“She’s staying. Permanently.”
No. No, no, no.
“Why?” I force the word out through clenched teeth. “I thought her mother didn’t want her here.”
“Lillian was against bringing her back.” He looks at me, exasperated. “But it looks bad for me to have her away for so long. The pack members talk. They wonder why the Alpha’s stepdaughter isn’t part of the pack, why she’s been sent away like some dirty secret.”
“Maybe because she is a dirty secret,” I say coldly. “Have you considered that?”
The words are acid on my tongue. My wolf claws at my chest, furious, betrayed.
Liar. Liar. LIAR. She’s strong. She’s perfect. She’s OURS.
My father’s eyes flash. “Watch yourself.”
I lean forward, gripping the arms of the chair as more cruel words spill out of me, words that slash at my soul. “She can’t shift, Father. She’s weak. Having her here undermines everything we stand for.”
“She’s still pack. Still family.” He holds my gaze. “And I won’t have people questioning my authority or my family’s place in this pack. She stays.”
I want to argue. Want to tell him this is a terrible idea, that having her here will destroy me, that I can’t be around her without wanting things I can never have.
But I can’t say any of that.
“Fine,” I bite out. “She can stay. Just keep her away from me.”
He pauses before saying, “That may be difficult.”
My stomach drops. “What do you mean?”
“Violet will be joining pack headquarters. The Supernatural Affairs Division.”
My head starts to spin. That’s my department. My division. The one I oversee directly.
“No.” I stand abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. “Absolutely not.”
“It’s already decided.”
“Then undecide it.” I plant my hands on my father’s desk and lean toward him. I realize I’m trembling against the polished wood, so I press down harder to hide it. “She’s too inexperienced. Put her in another department. Marketing. HR. Anywhere else.”
“She has an MBA. She’s more than qualified.”
“I don’t care if she has a PhD. I don’t have time to babysit a woman who can barely function in normal society.”
My wolf howls in fury at my harsh words.
Father’s expression hardens. “Excuse me?”
“You remember what she was like.” I straighten, forcing my voice to stay level even though my control is fracturing. “Clumsy. Shy. Couldn’t get through a family dinner without dropping something or saying the wrong thing. And you want to put her in the most demanding division we have?”
“She was a child then. She’s a woman now.”
“A woman who’s been sheltered in Europe for six years. She has no idea how to navigate pack politics or corporate structure. She’ll be eaten alive.”
“Then teach her.”
The words throw me for a loop. “What?”
“Teach her.” My father leans back in his chair, clearly not about to budge about this. “Show her the ropes. Make sure she does well. She needs to prove herself. If she succeeds in HQ’s most demanding division, no one can question her placein this pack.”
