Through the Ether (Force of Nature Book 5) - Amber Lynn Natusch Page 0,15

pretty certain that Brunton was in no mood to ask politely what in the hell Merc wanted to meet about.

“I need to know more about Knox’s history as the alpha of New York and the circumstances of his departure.”

Foust cast Brunton a sidelong glance. “I think Knox would be more helpful in this matter,” he replied.

“He would if he were willing to fully disclose sensitive subject matter to me, but I think you and I both know that isn’t the case,” Merc argued, “even after everything we have been through with Piper. But despite his reluctance and your obvious loyalty to him, these are facts that need to be brought to light if we are to stand against the fey royals. I cannot and will not allow his past to be somehow manipulated into a weapon against Piper, and I know you can appreciate why.” The wolves’ eyes fell to me, the pain of uncertainty plain in their stares. “You care for her too, do you not?”

“We do,” Foust replied.

“Then tell me what I need to know, and we will be done here. There is a reason I have kept this matter as private as possible. I do not wish to shame your alpha. I merely need to know if killing Mack has created a weakness in him that could be exploited, as I suspect it may have.” Merc’s expression grew grim. “I am not without my own.” Those dark eyes turned to me, and I saw the sorrow of what he’d done to me haunting him still. I moved closer and took his hand.

“That wasn’t your fault,” I whispered.

“And it wouldn’t be Knox’s, either, but that would not change the outcome, would it?”

No. No, it wouldn’t, and my silence spoke volumes.

As it settled upon the group, Brunton spoke. “You have to understand something about Knox,” he said, frustration filling his tone. “He will suffer in silence because he thinks that’s his job—that it’s part of his duty as alpha. And that’s exactly what he did for centuries—”

“Until it drove him to paranoia,” Foust added softly, his eyes unfocused and distant, as though reliving those times. Then he snapped back to the present. “His power and his lie-detecting gift evolved over his time in New York. It got to the point that his energy was overrun by the intentions of others—their lies and deceit—and as the pack grew larger and stronger, it was a non-stop draw on him mentally.”

“He’d lock himself away from the others just to try to escape it, but even that stopped working at some point,” Brunton explained. “He turned to those of us closest to him because we were the only ones he could trust, but even that backfired eventually.”

Foust looked to Brunton, then to Merc. “Knox erupted at Brunton one day and nearly killed him.”

“That’s when I left.”

“Years later, Knox came to the breaking point. He knew he had to leave it all behind or take his own life,” Foust continued. “There was no other way, in his mind. One day I went over to check on him, and he was gone. Thankfully, I was able to track him to Alaska. By the time I found him, he was already a different person, with no trace of the madness that had taken him over at all. Together, we built the lodge…and then wayward wolves just started showing up.” Foust ribbed Brunton. “Including this asshole...eventually.”

Brunton shrugged. “Motherfucker tried to kill me. I wasn’t in a hurry to make up.”

“And just like that, he was fine? After all that time and torment?” Merc asked, and I couldn’t miss the note of shock in his tone.

Foust shrugged apologetically.

“But you said it worsened with the size and strength of his pack,” I said, working through it all in my head. “How come that didn’t happen in Alaska?”

Another shrug. “I don’t know, Piper. Maybe it was the New York pack in particular that was a problem, or the city in general. All I know is that he was the old Knox I remembered, and I wanted to do all I could to keep him that way.”

“And I brought him back here…” I swallowed back my guilt.

“But he’s been fine since we arrived,” Foust pointed out, “so maybe everything will be fine. Maybe whatever the issue was before is gone.”

“Except now he is the alpha of the New York pack again,” Merc observed.

“And I wouldn’t say he’s been ‘fine’ since he returned. He’s been way more stressed than he was in