“So I can hold you both by your words that Prescott can protect my daughter for tonight, till when we get to her tomorrow?” Nathan Makonel asked Julius and Aiden, believing that their words would mean more to him, seeing that they were of his kind, and had better measurements for the power of the squirrel whose descriptions seemed familiar for some reason.
After his reconciliation with his family, who were seated right beside him, Nathan had listened again as the people surrounding the large table in the room had told their stories regarding what had happened over the period when his daughter, Emma, had made an appearance in the pack. It was like her coming had kickstarted events that had already been pre ordered by fate, seeing the mates of the twins, Aiden and Julius, and of course his very good friend, Kane.
Even though he pretended to be racked with unbelief and annoyance at the god’s matching his friend with his daughter, he knew there was no other person that he would have wanted for his daughter who seemed to be the youngest of his children. The only one he wished he could change was Derek.
The Alpha’s son hadn’t honored them with his presence despite the Luna’s insistence-she had gone to call him, and had returned empty. Nathan would rather bite his tongue than ask after the lad that had broken his daughter’s heart.
As a matter of fact, it was better that the lad wasn’t here. Nathan didn’t trust his hands. They might have punched the lad a thousand times before finally letting him go, for Blenda to work healing magic on him.
Julius and Aiden exchanged furtive glances at Nathan’s questions before nodding their heads simultaneously. “He can keep her safe. We can bet our lives on that.”
Nathan nodded, before squeezing Sheila’s hand.
‘I can’t wait for all this to be over, so I can unravel you slowly, like that one time eighteen years ago.’
Sheila blushed beet red, and Melvina who had been staring at the couple, hid back a smile and turned away, knowing that if her friend caught her gaze, she would be embarrassed further. But she was so happy for her friend. Things were beginning to look up. With the prince of the ancients by their side, surely they could win this fight. No matter how strong Legardo was, no matter how witty Leonarya was, they couldn’t be smarter than the ancients.
“Why are you here?” Nathan asked Jan, Curtis’ mother. He had managed to glean from the stories being told about the pack that had been in unity eighteen years ago, of the rift and what had caused it. There was no way that the woman sitting across from him could be totally innocent of her mate’s acts, there was no way she was unaware or had no hand in it.
Jan jerked at Nathan’s question, her eyes darting around the table. Curtis squeezed her hand, but it didn’t calm the onslaught of terror ravaging her at the distrust in the ancient’s eyes. The only thing she could think of was that her mate had been wrong, or rather had been kept in the dark by Leonarya and Legardo.
Arnold had never hidden anything from her, despite her dislike for some of the things he had done, and so she knew that he didn’t know of this, didn’t know of the alliance of the ancients with Peter’s pack.
She had heard the Prince talk about when Legardo had come visiting them, asking them for their help, and promising them the treasure that was as life to the ancients. That was when the trembling had started, trembling at the knowledge that her mate had joined the wrong side. She needed to tell him. But wouldn’t these people consider it as a betrayal? Yet, how could she let Arnold make his choices blindly?
“Mother, the prince is waiting for your answer.” Jan looked at her son then. He looked so much at ease at the table. It had solidified when he had submitted the evidence to Peter, that was after Maya had hugged them both with tears in her eyes.
Her two children were here. Should she stay here? No. She would give Arnold the final chance to make a choice. His decision would determine her next step.
“I am here for my children.” She answered simply, squeezing Curtis’ hand, and then Maya’s who was seated at her other side.
“And so what about your mate?” Nathan threw the question with amusement, an amusement that caused Kane to sigh for the umpteenth time since they began the meeting. You could never tell when Nathan was completely serious, and completely making a joke.
“He has made his choice. He should live with it.” Jan answered, looking at Nathan’s nose instead of his eyes. His eyes unsettled her. It was like he could see her deepest secrets.
“I thought you made them with him? Shouldn’t you live with it too?”
There was silence in the hall. Jan obviously didn’t know what to answer to that. The silence was interrupted by Peter’s intentional cough.
“Although, I too, am not sure why Jan is here, I believe that we take Curtis’ words that his mother wouldn’t betray us.”
Nathan shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way, Alpha.”
Jan stood up then, her chair making a racking sound and moving backward at the speed with which she had stood up. “I can leave the meetings, and other meetings like this if it would put you at ease, Prince Nathan.”
Nathan nodded, “As a matter of fact, it will. It is not like you could…”
“Okay, that’s enough.” Sheila said, expertly removing her hand from a Nathan who suddenly calmed down his horses, and reclined back on the chair as if being rebuked.
He paused his lips and glared at Kane and Dobah who had the audacity to chuckle at the incident.
“I will take care of Jan. That is not a problem. She can stay. Can we talk about Eva now, and what is to be done about her?”