my fear to condemn an entire race seemed so…
Ignorant.
The Luthers were trapped in this valley. And that evening in Sandstone, Greyson protected me, just like Sascha was doing right now against Rhona.
I could admit that now.
I couldn’t hold Sascha or Greyson to that sad, regrettable moment anymore. I couldn’t use Herc’s death as another shield for the feelings and thoughts I wanted to avoid.
Because those things weren’t going away.
I wasn’t sure I wanted them to.
“When you’re ready to assume your proper seat,” Sascha was saying, “the meeting can resume.”
Rhona ignored him.
“Would you like to swap?” I asked. “You know it doesn’t matter to me what seat I lead the tribe from, but it would be rude to ignore the customs of our hosts.”
I met her blazing emerald gaze and sadness filled my heart.
“I refuse to talk with dogs.” Rhona burst to standing.
“That’s the only language I speak,” Sascha said. “Woof.”
He didn’t. Oh my god.
I rubbed a hand over my mouth to conceal my traitorous grin as Rhona stormed out.
Inhaling, I noted the sudden muting of the head members’ scents. They were trying to hide. Embarrassed?
Correct, my wolf said.
I rose. “On behalf of the Ni Tiaki tribe, I sincerely apologise for my sister’s behaviour. She finds it difficult to be in Luther company after her father’s death.”
“We found it very difficult to be in steward company after her father threw a landslide at us, but we managed.” Mandy glowered. “Children have no part in the managing team.”
Oddly, I gathered that she was trying to help me.
Valerie scoffed. “You had it coming.”
Just like that, my good mood expired. “Valerie. Please join Rhona outside.”
Her jaw dropped. Beet red, she stumbled from the bungalow.
I surveyed the wolves and bowed this time. “Another apology is needed. You can be assured that violence against your kind will not be condoned under my leadership, as per the rules of Victratum.”
“I would request that your sister is absent from future meetings between our people,” Sascha said.
Smelling his fury, I could only marvel at the lack of it in his voice.
“The head team will take that into consideration and deliver our decision by Monday evening.” I sat in my antler throne.
His honey eyes bore into mine. I’d have thought the shorter distance would make the elastic band sensation under my ribs better, but it was almost worse to see and not touch him.
“Your choice for this week’s grid?” he murmured.
I rubbed the area under my ribs and saw his gaze dip to the movement. His eyes widened slightly, and his attention snapped to my face.
“Clay,” I said. “We’ll see you in Clay.”
The head team didn’t look at Rhona as they filed into the van. Stanley took the driver’s seat while Nathan took hold of Valerie’s arm and dragged her to the vehicle.
They drove off, and I waited by Ella F.
“Are you coming?” I asked Rhona.
Her options were to come with me, walk, or stay here. She approached the car and gave it a swift kick.
“Whatever you may feel toward me right now, don’t ruin my possessions because of it. I happened to work hard to buy this car, and if you can’t respect that, walk back to the manor.”
“You’d probably like that, wouldn’t you, dog lover?” she hissed, wrenching open the door.
Growls rose around us, but I highly doubted she heard.
“They’re your legs, not mine. Be my guest, if that’s what you’d prefer.” Forest forest forest.
Let me out, my wolf growled.
Not the time.
If you don’t respect my needs, we will die, Andie Thana.
I just need you not to burst out right this second, I snarled.
That’s not how this works. Sascha was right. I do not care for the confines of your pack.
Too bad.
“Do you feel like a whore when you let him inside you?” she hissed.
The growls ramped up.
Her words were for Sascha’s benefit as much as mine, and his growl inside the bungalow was about the most menacing thing I’d ever heard. “I wouldn’t know. What I do know is that you’re embarrassing yourself.”
It was the wrong thing to say, and I knew it before uttering the words. Yep, she’d officially gotten under my skin.
Her fist clenched as I gunned the engine.
“Hit me if you like, Rhona. It may make you feel better for a little while.”
“Perhaps,” she said. “Except there’s nowhere to wash my hands after.”
“You can say what you like to me,” I directed us away from the bungalow. “I’ll be here through it all. I won’t say goodbye to you.”
She laughed as we left the