“No. He had mixed feelings about it. But I came here because I loved them—and they loved me.”
A haunted look comes across Shawn’s face as he realizes the meaning behind my words.
That’s right. You killed my only friends!
“So, you must have grown up knowing a lot about how the pack operates?”
“No,” I scoff. “Why would you think that?”
“Well, your father is a prominent man, and you were close to the alpha.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. I keep my head down and don’t ask questions. It’s the safest way to live.”
Shawn narrows his eyes, and suddenly, the warm green depths look as cold as arctic ice.
What kind of man is he, really? Why is he asking all these questions?
“I just want to do a good job here,” he says. “I want to help you, and the rest of the pack. I can’t do that if I don’t understand how things have been run before.”
I nod, taking another sip of brandy. I’m even more wary all of a sudden, completely suspicious of his manner and his intentions.
These could be the questions a good man might ask if he wanted to help. But this could also be an interrogation by a tyrant who wants to rule even more harshly than my father!
Chapter 7 - Shawn
Sitting across from Sara, I can feel the tension rising in the room, but I refuse to give in to it.
I have to know what’s going on here!
The more I see of the town, the more disturbed I am by the situation. Sara’s father following us to the house and demanding that we consummate really made my blood boil.
It seems like most of the pack obey him. The old man must be pissed that we showed up to conquer the place, but what was the goal in coming after Eccles? I have to know.
“Is the pudding still good?” I ask. “It’s usually better the day after.”
Sara just nods, looking down into the bowl.
“What should we do for supplies? It’s not like there’s a grocery store or something up here, is there?”
Sara shakes her head. “Someone should come around tomorrow with some staples. The Morrows have cows, and they produce our dairy products. The Norvilles make flour and other cereals.”
“Wow, you guys really are self-sufficient up here, aren’t you?”
She shrugs. “We had to be.”
“But what about power?” I say, gesturing to the lights. “How have you managed that?”
Sara frowns, still not looking up at me. “I know when the pack was founded, electricity wasn’t a thing—certainly not this far out from civilization. I’m not entirely sure, to be honest.”
“A lot of the hidden shifter towns have their own generators,” I say thoughtfully. “It would be too noticeable to pull electricity from the main grid.”
“I think it’s actually connected to Eccles,” Sara says. “But really, our younger generation doesn’t know much about it. Leah will probably know.”
“I’ll ask her.”
“She may not want to talk to you.”
“I noticed that. She barely spoke a word throughout the reception. Do you know why?”
