Savage Urges (The Phoenix Pack #5) - Suzanne Wright Page 0,92
please share with the class?”
Taryn turned to Ryan. “If Makenna was betrayed by her pack, it stands to reason that part of her is hesitant about joining another. Mating with you means becoming one of us. She’s done that. But maybe somewhere deep inside, she doesn’t trust that we won’t betray her too.”
It made sense. Makenna spoke of the pack as if she were an outsider. She had yet to call herself a Phoenix wolf. Years of volunteering at a place where other people were banished and betrayed by their packs wouldn’t have exactly filled her with faith about packs. “She’s holding back from the pack, not me.”
“Exactly,” said Taryn. “She needs to see—to believe wholeheartedly—that we won’t betray her.”
“We’ve done what we can to make her feel like one of us,” said Jaime. “She is one of us.”
Taryn shrugged. “That’s a realization she has to come to on her own. At least you can take comfort in the knowledge that she’s not at all unsure about you, Ryan.”
Smiling at him, Jaime nodded. “She loves you. We can all see that. She doesn’t even try to hide it.”
Riley caught Savannah as the little girl sprang onto her lap. “You’re lucky to have Makenna as your mate. She’s awesome.”
Tao leaned closer to the viper. “What’s that you got in your hand?”
Savannah smiled impishly. “It’s for you.” She opened her fist and offered her possession to Tao.
To the guy’s credit, he did nothing other than say, “It’s a worm.”
“You can share it with your mean old lady.”
Apparently Savannah had decided that since he was Greta’s ally, Tao was her enemy.
Tao shot a silently laughing Riley a narrowed-eyed look that she completely ignored.
“I absolutely love this kid,” said Taryn, grinning.
Dante pulled out his beeping cell phone and swiped his thumb across the screen. “It seems we have a visitor.”
“Who?” Trey asked, stiffening.
“Myles is here. And he’s brought a friend.”
By the time Myles had parked in the lot, Ryan was waiting there with the Alpha pair and Beta pair.
Trey spoke. “Why are you here, Myles?”
The male stopped with a sigh. “Two reasons. One, Rosa’s friend called and said that a huge pack has just entered Remy’s territory—the York Pack.”
Zac’s old pack. Bastard.
“They’re planning to invade this place with Remy in three days,” Myles went on. Trey and Dante growled.
“What’s the other reason for your visit?” asked Taryn.
Myles slid his friend a glance. “Well that would have to do with Grayson here. He has something to tell you. Trust me, you’ll want to hear this.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Waking to the sound of a fist thumping on Ryan’s bedroom door, Makenna groaned. The male curled around her merely grunted against her nape. The fist didn’t give up, however. “This is the shittiest wake-up call ever,” she grumbled.
Ryan lifted his head and called out, “What?”
“We have a major situation on our hands.” It was Dante.
Ryan sat upright. “Explain.”
“Come take a look at the security monitors in Trey’s office.”
A short time later, Ryan and Makenna entered the crowded office. “What’s going on?” asked Makenna. Moving aside, Dante gestured at the monitors. One look had Makenna blurting, “Fuck.”
“Yes, fuck,” agreed Tao. “Remy has to be behind this.”
Trick nodded. “He wants the council to think we’re not the right people to be guarding the shelter.”
“Given that there are dozens of extremists outside the security gates, yelling and protesting, I’d say he’d make a good point,” said Makenna. They were all wearing hoods to conceal their faces—most likely hoping to protect their identities from The Movement. Makenna looked at Trey. “I thought you said the extremists wouldn’t come here.”
“Something’s got them so worked up that they don’t care about the danger it’s putting them in.” The Alpha leaned closer to the screens. “What are they shouting?”
Jaime shook her head, worrying her lower lip. “I can’t tell.”
Dante took out his cell phone and keyed in a number. “There’s only one way to find out.” He put the phone to his ear. “Gabe, what is it they’re saying?” Gabe was guarding the gate.
The room was quiet enough for everyone to hear Gabe’s response: “They want ‘the rabid cat.’”
Makenna met Ryan’s gaze as she said, “Dexter.”
“They’re yelling that it belongs in hell and they want to send it there,” added Gabe.
“Hey look, cops have showed up,” said Tao. “Tell me they aren’t part of the protest.”
“They’re trying to move the extremists along,” Gabe told them. “The bastards are blocking the road. Can you see the news crew?”
Makenna cursed. “The council won’t need Remy to tell them