Page 49 of Soul of the Chaos

I gusted out a sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose, and pointed at the chair. I never wanted my Sasha to fear me but damnit all to hell if the woman didn’t push my every fucking nerve.

Slowly, my Sgt. at Arms settled back into his seat and the dark rumble in his chest died back down to silence. Hadn’t seen the fucker move but he sure was ready to defend this girl. Even against me, his oldest friend. Almost like she was his mate or something.

“Fuck.”

I let the word explode up to the ceiling, taking my existential rage with it.

Suddenly, it all made sense. The way my wolf was okay with Silver giving Sasha comfort but would have literally ripped the arm off any other brother—except Mongrel—if they stepped too close.

All fucking four of us?! None of us would survive it.

“The Goddess is trying to fucking kill me this time, I know it.”

To my utter surprise, Sasha responded. Not to the threats, but to my inner turmoil. My very real panic about what this might mean for my pack. For my friends. For all of us. This was one hell of a shit sandwich from the Gods.

Slowly, our mate sank back down into her chair.

“My own uncle handed me over to those creeps,” Sasha murmured. “Do you have any idea what happened to us in there, Grimm? Any clue?”

“Of course I fucking do,” I snapped. “Why do you think I’m going to pay Dear Old Uncle Vick a visit?”

“I have the right to confront these people, not you.”

Sasha leaned forward and pierced me with her emerald gaze. If looks could kill, I would be six feet under despite the fear and misery still rolling off her like a tidal wave. Brave little alpha, full up with piss and vinegar.

All the same, tears were pricking at the corners of her eyes.

The sight of Sasha hurting pulled at me hard. My wolf howled in pain but I wasn’t backing down. I couldn’t. In this one thing, I was determined to be a good mate. For Sasha. I could protect her from this. My little alpha didn’t need to witness more brutality to know the job was done. She’d already seen far too much.

“And yet, I’m the Prez.” I offered her a tired smile and spread my hands wide, leaning back in my seat as she shot daggers at me. “Says so right here on my cut.”

Sasha rose to the bait beautifully and my wolf sighed in relief. Anger and condemnation, we could take. Her sadness and pain? Not so much.

“Have you seen Winter?” she growled. “What they did to her?”

I kept my face polite, almost stony. “I have.”

“She slept in the bathtub last night.”

Again, Sasha waited for me to react.

What did she want from me? A flinch? A howl of outrage? To see me melt down at the atrocities that had befallen her little human pack? I had done that and more. In private, where I could rage and weep as I liked.

But not in front of my little alpha. Not in front of the woman who I had to reject as a mate.

“I heard,” I growled. “She stabbed my wolf.”

“Do you blame her?”

“No, Sasha,” I sighed. “I don’t. But you aren’t coming with us.” I tapped a new cigarette out and lit it before meeting her eyes. “End of story. If, at some point in the future, you want to take a ride to have your own little talk with your uncle, I will be happy to arrange it.”

I sucked in a long drag and met Mongrel’s eyes over her shoulder. He nodded in complete agreement with my promise.

“But today our beasts are going to lay into that son of a bitch. The Chaos demands it. And I don’t plan on us adding to your nightmares. Now, Mongrel and I have some things to discuss, so if you would kindly leave my office.”

“Fuck you, Grimm.” Sasha shot up from the seat and stomped out the door, slamming it so hard behind her that the pictures rattled on my wall.

“Unfortunately,” I sighed, taking another long drag and letting the smoke coat the ceiling with my endless frustration. “That is not an option.”

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