“I’ll just go back to Grandad’s.”
Ignoring her interruption, he carried on. “And place you in a pack of my choosing, where you will be on probation for the first two years.” His smile sparked dread, cold and nasty, in her belly. “And I can assure you, there are some packs even more out of the way than us. Far enough from here that Rachel will forget all about you in no time at all.”
Sara stared at him, her mind whirring with everything he’d thrown at her. Being banished from the pack would hurt, but if she could get to Rachel first, they could seal their bond, and it wouldn’t matter. They’d be bonded, and no alpha would be able to separate them.
As if reading her mind, he yelled “Dammit Sara,”and banged his fist on the table with such force, the vase on it skittered across the surface and crashed to the floor. “If you try to contact her or she you, I’ll be forced to assume Tregarrak went against my explicit demands and I’ll have to retaliate.”
“Retaliate?”
Surely he doesn’t mean…
“Yes. I won’t have another alpha overruling me where my own pack is concerned. If he ignores my wishes, then we’ll attack. It’s as simple as that.”
“But the council—”
“Will be on my side.”
Would they? Sara didn’t think so, but she didn’t know enough about pack politics to know if her father was telling the truth or not, but she couldn’t risk it. Their pack was substantially larger than the Penwith pack. There could be casualties, fatalities even, and it would be her fault. What if Rachel got hurt, or her father or brother? No, she wouldn’t risk putting anyone in harm’s way, and he knew it.
“What did you tell Alpha Tregarrak?”
“That my mother-in-law is on the alpha council, so he’d better watch his step.”
“No,” she said, “about why we couldn’t see each other?”
He eyed her warily. “What do you mean?”
“When you went to see him, what reasons did you give?”
“Pretty much what I’ve just told you. Why?”
It was all Sara could do to hold back a small smile. “I just wanted to know.” If he’d told Rachel that Sara had changed her mind or wasn’t interested in completing their bond, it would have killed her. But as long as Rachel believed they both wanted this, there was still hope.
She just needed help.
SEVERAL DAYS LATER, her father brought her the news that Rachel had gone to London to stay with the Regent’s Hill pack for a while. It gave her the chance she’d been looking for to put her plan into action.
He seemed especially pleased with himself by this new turn of events, and Sara kept her voice neutral, injecting only a touch of sadness into it. “I wouldn’t mind getting away.” She sighed. “You’re right. This Cornish scenery does get to you after a while.” The words were a lie, mostly. She still loved the rugged countryside and the sea so close, but knowing Rachel was no longer nearby took some of the shine away.
His expression softened. “Where would you like to go? Back to your grandfather’s pack?”
“No.” Sara frowned, as though giving it some thought. She knew exactly where she wanted to go, but a few days ago, her father would have refused flatly, thinking she was up to something, but she’d been quiet, bided her time. “I don’t want to go back there yet. I want somewhere I can collect myself, recharge my batteries in peace.” She paused, long enough for him to come up with the idea on his own.
“How about visiting your grandmother at her council residence? No one will bother you there. You’ll have all the peace and quiet you want.”
And also be far away from Rachel. Sara knew he’d see the appeal.
“I could do,” she said, tone still bland. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen her.”
Patting her on the shoulder, her father stood. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements. When would you like to go?”
“As soon as I can.”
Three days later she was on her way to Ashcombe.
Wait for me, Rachel. Don’t give up.
