Page 20 of The Alpha's Mates

“Reese what?” Grandpa Grant demanded. “Who are your people?”

Her eyes slid over to me, pleading, before she finally answered. The secret would come out sooner or later.

“Reese Silvest.”

My grandfathers froze, their eyes landing on me. My hand fisted around the knife I was holding.

“Did you know this?” Grant barked. I’d gotten my personality from him. Brusque and straight to the point.

“Yes.” Arching a brow at him, I dared him to continue. He might be my grandfather, but I was the leader of this fucking pack.

“Grant,” Grams said, laying a hand on his forearm. Her soothing didn’t work.

“Lenat Silvest-”

“Was one of the worst men I ever had the displeasure of meeting,” Reese said, cutting him off. “I say that because his son Haron is even worse. Andhissons-”

“Are your brothers,” Seren pointed out, though much more gently than Grant would have.

“They’remurderers. Evil. I plan to kill them all one day.” Her chin tipped up, fury blazing in her eyes. “I’m only sorry I didn’t get the chance to kill my grandfather as well.”

“You couldn’t have been more than a pup when he started that war,” Ezra said, giving Grant a dark look. “None of that was your fault and no one here will hold your family's misdeeds against you.”

Silence fell. Grandpa Ezra was waiting. Grant sighed and grumbled. “He’s right. No one will.”

“Thank you.”

My heart clenched in my chest at the pain in her voice. She tried to hide it, but this wasn’t the first time she’d had to face those who hated her family and lumped her in with them.

“You really planning on killing them?” Seren asked, cursing when Grams kicked him beneath the table.

“Yes.”

We all looked over at her. The determination in her tone was firm and sharp. I didn’t envy Haron or his sons. If it was only Reese coming for them, it would be bad enough. Now she had the three of us watching her back. Haron would deal with us as a mated cadre. And he would lose.

“Good for you,” Grant replied. It wasn’t hard to miss the admiration that had replaced the hostility.

Pride that my mate had stood up to my grandfather and won his respect made me smirk at Grant. He shot me his middle finger and I barked out a laugh.

Reese looked over at me, startled. She was so surprised, I couldn’t help but chuckle again.

Atlas leaned over and whispered to her. “I know he looks like a grumpy asshole, but he does laugh every now and again.” He made sure to say it loud enough for all of us to hear.

Shaking my head at him, I swirled spaghetti onto my fork. It had been our mate’s request. I doubt they had luxuries like pasta, living on the run as they were. She’d looked at the vegetables we had in the storage cellar and nearly drooled.Shifters could live on an all meat diet, thanks to our wolves, but it didn’t mean you didn’t long for more.

It was taking all my self-control to keep from tossing Reese over my shoulder and going upstairs so we could finish what I started earlier today. My wolf was gnashing his teeth, pleading to be released, convinced he could persuade her to stay.

I promised her I’d release her. It was hard not to regret that promise now. She was so responsive to us, I knew that within a few days she’d bow to the Goddess’s will and allow us to claim her. Then we could go together to get her pack and bring them here.

No. We can’t. She’ll hate us if we allow things to play out in that way.

Glaring over at Atlas I snarled at him through our link.Stay out of my head.

Then stop projecting your thoughts at us.That came from Calder. He looked like he was enjoying my loss of control. The fucker probably was. He was usually the one raining down chaos and now it seemed like I might be the problem.

Grams cleared her throat and gave us all a warning look. My mother had always admonished us that it wasn’t polite to speak privately in front of others. We’d found each other so young that we were able to mind link from the time we were kids. It was a giant pain in the ass for my parents as they tried to teach us any semblance of manners.

“I’d love to hear more about what you’ve found out about the Moon Goddess, Vera,” Reese said, taking a bite of one of the meatballs on her plate. She paused then let out a decadent moan. “Wow. This is amazing.”

---