Page 48 of Alpha's Redemption

“You should have enough to cover those debts without touching the trust fund if you sell the land off,” Joseph whispers to her. My father snickers to himself, and Everly glances at me nervously.

“What trust fund? And what land? She was a Rogue. She couldn't have purchased land within the city; only inherited it. She owns the hotel and its land,” I ask, confused. Rogues couldn’t own anything in this city once the packs took over and put the laws in place, so my mother wouldn't have been able to purchase anything.

“The trust fund is Valarian's. Half the money your mother gave her is in that trust—Everly set it aside for him. Everything else went into the hotel and on the land Everly bought. But you are correct; she couldn't buy more landwithinthe city...” Joseph says, and now everyone in the room is looking at her. Joseph wears the same smirk my father has, and Everly looks like she wants to run from the room.

“I was mad at you,” she turns from me to her father, “and you!” Okay, now I’m intrigued.

“Spill. What have you done?” I ask her, but she presses her lips in a line.

“It is actually pretty funny. Checkmate,” Dad laughs.

“Itiskind of funny. Well, Macey, Zoe, and I thought it was anyway,” Everly laughs.

“Okay, can someone tell me what is going on?” I ask, and John also leans forward. Funnily enough, my father is the one that answers.

“Since she was rogue, she couldn't purchase within city limits,” he says.

“I know that,” I tell my father.

“Nothing says she couldn't purchase the land outside of the city,” Dad laughs. John and I look at each other.

“I own all the forsaken lands,” she chuckles, and Dad laughs.

“You what?” I ask.

“Remember initially, when we were all looking for a treaty agreement and were looking at purchasing outside the city limits to start mining by the mountains?” Dad asks.

“Yes. None of the packs could purchase the land. The werewolf council said it was a forsaken habitat,” I answer. What a complete waste of time that was, months of planning only to not be able to purchase the land.

“I checked into that, and it was already bought,” Dad says.

“Wait! You knew the land couldn't be bought and didn't tell me?”

“At the time, I knew it would lead you back to Everly and your mother, so no, I never said anything,” Dad admits.

“So you own all the vacant land at the back of my pack up to the mountains?” I ask her, and she snickers.

“No,” she answers.

“She ownsallthe land outside the city borders—behindeverypack,” Joseph laughs.

“Wait, how much land is that?” I ask.

“Enough to build an entire city on. Your mother was a very wealthy woman. Before her father started selling it off, they owned nearly all the state, and Everly bought a sizable chunk back,” Dad laughs.

“But why would youwantall the land?” John asks her.

“So no one could grow their packs,” I grind out and Everly laughs.

“Not one of the packs could extend their border limits because I owned it. So technically, when you all did your border patrols, you were all trespassing on my land,” she chuckles.

“You cunning little….” I growl and shake my head.

“As I said, I was angry. So I purchased all the vacant land outside the city, spanning all around the city limits. All that empty farmland is mine and Valerians. With the city becoming overcrowded, I knew the packs would want to buy into that land; I made sure they couldn't,” she laughs.

“Youare why we couldn't purchase the land for mining,” I growl at her. That was a big deal three years ago.

“So that is why Nixon couldn't build that mall,” her father laughs, and she nods.

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