"I'm looking forward to getting to know you, Erica." I observed Gen's infectious excitement, I noted the concern etching itself onto Erica's face. She seemed almost wary of the bubbly young woman before her. My father's words only served to increase her unease.
"Gen will be your guide and help you settle into your new room," he informed Erica, who looked as if she were swallowing a bitter pill. I couldn't quite put my finger on why she appeared so reluctant, but I knew that pushing her would not yield any answers.
"Thank you," Erica managed to say, her voice strained but polite. "I just need to gather a few things first. Has there been any word from Marshall about sending my belongings?"
"Actually, your things arrived the other day," Gen replied brightly, seemingly oblivious to Erica's distress. "They've been waiting for you in your room." The annoyance flared in Erica's green eyes as she processed this information. It was as though she had suddenly realised that my father had already decided her role within our pack, without consulting her.
"Can we go now?" Erica asked through gritted teeth before my father dismissed them with a nod. She followed Gen out of the room, her shoulders tense as she tried to maintain composure. The door slammed shut, echoing through the office like a gunshot. As soon as they were gone, I turned to glare at my father, my feelings clashing inside me like a storm.
My father sat with his chin resting on his hands, watching the door for a moment.
“I like her,” he said, leaning back in his chair. Gregg grinned and came and sat in the chair next to me.
“She sure is a feisty one,” he replied with a chuckle, his eyes flicking to me for a moment before returning to my father. "She'll be an interesting addition to our pack."
The casual conversation grated on my nerves, and I clenched my fists at my sides. Finally, my father acknowledged my silent fury, his dark eyes narrowing as they met mine.
"What's on your mind, Liam?" I couldn't contain my anger any longer.
"You went too far," I snapped, my fists clenched at my sides. "Throwing her against the wall like that? What were you thinking?" My father’s dark eyes met mine without flinching.
"I was testing a theory, Liam," he replied coolly.
"Her reaction to danger is telling, and it's important we understand her fully."
"By treating her as an enemy?" I shot back, my blood boiling. My father glanced at Gregg who shook his head.
“What would you have done if your dumbass plan had worked?” Gregg asked him. Plan? I looked between the two of them.
“What Plan?” I asked.
“I mean, yeah, you scare the shit out of her and her wolf shows up and protects her.” Gregg said, and it finally clicked for me. My father was trying to see if he could trigger a shift.
“Well done.” Gregg carried on, “But then you would be facing a super pissed off wolf who would be looking for your throat.” My father grinned sheepishly and shrugged.
“I thought that’s what you’re here for?”
“Oh, hell no. You poke the wolf, you get eaten.” He laughed. “I’m here to protect you from external threats, not your own stupidity.”
“It was worth a try.” My father shrugged again. I got the theory behind it but I still didn’t like the way he went about it.
"At least we managed to help Marshall and his family relocate to a new place." My father nodded. Gregg had been involved in the move north for the remaining members of their pack, although at this point the only werewolf left was Marshall.
“We've done what we can for them so far, but we need to ensure their safety,” my father said.
"During my time with them," Gregg said, his gaze thoughtful, "I noticed the little blond one, Imogen. She seemed particularly close to Erica. If anyone would come looking for her or try to help her escape, it'd be her."
"Then we'll keep an eye on them," Declan decided, his tone final. "They may not realise it yet, but they're better up there away from all this." As much as I hated to admit it, they had a point. Erica's old pack had been weak and vulnerable, easy prey for someone wanting to take advantage.
It was bad enough that Damon had told me that he’d seen some of the Shadow Night pack in the bar in town where Erica used to work, including that bastard Jasper Blackwood, who apparently had taken quite the interest in my mate. The last thing we needed was him finding out that Erica was my fated mate. That would put her in way more danger. That was why even though I wasn’t happy about keeping our bond a secret, I was willing to do so for now until Erica trusted me to protect her.
The door creaked open, casting a shaft of light across the dimly lit room. My mother, Fallon Anderson, Luna of the Silver Stone pack, stepped into the office, her soft hazel eyes searching each of our faces. I felt my heart swell with love and worry as she approached. Her normally radiant face was marred by the lines of stress and sorrow that had become a constant presence over the years.
"Is everything all right?" she asked, her voice laced with concern as she looked at us. "I heard raised voices."
"Everything's fine, Fallon," my father assured her, his expression softening for a moment as he met her gaze.
"Mum," I breathed out, unable to contain the mix of emotions coursing through me. "You don't need to worry about us."
