by Lane Whitt
“What do you mean? This place is amazing. It’s simply gorgeous. Now we have to be friends because I want to come here all the time. Remy and Finn are going to just love it, too. Can I take pictures to show them?” I gush, speaking too quickly in my excitement.
His face scrunches up. “What? No! So you can do recon? I don’t think so. You’d never be able to guess our true numbers from the photos anyway.”
I roll my eyes dramatically. “Oh, give it up. No one wants to fight you, Kendrick. You’re seriously going to need to get over it already.”
A feminine laugh gets our attention and we turn toward the sound. An absolutely stunning woman with silky orange hair, dressed in a one-shoulder white dress that falls to her knees, glides down the ramp leading from the round home. She’s model tall, barefoot, and all smiles as she makes her way to our little group. Her arm snakes around one of Kendrick’s as she cuddles up to him, presenting her cheek for a kiss.
“That’s wonderful to hear, Princess Ivaskov. Care to join us for some tea?” She doesn’t wait for a response, already pulling the Alpha up the platform along with her as she heads back inside.
“They are enemies, they shouldn’t get tea,” Kendrick grumbles.
“They are guests, so they will get tea and that’s that,” she replies firmly.
I giggle at their quiet banter as Ash places a large hand on the small of my back to get me moving. We follow them up the ramp, ignoring the weight of the stares we’re receiving from those who have gathered on the bridges and platforms around us.
We’re seated at a heavy-looking table that could probably seat thirty people, with cushioned chairs scattered about. A silver tray has been placed in the center of it, laden with a matching teapot, cups and tiny plates, and other small containers with lids. It’s a full-on tea set and I want one just like it. A gaze around me shows an open room with a high ceiling, showing off those large beams overhead. The whole place is done in what I think Logan would call simple elegance, but it feels lived in, warm, like a home should. I swallow thickly, having no idea why I’m getting emotional over the thought.
A soft hand lands on top of mine in a gentle pat, getting my attention. My eyes land on the very pretty woman. “Are you all right, dear?” she asks kindly.
I turn my body to face hers, gripping her hand with both of mine. “It’s just…your home.” I smile and shake my head, trying to find the right words. “It’s so home-like. I love it. Maybe your Alpha will have to fight me after all, to make me leave,” I joke, trying to chase away my emotional overreaction.
She laughs, a warm, rich sound that makes me smile, even if Kendrick grunts in disapproval. “I’m honored, thank you. I’m Anna by the way, Princess.” She winks at me, setting about pouring the tea.
“Please, call me Kitten,” I tell her. She raises an eyebrow at that, but doesn’t agree or disagree.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like your invasion of my pack lands to be short and to the point,” Kendrick starts.
“Same,” Ash rumbles. For some reason my gaze finds Anna’s again, and we both roll our eyes.
“Why don’t you start by telling me why you declared war on my pack? It seems as good a place as any,” I tell him.
He huffs, sitting back in his chair, sipping from his cup. Placing it down, he stares at the table in front of him. “That’s quite a long story in itself.”
“What’s the abbreviated version then?” I push.
He plays with his cup some more, spinning it around on the little plate. “Beyond our history with the Ivaskov pack and its Alphas, there’s an even longer, more sordid history with changed wolves. When we got word that the Ivaskovs were under a new reign, with not one but eight changed wolves in power, opening their gates to any other changed wolf who wanted to join them, well, war was the only option.”
Well, that explained nothing other than the fact that he doesn’t like Ivaskovs or changed wolves. “I’m afraid that version is a little too abbreviated to be able to follow,” I state, my confusion clear in my tone.
“You might as well tell her everything. Either the two of you can work out your differences or they decide to fight back and will learn our secrets for themselves,” Anna tells the Alpha sternly.
