Draco listened to his mother relay what she knew about Athena. He had two names added to his list now.
“What about Rob Maplewood? Athena mentioned she was refusing his marriage proposal…” Leo pressed on, leaning forward.
“Marriage proposal my ass. Her mother and brother sold her to that asshole. Deidra and I told her as long as she stays in Blackwood County, the Maplewoods nor her mother or brother could enforce their bullshit. That fool only wants to torture her while he forces himself up on her. They don’t believe a human can breed a powerful alpha. That whole lot are fucking useless wastes of spaces. Any wolf would be lucky as hell to have that young woman as their mate.”
“At the risk of getting maimed, how could an alpha and a human female make a powerful shifter alpha?” Leo hesitantly asked.
“When the human female gets her fated mate mark, her body changes. She’s stronger, healthier, and better than a regular human. While she doesn’t turn into a shifter, she is more like us than not. Her ability to hear and see is stronger, her speed is faster, she can talk mentally to her mate and bear strong alphas. She can also live longer, like wolves do.”
“I still don’t get how the half human alpha is stronger than full shifter alpha,” Leo admitted, scratching his head.
“What about our healing abilities? Can they heal like us if they get hurt?” Tony asked, rubbing his chin.
“Yes, they have all of our abilities but the shifting part. My father, grandfather, his father, and his father before him all believed it was a gene the Goddess gave the human female, as long as she was with her true fated mate.” Coren smiled over at his wife.
“How do you know this? Mom’s a shifter like the rest of us,” Draco asked, looking at his father in confusion.
“No, son. I’m not. I’m human like Athena is.”
Chapter
Ten
Draco leftbreakfast and headed to the hotel to meet with his team with his head swimming after the news his father told them. It didn’t change his mind about claiming Athena either way.
Once he’d managed to get all of his team together, minus Leo who was headed to Athena’s house with his dad and brothers, he managed to relax back into the zone. Work was his comfort zone.
This is what he knew. Control and command.
He had to be in control at all times. He didn’t think Athena could handle his dark side.
The side that had no problems taking a life when the need was called for. The side that enjoyed the hunt before the kill just as much.
The darkness in him would swallow her light and leave her a shell of who she was now. His family would wind up hating him.
“How is she this morning, bossman?” Case asked as he came into the room followed by the rest of his team.
“When I left the house this morning, she was resting.”
“What happened last night? Thought we didn’t have to be anywhere until later this evening,” Jasper “Hawk” Hawkins pointed out.
Draco rubbed the back of his neck in a clear sign of frustration. They were hitting the ground running in no time.
“Change of plans, Hawk. Shades, you and Arrow will be on protection detail. The rest of you will be on perimeter. Leo and I will be dealing with the ring leaders personally.”
“Whatcha need me to grab boss?” Case pulled out his notepad that he always had on him.
“Motion sensors, cameras, audio, the works. I want cameras on her doorways, garage, and around the perimeter. I want them invisible, too,” Draco ordered, pacing the room.
“Who are we protecting?” Jessica “Shades” Shade asked, pulling out her notepad.
“Athena Chapman. She’s my sister’s best friend and a human. Her home was vandalized last night after an incident at The Hen. It’s looking like her brother and the fucker he sold her to, which is also a rival pack, the Maplewoods.”
“Does her brother know they are shifters?” Case asked looking up from his notes.
“I believe he does know the Maplewoods are wolf shifters. I also believe the fuckers are sadistic to string the SOB along, thinking they can make him one of us, hence why he sold her to be used and abused. Athena publicly rejected Maplewood and his claim on her before attempting to feed him his teeth.” Draco couldn’t help chuckle at that memory.
“While she felt the pain, her rejecting him, then punching him his face was a beautiful sight to see.” Case chuckled along with Draco.
