Page 14 of The Forbidden Wolf

“Age has nothing to do with this, Elyse. You’re both in your mating years, and his bloodline is worthy of being mixed with our own. That’s all that matters here.”

“It is not all that matters here!” I dropped onto the edge of the bed and grasped Father’s hands, ignoring their unusual clamminess. “His pups are still grieving their mother. It is not the time to foist a new one onto them, let alone one whom you’ve all made it very clear will be expected to add another to the litter right away. That’s traumatic for all of us.”

“Traumatic?” Father scoffed. “I think the word you’re looking for is dramatic, and it applies only to you. Blaze’s pups are fond of you and in desperate need of maternal tending while you, my dear, are in desperate need of some means to actually contribute to your pack. You have shown no aptitude for any other skillset suitable for your rank.”

I let out a disgusted laugh. “So you believe motherhood is for the inept?”

Father rolled his eyes. “I believe you’ve always been good with younger pups.”

“Then let me be a tutor!” I cried. “I’ve asked you a hundred times since I came of age!”

“No!” Father shouted, breaking off into a rattly cough that shook his entire bed.

I dutifully grabbed the glass of water sitting on his nightstand and handed it to him. He guzzled it down, holding up his free hand to indicate that I was not to speak. Sighing, I looked away from him toward the locked door of the enormous walk-in closet that had belonged to my mother. Still belonged to my mother.

“You only wish to be a tutor,” Father rasped, handing me the empty glass to return to his table even though it was right beside his arm, “so that you can spend your days cavorting with pups at Orchard Beach and the Bronx Zoo.”

“And do you think that’s not exactly how I’ll spend my days with my own pups if you force this life on me now?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Father chuckled. “That’s what tutors are for.”

“Father!” I jumped off the bed and paced toward the closet. “You cannot sit there and tell me that if Mother had survived, she would not have done those things with me herself! That she would have been happy to stay in this… this prison all day long with nothing to do but stare out the window and wait for the servants to do your laundry and dishes—”

“I cannot tell you what your mother would have done if she had survived because she did not,” Father’s voice turned to ice. “This conversation is over. Your mateship ceremony with Blaze will take place next weekend once your sister’s mate has settled in here.”

“You’re all idiots if you honestly believe that’s happening,” I muttered.

Father’s bed groaned as he sat up straight. “What did you say to me?”

I whirled around. “I said you’re all idiots if you honestly believe Sebastian is going to give up Manhattan for the Bronx.”

Father flashed a patronizing smile. “I think we can agree on one thing, Elyse—your sister always gets what she wants.”

“From you,” I said quietly. “Because you treat her like a son. But I sincerely doubt her prince will be interested in treating her like a husband.”

“Such dreadful human language,” Father tutted. “You haven’t been reading their books again, have you?”

My jaws ground together. “No, Father. I haven’t touched a book in four years.”

“Good girl,” Father said, settling back on his throne of pillows. “I was sure your sister must be mistaken.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. Then she’d gotten to him first while I was downstairs trying to find him. Of course she had. Her entire life revolved around making sure she did everything right before me. My brow suddenly furrowed. Strange of her to rush me into mating with the intention of whelping as quickly as possible. I would’ve thought she’d want to get that matter settled for herself before she gave me a chance to provide the first grandpup.

“Was that all you wished to discuss?” Father asked pointedly. Apparently, whatever joy I’d brough him by appearing at the top of his stairs had already faded.

“Is it true that humans are rising up against us?” I blurted. “Is that why Kiana’s ceremony has been moved up? Are we in trouble?”

Father blinked. “What makes you—”

“Servants talk,” I lied. “They say there’s graffiti on the trains. Rallies in the streets. Patrols in the night? What’s going on out there, Father?”

Slumping, he pressed two tired fingers to the center of his forehead. “There have been some issues as of late, but they have nothing to do with—”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I marched back over to the bed and glared down at him. “Why in the name of Halo and Leto would you keep something like that from me?”

Father peered up at me from under heavy lids. “Because we were not certain where your sympathies might lie.”

My mouth fell open. “You think I would—just because I—because I found a copy of Little Women at the beach and brought it home when I was sixteen years old? You think I’d side with people who want to harm us?”

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