The rest of her family was filled with a variety of gobshites and pillocks and drunkards that the world would never miss.
The ones who were worth a damn had long ago left for other parts.
“Yes, I had heard talk about those people.”Faegan leaned forward, templing his hands on his desk.“So what doIget out of this?”
“You’ll get an obedient mate who’s still early in her fertile years and should be able to give you plenty of heirs.She resembles Hyacinth enough.You can start over and breed more pups who stand a very strong chance of being shifters.While her parents aren’t shifters, they are both from full pack lines.Meaning any shifter pups she has will be pure.Isn’t that what you want?Does it really matter if her parents are shifters as long as they’re both full pack and your children end up shifters?You also are shed of me and free to do whatever you wish.Callum can erase her memory so there are no loose ends.”
“How do I even know Callum will do this?”Faegan asked.“He could simply walk in and kill me.”
“Tell him you’re done chasing him and pay him.Hell, ask for Bryn’s shares of the estate, and tell him that if she gives you that, it’s over.You can lie to him.”
“What if he tries to Prime the truth out of me?”Faegan asked.
Donnel admitted his plan was a little thin in places, but it was the only one he had aside from committing outright murder with his own hands.
And he’d promised Hyacinth he wouldn’t do that.As much as it pained him, he’d rather not break that promise to her.
“I’ll talk to Bryn.I can convince her that this is the only way to finally have their freedom.She will never have pups if she thinks you will still try to capture them.You can chase her down later.I’ll stay in touch with her, and when you’re ready to bring her in, I’ll help you find her.I’ll have her ask him not to touch you.”
He slowly swiveled his chair back and forth.“Why do you want Hyacinth so much when you could have almost anyone else?I would’ve even allowed you Frannie, despite her being a shifter.”
Donnel struggled and won against the urge to nervously swallow.If he showed too much eagerness, Faegan would oppose him just for the sheer, sadistic joy of it.
“Why does it matter to you what I want?I didn’t think youcaredabout what I want.But you promised us that night.That when you were finished with her, she would be mine.And I’m even sweetening the deal.”
“Hmm.”He rocked back in his chair.“I did promise, didn’t I?”
Not that it would be the first or even the millionth-and-first oath Faegan had shredded without a second thought, but if Donnel carefully preened the peacock…
“Times are changing,” Donnel added.“With the war ending soon, there will be alotof money to be had in the rebuilding efforts.You can freely profit from it without Father’s pesky will impeding your way.You’ll have my shares, you’ll have Bryn’s shares.With Hamish dead, his shares were absorbed back into the estate.You’ll finally have it all, and new heirs to pass it along to.Isn’t that what you always wanted?”
“Why does this feel too…easy?”Faegan asked.“There’s a lot of supposition swirling around all of this.”
He tightly fisted his hands in his pockets.“I can’t go to Bryn without a plan.You’ll look like you’re a virile Pack Alpha, and your mate will appear to be stoic, strong, and loyal to the pack.You survived and overcame a family tragedy.What a success story.The bonus is Frannie is young enough you can fill her over and over again, enough times you can likely get shifter females out of her that you can then auction off.”
Faegan slowly nodded.“That is…tempting.But how’d she avoid catching with bastards from you?Is she even fertile?”
“I’m careful and pull out,” he said.“Plus, she takes herbs that keep her monthlies regular, and we never do it when she’s in her fertile time.We’re always very careful.”
“And her difference in appearance?”
“Not like Hyacinth’s left the house much in the last couple of decades.So what if she looks a little different?Color her hair, and no one will know any different.”
Faegan studied Donnel for a long moment.“How soon can you arrange this?”
“Within the next couple of weeks,” Donnel said.“But I need to approach them with the plan already agreed to.Otherwise, Bryn will sense that charade in me.Callum has to believe she believes it.Meaning I need an agreement from you.”
Faegan stood and rounded the desk.“And if I pay you, you’ll sign over your shares?”
“You can have the whole bloody thing.”
Faegan held out his hand.“Deal.”
Donnel shook with him.“Good.”He stared his brother in the eye, wishing he was strong enough, mean enough—courageous enough—to rip his throat out and solve the whole thing.
But he wasn’t.
And Faegan had convinced Hyacinth that, should Donnel kill Faegan, his men would kill her family, and then Donnel.Despite her father selling her off to Faegan, she still loved her family and begged Donnel not to move against Faegan.
