“You dare to strike her?” Alarick hissed at him, his hand tightening on Lyle’s arm. Lyle whined, his face going pale, and I could hear his bones grind together.
“Wha—” Lyle gasped out, his frantic eyes taking in the ring of people gathered in front of me as Ian wrapped a hand around his mouth to prevent him from speaking. Shannon had gathered me into her arms, though a low growl was working out of her throat. She wanted a piece of him as badly as I did.
Penny. My wolf was howling in my head as my eyes turned to Alarick, and I heard Chann swear beside him, his eyes widening as they took me in. I wasn’t sure why he was speaking mind to mind instead of out loud. His face was grim as he studied me. Sweetheart, there are rules in place here. My nod was jerky and stiff. Ian and I… He glanced at the man next to him. My father authorized us, if a threat was made against the pack as a whole, to move forward with an execution.
Mine, my wolf snarled.
Kitten. Ian’s voice was gentle but firm. I know you want vengeance, but it violates pack law to enforce vengeance on a human like this. I know she was your mother, kitten, but she was human. Without a conclave… He shook his head. You would be up for execution yourself. A human killed a human. Even his threats against you, his extortion, his threats to— He broke off, forced to take a deep breath here. Lyle was struggling frantically in their arms, but he was no match for their superior strength. To sell you off. Those words were a snarl as he glared at my uncle. All that could be avoided and handled in a human manner for a little while, since you’re underage and still his ward under the human government, in order to avoid suspicion and exposure.
My brain was slow to catch up, my wolf still wild within me. I knew Alarick held me still, the power of his command preventing me from moving a single muscle. It was likely the only thing that kept me from tearing Lyle apart. Exposure was bad. The memory tickled my brain as I remembered Shannon pressing that on me when I got to Lupine Hollow. The worst of the worst, for wolf or human, their secret must be guarded at all costs. It was why their decision to trust my mother had been divisive to their community, too many had not believed she would hold up her end of the bargain.
Exposure bad, I repeated robotically.
That a girl, Chann encouraged softly, as he stood between Lyle and me, looking over his shoulder at me with a wan smile. Lyle’s eyes were nearly bulging out now, confused and afraid by our silence as we simply stared at each other, our mental conversation seen only by the emotions flickering on our faces.
But if he’s threatening to have the school staked out, expose the school to his employers, and send people into it, then it threatens to expose our existence as well as our pack and pups. Realization dawned on me as his tone darkened.
You’re going to kill him for threatening to enter the school. His eyes holding mine, Ian nodded.
As pack zeta, one of my roles is to act as the defender of Lupine Hollow. His dark eyes were serious, but they didn’t waver or flinch. At times, that means I’m expected to perform executions when the alpha is not available.
Alarick’s mental growl worked through the pack bond. As acting alpha of the pack, I am authorized to perform executions also.
You are acting alpha, not alpha. I am zeta. You are also still a pup of this pack. Ian’s voice softened. One day, you will be asked to take a life, Alarick, in hot blood or in cold. I would like to think that time will be long in coming. Something passed between the pair of them that I didn’t understand before Alarick inclined his head, apparently conceding the kill to Ian.
How will this work? I asked hollowly. I had expected my wolf to fight this, to demand to take him. Yet, for some reason, at Ian’s statement, she had eased. She didn’t like it, but she wasn’t fighting him either.
She recognizes pack order, Shannon explained, kissing my forehead. Lyle made a noise, his eyes narrowed on me, and I lifted my lip. Seriously, he admitted to helping arrange