“Look, my father was the one that made a decision to attack you. It wasn’t right,” I began to negotiate. “My pack was in the wrong.”
He remained silent.
“But he’s dead and I’m the alpha now. I don’t want a war, I just want to get back to my pack.”
A pack had to follow the orders from an alpha, whereas they could ignore orders from a beta. It was a recipe for disaster.
He pressed his lips together as he watched me intently.
“It would be detrimental for both of us for me to remain a prisoner. If my pack became unstable, then your pack, as well as the surrounding packs, would be at risk.”
He remained silent. He knew I was right.
“You also run the risk of my pack attacking yours to save me from imprisonment. After everything that has happened, do you really want more bloodshed?”
He studied me for a few moments. I knew he didn’t want to chance losing any more of his pack members.
“Your only option is to negotiate with me. It’s in your best interests to trust me,” I added, hoping that my argument had swayed him. If it hadn’t, there would be a lot more bloodshed on the way.
He laughed at me.
“Trust you. The werewolf who was planted into my territory to spy on us and you are asking me to trust you,” he said and scoffed. “You played all of us and you expect me to forget about that and put the lives of the people I love into your hands?”
He looked at me like I was crazy. Although he had every right not to trust me, I needed him to if I was ever going to get back to my pack.
“I can’t be held responsible for my father’s decisions,” I said. I wasn’t sure I was making any headway with him.
“His blood runs in your veins so I have no way of knowing that you won’t do the exact same things he did.”
He was right. He had no way to know for sure that I wasn’t going to lead my pack exactly the way my father had.
Silence followed.
“I’ll be meeting with the other alphas and we will decide on what terms we’ll release you,” he informed me coldly. He gave me one more glare before he turned and left me alone in my cell. The door banged closed behind him. Whatever the terms they came up with were, I would have to agree to them and that made me feel helpless. It was a feeling I hated.
Blake
I was numb. I couldn’t believe that Keri had betrayed us, betrayed me. I sat down and let my head fall into my hands.
When I’d initially found out that Keri had helped Curtis kidnap Scar, I’d been shocked. To me she had just been an innocent human I’d formed a connection with. I’d cared about her, too damn much. Even though I’d thought she was human, she had meant something to me. With everything that had been happening I’d been worried about her welfare so I’d ordered one of my pack members to watch over her.
I stood up and began pacing as I processed my thoughts.
It was only when I saw her for the first time after Cade had brought Scarlett safely back that I’d realized the extent of her betrayal. Her distinctive werewolf scent had been unmistakable and then the realization set in that not only had she somehow been able to mask her werewolf traits from us, she was also a member of Victor’s pack. That knowledge had made me sick.
When her guilty blue eyes had held mine, I’d tried to hide my devastation from the watchful eyes around us. My mind raced through all the thoughts that began to form in my mind. It was the vague comment made by someone that had told me that sometimes you would gravitate to your mate without knowing they were your destined other half. It meant that you could feel something for them before you actually touched.
The dread had risen up in me.
"Lift your shirt," I’d ordered her softly. Everyone around us had ceased to exist as I’d waited for her to follow my command.
Either way it would have hurt. But if she hadn’t been my mate it might have been easier to cope with.
Her gaze had fallen to the floor as her fingers had reached for the hem of her shirt and she had lifted the material slowly. The breath in my lungs had felt trapped as I’d taken in the small birthmark shaped like a half moon on her hip. I knew the shape well, it was the exact same as mine. She was my mate and I felt my heart crumble.
My jaw had tightened as I tried to hold my emotions in check. It had hurt so damn much but I didn’t want anyone to see how devastated I was, including her.
I had raised my eyes to hers. The hopeful look she’d had seconds before had vanished.