He grunts, his eyes flashing to her in warning. Anna just glares right back. “Changed wolves are a plague on our society. They take our women as mates for themselves, even though we have so few of them. They are immoral, creating immortal children. Because they were once human they try to stay in the human world, living as they once did, blending the two to the point of exposure. Each and every one of them risks the lives of all born wolves and wolf society as a whole. You worry about the war against you now, but have you forgotten the countless wars changed wolves have raged in the past?” he asks me accusingly.
I shake my head no. “I haven’t forgotten, because I never knew of them. Are you forgetting that changed wolves don’t come into existence on their own? Humans can’t become wolves unless bitten. You blame them for something that they didn’t ask for,” I remind him, holding back my temper at his blatant hatred of my mates.
“Figures they wouldn’t teach you the parts of history that truly matter. That’s Ivaskovs for you, erasing history and rewriting it until it suits them,” he scoffs.
My eye twitches in repressed anger. “They? As in my mother and father? I never met either one of them. My uncle, the former Alpha? I had him killed after kidnapping me. Who are they, Kendrick? The only Ivaskov I’ve ever met is my grandfather, who was living away from the pack before my mates found him, and he doesn’t speak openly about the past. I’ve read every book with any kind of history in it, and I have to tell you it’s not much and reads like a bunch of fairytales.
“If there’s something you think I need to know, then just tell me. Don’t sit here insulting my mates, who have raged no wars and stolen no women from you, nor exposed anyone, and expect me to read your mind. If you truly have people watching us and gathering information for you, then you should know that it’s been months, mere months since I’ve been in power, and just slightly over that since I’ve even known that wolves exist!”
Kendrick’s whole body turns to stone, his head slowly turning to me, eyes flashing with anger unmatched by any other. “What?”
He growls out the word so fiercely that, in an instant, my chair is slid back with me still in it and Ash is in his face. “That’s the last time you’re gonna growl at my mate. Is that clear? Alpha or no Alpha, I will tear your head from your body and mount it on a fucking spike for the world to see,” Ash threatens, muscles rippling in warning of his wolf coming out.
Kendrick stands slowly, accepting the challenge Ash throws at him.
Oh no, this isn’t going to end well.
“Stop this,” I say quietly into the silence. My tone is more of a request than a command, as I think both men have been worked up enough already. “What about what?” I ask Kendrick, my voice as soothing as I can make it. A quick glance at Jace tells me that he’s prepared to get me out of here quickly if the two men come to blows. His eyes implore me as he makes a barely noticeable gesture with his hand to continue what I’m doing. “I kind of said a lot there, so which part would you like for me to clarify?”
Alpha Kendrick comes out of it first, blinking at me before turning back to Ash. “My anger was not directed at your princess. I suggest you back down. This is not a challenge you want to issue.”
Ash turns toward me, seeking approval. I nod my head quickly, not having taken offense in the first place. I take a moment to calm myself as I scoot my chair back to the table. I’ve never before been afraid of Ash, but his show of raw power makes me understand why everyone else is scared of him. I take a little more time examining him, making sure he’s okay. His body is still stiff, even after he reclaims the chair next to me. His dark eyes find mine and my heart squeezes just a little. He’s on edge being in this place. Having his pregnant mate threatened right in front of him is his worst n
ightmare, and his pain is reflected in his eyes.
I lean up to kiss his cheek, reassuring him that we’re all okay and thanking him for being my strength. He visibly relaxes, as much as Ash relaxes in the first place. Jace nods his head imperceptibly, a show that he’s all right and I did a good thing. Poor Albert just looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here.
Finally, I resume my silent process with Anna, to see that, like me, she’s a bit shaken, but no harm done, and Kendrick is warier than he was before. I think he realizes just how close to death he was a moment before.
“Something I said angered you before,” I begin again, hopefully moving us past the intense incident. “If your anger isn’t with me, then who is it with?”
