“Dang, girl! You’re hot when you’re vengeful.” Linc rumbled in approval, sending me a look that had my stomach performing a perfect gymnastic floor routine.
“Well then, lead the way.” Copeland sat back in his seat and motioned for me to step out first. “We’ll follow you… our wee warrior.”
It was a shame I’d worked so hard to save him, only to have to kill him a week later.
He’d picked the perfect moment to use the nickname, since I couldn’t make a scene with everyone watching. Fletcher and Linc dissolved into laughter.
Copeland’s cocky grin told me he thought he’d won, and that wasn’t going to fly. Making my way over his lap to exit the car, I ‘accidentally’ planted a foot between his legs. Hard. His wince told me I’d hit my mark.
“You better watch yourself before I ask the alpha for an extra set of those chains,” I warned.
Copeland wiggled his eyebrows and swatted my butt. “Don’t tempt me with a good time.”
“I swear I don’t know what I’m going to do with you!” I mumbled under my breath, exiting the car with as much grace as I could muster.
Without a word, the men filed out and moved to stand at my back. They were a wall of power ready to take down anyone who dared to touch me. Some of my stress melted away.
This was so much better than sneaking in under the cover of darkness with nothing but a knife, and I wasn’t ashamed to admit it. There was nothing wrong with being strong, nor was there any shame in being protected.
“You’re finally here!” Monroe squealed, running up and throwing her arms around my neck.
“She’s perfectly on time,” Alpha Cillian commented from behind her.
“Yeah, well, it felt like we had to wait forever to show her our surprise!” Monroe protested.
Alpha Cillian held out his hand for me to shake. “Charlee, we want to thank you for the great service you did not only for our pack, but for all the wolf packs around the US.”
I couldn’t have hidden my confusion if I’d wanted to. “But I’m the one who brought the trouble to your doorstep.”
“No, you were the catalyst that brought the potential threat to our attention. And then you risked everything in order to right the wrongs that had been done—wrongs that you had no part in creating. Our pack wanted to honor your bravery and sacrifice by rectifying the wrongs that were done to you.” The alpha motioned toward the people in chains.
My eyes trailed over the faces of the men, and a couple of women, who were bound in chains. Each of them had taken part in my years of torture and mistreatment. They’d either ordered it, or they’d done it at their own hand. Not a single face was missing.
“How did you know?” I asked.
Was it possible the wolves were mind readers? Had they forced the council to confess to how they’d treated me?
Copeland rested a hand on my shoulder. “While we took turns staying with you at the hospital, Fletcher helped us gain access to all the records that we needed. It turns out the council keeps very detailed files on every female rabbit in Blackberry Burrow.”
I twisted my head to look up at Fletcher, surprised to find his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Why didn’t you tell me, Charlee? I didn’t know it was that bad.”
He’d been there to witness the big things like when I’d been tossed in front of the council, and when they’d ordered that I be imprisoned, caged, or beaten. But there was more he’d known nothing about. All the small punishments, the insults, the deprivation, and the cruelties done behind closed doors.
“If you had known, you would have done something stupid. Something that probably would’ve gotten you killed. Just because my life was in ruins didn’t mean yours had to be as well,” I answered honestly. “Fletcher, I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, and seeing you happy was the only thing that brought me joy. Besides, I didn’t want to waste the precious minutes we were able to steal away by pouring out my burdens. I wanted to pretend those things didn’t exist and focus on our time together.”
Fletcher pulled me into a hug, nearly crushing me.
“I need to breathe,” I wheezed when he didn’t let go.
The alpha cleared his throat. “Once Fletcher located the records, your mates hunted down every single person mentioned. While they did that, the rest of the pack scoured the rest of the records to get an idea of exactly what we were dealing with and how to fix things. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single person on the council with clean hands. None of them deserve tobe in any position of power, so it’s time for change at Blackberry Burrow.”
“I couldn’t agree more. But how is that going to work? Most, if not all, of the male rabbits like the way the council runs things. If they are allowed to vote in the burrow leaders, they’ll pay lip service to what the alpha demands while continuing to do the same things behind the scenes.” As much as I wanted to be hopeful, I had my doubts that change was possible.
Monroe hopped in before the alpha could continue. “That’s why we’ve asked you to come here. And feel free to say no!” She reached out and squeezed my hand. “Trust me, I know all about the nightmares a place from our past can hold. And if you decide you never want to step foot in Blackberry Burrow again after today, we will back you 100%.”
The alpha nodded. “The decision is yours. But we’d like for you, and your mates, to consider taking over Blackberry Burrow. If you didn’t want to stay permanently, it could be a temporary arrangement.”
My jaw hit the sidewalk. “You can’t be serious.”
