Malcolm saw the doubt in some of his packmates’ eyes beginning to waver.He pressed on.“Think about who’s making these accusations,” he said.“Gregory and Hannah, Vincent’s most loyal supporters.The ones who stood by and watched—who helped—as he tore our pack apart.And now they want us to believe they have our best interests in mind?”
A low murmur ran through the pack, but this time, it held a different note.Malcolm could smell the shift in their scents, anger giving way to uncertainty.
But then Gregory took another step, until he stood in the middle of the pack, and called out, “I don’t think you and Larissa are the ones to be defending Nick.After all, we have information about you too.”
CHAPTER 13
“THERE’S ONE MORE THINGthe pack needs to know about their new potential alphas,” Gregory said, his lips curling into a sneer.
A chill ran down Larissa’s spine.Malcolm stiffened beside her, his body coiling with tension.The air seemed to thicken, pressing down on her as if trying to smother her.
Gregory’s eyes glistened with malicious triumph as he continued.“It seems our esteemed leaders have a rather…intimate way of conducting their patrols.”
Larissa’s stomach plummeted toward her feet.
No.He couldn’t possibly know.
“Hannah and I were witness to a most interesting sight during our return,” Gregory said, his voice dripping with false concern.“Our new contenders for the alpha position, locked in a passionate embrace, neglecting their duties to indulge in a little…personal time.”
The silence that followed echoed with the pack’s shock and judgment.
Larissa’s every nerve ending came suddenly, painfully alive, as if she’d been doused in ice water.
She wanted nothing more than to shift, to flee into the desert and never look back.But she forced herself to stand tall, even as shame slithered through her veins.
She risked a glance at the pack, immediately wishing she hadn’t.Shock.Disappointment.Judgment.Each expression was a stark reminder of how thoroughly she’d failed in her duty.
Beside her, Malcolm’s scent spiked with anger and embarrassment.She could sense his desire to lash out, to defend them both.But what defense could there be?They’d been caught, red-handed, neglecting their responsibilities for a few minutes of selfish indulgence.
Nick stepped into the stunned silence, his expression, a blend of disappointment and concern, making Larissa’s stomach churn.“Is this true?”
Larissa’s mind raced, searching frantically for some explanation, some justification for their actions.But there was none.They had failed, plain and simple.And now, because of their weakness, Gregory and Hannah had managed to return to the pack’s territory undetected.
The memory of the kiss rose unbidden in her mind.The feel of Malcolm’s body pressed against hers.The combination of their scents.The fever that had flashed through her at the first touch of his lips.For those few precious moments, there had been nothing but Malcolm, nothing but the passion that had been building between them for so long.
Now that same memory filled her with self-loathing.How could she have been so foolish?So weak?She was supposed to be a leader, someone the pack could rely on.Instead, she’d let her base instincts override her duty, potentially putting the entire pack at risk.
Gregory’s voice cut through her spiraling thoughts.“Their lapse in judgment provided the perfect opportunity for Hannah and I to slip back into pack territory,” he said.“Who knows what might have happened if we’d had more nefarious intentions?”
The implication hung heavy in the air.Some of the younger pack members looked at her with expressions of awe and scandal, as if they couldn’t decide whether to be impressed by her daring or appalled by her irresponsibility.The emotions on their faces only fueled her embarrassment further.
Malcolm stepped forward, his voice rough with suppressed emotion.“It was a momentary lapse,” he said, the words sounding hollow even to Larissa’s ears.“It won’t happen again.”
Never again, she vowed silently.I will never allow my feelings to compromise my duty again.
She steeled herself, pushing away the memory of Malcolm’s kiss, of the way it had made her feel.The pack needed a leader, not a lovesick fool.She would be that leader, no matter the personal cost.
Nick’s voice cut through the tension.“While this is…concerning,” he said, his tone carefully measured, “we have more pressing matters to discuss.Namely, how to deal with Gregory and Hannah’s return.”
I don’t believe there is anything to discuss,” Gregory said.“Hannah and I are still part of this pack, aren’t we?”
“You are.”Nick glanced out at a few of the other pack members who had sided with Victor until it had become clear they were on the losing side.“But like everyone else in Sunburst, you’ll both have to renew your pack vows once the new alpha is chosen.”
“Of course,” Gregory said easily.“We just want to rejoin our pack.”
“Before anything else,,” Anders spoke up, “I think we should work on plugging our security holes.”His gaze flickered toward Larissa and then Malcolm.“No matter what happened, we should have more safeguards in place than simply a patrol.”
“Agreed,” Nick said.“We’ll put off the final alpha challenge until we’ve worked out some new security details.”
