back to Pete, there is no telling what he will do to my mother.”
“We can help with him,” Xander says, his voice low, dark and dangerous. “Just point me in the right direction."
Derek’s gaze fills with interest, but is quickly squashed. He doesn’t rely on anyone to fight his battles, it seems.
“My turn to ask some questions,” he says boldly. “How do you know Faith?”
I sit forward and uncross my arms, leaning my elbows on my knees. “Our beta met her three months ago.”
“In London?”
I nod carefully.
“She was visiting me. She lives about a hundred miles from here.”
“Oh, for the love of God!” Sebastian snaps suddenly. “A hundred miles? We’d have been searching for her for over a fucking year, longer.”
“Hmm?” Derek murmurs. “And you just decided that you wanted her?”
“Kind of,” I say.
“Does she want to be here? Does she know who you are?”
“Does it make a difference who we are?” I ask, instead of answering.
“You’re the most superior pack in England. Yeah, it makes a fucking difference. That’s a lot of responsibility you’re thrusting onto her. She isn’t even twenty-one yet. She is days away. She will be going into her heat. I don’t want her here when that happens. You all have reputations and you’re all about ten years older than her.”
“Only five in my case,” I feel the need to mention. “However, our intentions are to mate with her.” I point this out before Sebastian, to his annoyance. “If she’ll have us.”
“Mate? You seriously want to mate with her?”
“That’s the plan,” I say with a soft smile. “If you’re worried about how she will be treated here, you don’t need to be. She will be cared for, respected and given everything her heart desires. We have waited a long time for her, you do not need to worry about her safety.”
“I need to speak to her,” he says firmly. “I want to hear it from her lips if she wants to stay.”
“Of course,” Sebastian says. “Now that we know you aren’t here to hurt her, you are free to see her when she wakes up. But think about what I said. If you are sure there is foul play involved in your father’s death or disappearance, then the Parliament can help. It’s what we’re there for, and anything to help Faith. We want her to be happy.”
He nods grimly. “I’ll think about it. There are still a lot of unanswered questions.”
“Then let’s find some answers,” I say.
I stand up and give Sebastian a smug smile. He rolls his eyes at me, but he can’t deny that my approach worked. One day he will learn that violence doesn’t have to be the first port of call.
I just hope that when Derek speaks to Faith, she tells him she wants to stay. It will hurt my heart and that of the other alphas if she decides she doesn’t want us now that her brother is here to save her. Something tells me violence will definitely ensue if that’s the case, even from me.
