Page 113 of Sweetheart: Part Two

At the age of seventeen, Rook still needed their signature to approve his place in our prospective elite pack. Instead of giving it, all four of his fathers had turned up at the door to bring him home.

“Sign the papers.” Seventeen-year-old Ebony sounded bored as chaos erupted around him.

Casually, as if his fist wasn’t closed around the onyx blade that was jammed into Felix’s hand, he picked up a pen.

“One twist, and I don’t know if your tendons will ever recover enough to play.” He peered up at the other three alphas around the table, all with their auras out.

“Anyone touches me, I might just… slip.” He leaned back where he sat, and pressed the pen into Felix’s free hand.

Felix could have come for him after that, there were certainly enough witnesses, but just like everything else Ebony did in life, it was calculated.“He’d never want it getting out to anyone that he’d been bested by a seventeen-year-old nobody.”

That’s what he’d said, and he’d been right.

At the gates to our home—which I had no intention of opening—we were met by Goldie, Rook’s mother, Benjamin, his biological dad, and Felix: pompous pack lead.

Felix Harrison didn’t shy away from much in the world from what I’d seen, but his face blanched a little as Ebony stepped forward to take the lead on the conversation. I couldn’t quite fight the smile at the edge of my lips.

“Rook is recovering.”

Felix stiffened, but Goldie was full steam ahead. “How long before he’ll see us?”

“Before he’s well enough to tolerate irritants?” Ebony asked, gaze sliding to her. “Never. You aren’t welcome here. Don’t come back.”

“You can’t stop us seeing our son,” Benjamin snapped.

Ebony’s gaze flickered to him, but he said nothing else, waiting.

Again, Goldie wasn’t having it. “What’s this nonsense about the gold pack—?”

“Careful.” Ebony’s voice dropped, each word sure.“Anyslander of our mate will be treated as slander of the whole pack.”

Felix went stiff, glancing between us as if trying to find the trick.

“Sheisn’tRook’s mate.” Goldie Harrison just sounded so damn sure it made my stomach turn.

“We’ve offered her the princess bond,” Ebony said coolly. They knew already, they had to, they’d seen that tattoo, but Goldie didn’t look ready to believe it. “And she’s… considering.”

I appreciated that from him.

Vex didn’t need anyone prying into the dark bond. Not with the amount of media attention she already had.

“Considering?” Felix spluttered.“Considering?”

“You aren’t welcome near my pack,” I said. “Leave, or security will have you removed.”

I could easily dial it in. This street was full of famous residents, and the patrol would have them removed in an instant.

Goldie stepped right up to the bars of the gates, her voice shaking with fury. “You’ve… destroyed him.”

“You destroyed him, Mrs. Harrison.” Ebony said coldly. “Vexis doing her best to pick up the pieces.”

“I don’t believe it,” Goldie’s voice was a truly irritating pitch for a woman so renowned for her vocals. “I thought the two of you were bad enough—then the Jaccard kid, and now this?”

I winced.

Wrong move.

At the mention of Drake, Ebony went from glacial to sub-zero.

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