Kendrick’s voice is steady and strong when he speaks. “Most of the men I have keeping watch on your pack are just observing your movements. I know you are training your soldiers more than you have in the past. I want to be aware when they move. Only a few scouts were sent to collect data. What they’ve gathered…what they’ve told me is that you were under the protection of your Uncle Marcus, kept away from the pack by him to be the future ruler of the Ivaskov pack. You then turned his men against him, having him executed and taking eight changed wolves as mates as a show of power. You then collected all of your women and assets and promised to redistribute them under a new ranking system. Before you deny it, know that we captured two prominent wolves that managed to escape your pack, seeking refuge elsewhere.”
When he finishes, the room is stale with the heavy silence. My jaw literally feels like it has become unhinged as it hangs open. I don’t even know where to start responding to that statement. Apparently neither does Ash, because he just starts laughing and doesn’t stop. Jace follows shortly after and I smirk at the two. Tears form in the corners of their eyes, Ash’s fist pounding on the table in an attempt to calm himself. Jace attempts to apologize for his behavior through his laughter, but I can barely understand it.
I turn back to Kendrick and Anna, giving them a sad smile. “You have it all wrong. Like, everything you said was so outside the lines that I don’t even know where to start correcting you. With that kind of information I can see why you were quick to declare against me, but I realize now that we’re both going to have to start from the beginning.”
“I think that would be wise,” Anna interjects, with Kendrick nodding in agreement.
My mates finally calm themselves, chugging tea and busying themselves with refilling their cups as a distraction. I start from the very beginning.
“I was found in a dumpster when I was a baby. A woman with mental issues thought I was a cat and attempted to raise me as such. I shouldn’t be alive, to be honest with you, but somehow I survived my early years and was able to eventually wander away from her, and thus began my life living like a nomad of the streets. I won’t go into detail of what it was like or how I managed it, because one of my other mates and I are still looking into how I could have had my wolf senses since before I was turned into a wolf. There’s a lot that we don’t understand about that time, though I remember every second of it. I was saved by Ash,” I point to him, “and another of my mates one night when I was trying to escape an attacker.”
I swallow thickly in an attempt keep my voice steady as images of that night flash across my vision. “They took me home with them. They didn’t know what I was at the time, only stating later that I smelled different to them. I stayed with them and they showed me what a family was like for the first time in my life. It was during that time that I found out about wolves. My uncle had me kidnapped from them, almost killing two of them. He kept me a hostage in his basement, along with someone named Adam Vanderson. They kept me naked, only offered food for inappropriate touches, which I refused, so I starved. I nearly lost my mind in that place, and they had a plan to harvest my eggs, which was only stopped because my mates had found my grandfather, and together they launched an attack on my uncle’s compound.”
Ash rubs my back, trying to soothe me as my voice becomes strained with emotion.
“So, you see, I wasn’t brought up with Marcus, and I wasn’t under his protection. Adam Vanderson was his spy. A boy I thought was just some hockey player at a place I worked at, who apparently was keeping an eye on me. Adam wanted me for himself, and my uncle was going to let him have me after he got what he wanted from me. He was going to sell my harvested eggs to the highest bidders. In the process he almost killed me, or I did die. No one knows for sure in the chaos of that day, but one of my mates was able to get his blood into my system and I was able to heal. In the aftermath Marcus was executed in front of the pack he terrorized, giving both me and them closure. The urge to claim my eight mates took place, followed by my full transition into a wolf. My grandfather claimed that the pack needed me, that I was its rightful ruler until I have an Alpha son. I wouldn’t go without my mates, so that’s how we came into power. None of us asked for it, and all nine of us would have been content to live out our lives in the relative peace we had in their home, away from all other wolves.”
I pause, not knowing which issue to address next. There were slivers of truth in what Kendrick accused me of, but it was all twisted, and painted in the worst light imaginable.
“The bastard did it,” Kendrick mumbles to himself, glaring at Albert, who nods sadly.
“I think he did,” Albert confirms.
“Did what?” Jace asks the question on the tip of my tongue. My eyes narrow as the two men share a knowing look.
