Page 22 of The Alpha's Betrayed Mate

“Not like this, maybe,” she agreed, putting a hand on his shoulder. “They’re pretty dangerous when they’re alive, but they’re not so tough that we can’t win the fight.”

“I can’twaitto fight them.” Rylan kicked at the rotting heap with one foot.

“You already are,” she told him as she led him away from the leftovers of the battle. “As long as you’re here, as long as you’re taking care of your pack and your family and doing your best, you’re fighting them. Even if you never pick up a knife again.”

Rylan didn’t seem particularly convinced, which didn’t surprise her. When she was his age, she’d had no interest in the more peaceful, long-term approaches to the eradication of demons—she preferred fighting to philosophy. But lately, she’d been giving more thought to the idea that building a life with the people you loved was an equally valid way of taking on the ancient enemy.

It was almost midday when they got home, in the end. Rylan had suggested they go and check that the twins and Syrra had made it home, insisting he wanted to tell them about all the demon corpses they’d seen in town so that they knew they were safe. The lorekeeper was in a good mood, pleased that the attack had been so low in casualties, and energetic enough to chat for a few hours despite the fact that neither of them had slept all night. But something in Venna’s stomach began to prickle as they neared the cottage, some instinct telling her that something might be wrong. Rylan, oblivious to her concerns, made a beeline for his room. He was eager to write down everything new he’d learned about demons in the book he’d decided to write, and Venna was more than happy to encourage him in any project that kept him inside and out of trouble.

But no sooner had Rylan’s door closed than Belmont’s swung open, and Venna felt the pit of her stomach drop when she saw the look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” she said. No point in wasting time on niceties. Belmont’s cool silver eyes flicked wordlessly towards Rylan’s door, and she took the hint to follow him into his room, resisting the urge to make a joke about the last time he’d brought her in here with a warning to be quiet. There was an empty suitcase on the bed, an object she’d never seen before, and the worry in her stomach began to intensify. “Belmont. Talk, please.”

“Raske and the senior advisors cornered me after the attack finished up this morning, just after dawn,” he said levelly. He was pacing up and down, something she knew he only did when he was under too much pressure to hide his worry. “They think the increased level of demonic activity is because of you, Venna.”

“They what?” She was too confused by the accusation to even feel offended by it. “Why?”

“They had reports from town that the attack seemed focused on the creche—and more specifically, on you.”

“Demons go after children all the time,” she said slowly. “You know that.”

“The reports seemed to indicate that it was you that the demons were seeking out. That, plus the ongoing suspicions about the attack on the way here, has led the pack’s senior advisors to make it clear to me in no uncertain terms that they will not tolerate your ongoing presence here.”

“Stop talking like a politician,” she snapped, her exhaustion and worry fraying her nerves and loosening her tongue. “Can you just talk to me like a person for five minutes? Where’s this coming from?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said grimly. “What matters is that the pack agrees that you’re drawing the demons to us.”

“Why the hell would I do that?” Now the anger was beginning to boil. “I’ve killed more demons than anyone in this pack put together.”

“They don’t necessarily agree that you’re doing it on purpose.” Belmont looked exhausted when he finally took a break from pacing and looked at her. “I tried, Venna. I’ve been talking them around all morning, but they’re convinced that whether by accident or on purpose, you’re the one who’s bringing the demons to us. They want you gone, and they’ve made it clear that if I keep you here, they’ll be thinking about a new Alpha.”

He said it so calmly that it took her a moment to process the severity of it. “They wouldn’t,” she said faintly. “Your family have been Alphas for generations.”

“Only by the will of the pack,” Belmont said, and she could almost hear the weight of tradition shimmering over his words, as though he was reading them out of one of Raske’s musty old books. Anger was beginning to boil in her belly, low and hot. “Venna, this could be a good thing. You could go back to Halforst—I could arrange for you to stay at the Council until the baby’s born. You’ll be safe there.”

Was she really hearing this? “I live here,” she pointed out, hating how shrill her voice sounded in comparison to his calm, blank intonation. “I live here now—thanks to you, I’ll point out. I have friends here. I have family here.”

“Venna, this is the only way. Trust me, I’ve thought it through. If there was a better way—”

“Come with me, then,” she said, narrowing her eyes. That stopped him in his tracks. “Come with me back to Halforst. You and me and Rylan. We can—” But he was already shaking his head, already set against the idea. “I’m not going alone,” she warned him. “I’m done with that. You’re not exiling me again, Belmont. I won’t accept it.”

“I can’t leave the pack, Venna.” He was consciously controlling his breathing, his eyes burning with the feeling he was holding back. “I can’t leave them here to fend for themselves, not with how serious the demon situation is. Last night was only the beginning—there’ll be more attacks, and soon. I can’t just leave.”

“But there won’t be any more attacks with me gone, will there?” she said quickly. It was rare to spot such an obvious flaw in Belmont’s arguments. He really must have been tired. “If the demons are only here for me, then once I’m back in Halforst, Kurivon will be safe again. Right?” Belmont’s hesitation told her everything she needed to know. “You don’t even believe it! You’re trying to send me away because of something you don’t even believe to be true—”

“It’s not about me, Venna,” he said, his voice clearly louder than he’d intended it. “Don’t you understand? Being an Alpha isn’t about doing whatever you want, it’s about doing what your pack needs. Their needs will always come before mine, Venna. That’s the promise I made.”

“Of course,” she said bitterly. “What kind of a moron am I, that I’m actually surprised by any of this? You’re doing exactly what you did eight years ago. Except this time it’s not just me that you’re abandoning.” She pressed a hand against her belly, feeling no satisfaction at all at the flash of pain in his eyes that he was too slow to hide. “I thought fatherhood might have changed you. I thought that maybe—“ But that subject was too painful to go near right now, and she closed her eyes, waved her hand as if physically dispelling it. “I was wrong.”

“Venna—”

“What’s happening?”

The door swung open. Rylan was standing there with his notebook still in his hand, a mixture of worry and curiosity on his face. Belmont started to answer, but the boy’s eyes had already shot to the suitcase on the bed, and she could see the realization dawning on his face as he looked up at them both.

“What’s happening?” he repeated in a whisper, his eyes wide with fear. “Who’s leaving?”

“Venna has to go,” Belmont said, his voice rasping a little with the effort of holding himself together. She closed her mouth on what she’d been about to say, numb with rage and fury. What was the point of arguing with him right now? Why upset Rylan any more? “Back to Halforst. But—”

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