Alpha Kendrick shakes his head. “That’s a different story for another time. I assume you have evidence to support your claim of being a street rat and not under the care of your uncle?”
Anna reaches out and slaps him. Hard. “Watch it!” she growls at him.
“Just because your scouts got it all wrong doesn’t mean that you will take it out on her. Can you even imagine a wolf growing up like that? A pup left all alone to fend for itself, a female one at that. Have some compassion,” she chides, swiping a stray tear from her cheek.
“You forget that I have witnesses. Even if you were a street rat, that doesn’t explain your actions once you came into power,” he challenges.
“I don’t know who you have and why they spun such a tale for you, but I would never do such things to my pack, or to anyone. When I arrived on Ivaskov lands I was appalled by what I saw. So, yes, I demanded change right away. Do you know how most of my pack lived, Alpha Kendrick?” I question.
He shakes his head warily.
“I hope not, because I hope you’re the kind of person who would’ve declared war on their behalf if you did. That would have been a worthy cause to start a war.” I eye him pointedly.
“They lived like dogs out there! Most of them didn’t even own clothing. They didn’t receive any kind of education. They stayed in their wolf form most of the time so they didn’t freeze to death during the long winters. They worked fields and orchards, but weren’t given enough food to live on, nor were they paid. They lived in shacks and under tarps. While, on the other hand, a select few pack members lived like kings and held females as hostages to get what they wanted. They even forced a few bonds in order to mate. So, yeah, I took all the earnings and assets of the pack, including everything I inherited from my uncle, and threw it into a theoretical pot to be used for the entirety of the pack, not just the few jerks who horded it. I opened every door of the pack house and invited all the wolves in from the cold. I fed them, clothed them, and started teaching them. The women who came to the house came of their own accord. I didn’t force them to do anything. They wanted protection and protection for their children. I never promised women or money to anyone, and the only ranking system that has changed is that of my mates and me.
“That’s what we did, my mates and I. Ash trains our soldiers, because they should have the ability to protect themselves. I gave an out to anyone who wanted an out. Told them they were free to leave if they didn’t like it there. I wasn’t going to continue to l
et a few thrive off the backs of the many,” I finish.
“My guess would be that the men you have in custody and are getting your false information from are part of the group that chose to leave when they saw Kitten wasn’t going to be a tyrant like Marcus,” Jace supplies.
Kendrick rubs a hand over his head, sighing deeply. “You can see the position I’m in, can’t you? How do you expect to know the truth when both parties could be lying or spinning the story in their favor? One side has you playing the Ivaskov villain, and the other has a righteous hero.”
“I’m neither of those things. I’m just a girl that got caught up in a mess and is trying to do right by everyone. Maybe I am the villain to those who lost their way of life, and maybe I am the hero of someone who used to starve to death in the cold.” I shrug.
“But facts are facts. I did some things and said some things. I didn’t do some things and didn’t say other things. There are plenty of people who can answer any questions you have. You’re welcome to speak to anyone in my pack. You’re also welcome to visit the library I practically lived in when I was a street rat, and the ice rink where I worked at. I can give you a whole list of people who can lay my life out for you like a book. Honestly, I don’t care what you do, but I came here to make peace with you and I’m not leaving until I do. So I’d work quickly if I were you,” I huff, and sit back in my chair with my arms crossed.
Kendrick snorts. “You’re really mad that I don’t believe you just because you told me your version of the truth?”
“I can help you with the list if you’d like, my Luna,” Albert offers helpfully.
“You’ve given the Alpha quite a bit to think about and some homework to finish. Why don’t we go back to the plane until he gets all he needs?” Jace suggests.
My stomach feels like a swirling pit filled with something thick, like tar. Is this how it’s always going to be? Having to give speeches with fake confidence and bravado, spilling my emotions like an open wound for the untrusting and doubtful? I can’t imagine a life filled with only that. It makes me sad and it make me angry and it makes me feel hopeless.