“Non taken. My mom was crap,” he pauses, taking a forkful of chocolate cake and shoving it into his mouth. “Technically, she still is crap.”
“I am sorry, man,” Griffin says quietly. “I mean, my parents have always been shit and pretty much sent me away so they could be on their own, but still, they didn’t go as far as yours.”
Forest sighs. “I bet Dad was in on Lissa’s stunt today.”
I nod. “I believe the same.”
“They are my parents,” he says. “A tiny part of me still loves them, but the bigger part wants them to pay for what they did. I can’t believe what they did and how many years they’ve betrayed me.” He pauses. “The only good that came of it was that I met Rose and was able to reconnect with you, Griffin.”
“That’s what’s so great about you,” Griffin says quietly. “Despite the horrible things you found out, you still manage to see the good in those around you.”
“I was too gullible,” Forest says. “Too easily manipulated.”
“You trusted those close to you,” I point out. “You had no reason not to trust your parents. For what it matters, though, I don’t think you are easily manipulated. You have a pretty good gut feeling.”
“Rose is right,” Griffin agrees. “They just played so many mind games with you that you believed them when they put you down. Truth is, you are a pretty dope alpha; you will be great in leading this pack. Right, Rose?”
Funny.Rosestarted as a nickname Forest came up with, so as not to introduce me as Rosea. No one ever called me that before. Jordan used the nickname Rosy for me, first to sweet-talk me and then to look down on me.
But Rose… I am starting to like it.
“I think the pack is already seeing the difference,” I say. “And it’s only been a little over a week. That’s what I call quite a success.”
“The warriors are really starting to appreciate you,” Griffin says. “You are strong as fuck, and you know how they tick. They need to respect you first before they like you. And they definitely are starting to respect you. Besides,” he pauses, “the way you treat your luna and stand up against Lissa makes you look strong, too. They like that you respect your mate and are loyal to her.”
“Talking about mates,” I say. “I hate to shift the topic…”
“I get it,” Forest says, offering me the last piece of cake with a strawberry. “We have business to attend to.”
Griffin grows serious, too. “That we do.”
“Did you talk to Nina’s mate?” I ask Forest.
He nods. “I didn’t punish him,” he assures me. “But I did give him a warning to come to me next time.”
“Fair enough,” I say. Not that I had doubts that he would go against his promise.
“Catch me up?” Griffin asks.
I nod and fill him in on what happened this morning with Nina, and what she told me. “Now, that’s interesting,” he says. “And lines up with what I saw.”
“Good job, by the way, for catching that Lissa was up to something shady,” I say.
“I saw her weaseling around and then stuck my nose into it,” Griffin says. “You can’t trust a step she makes. I wanted to fill you in, but I really only caught on to the fact that she had a recording last night. I had no idea she would use it today.”
“It was actually better for us to have the surprise on our side,” I say. “Forest reacted in a great way. And then you came and proved his innocence.”
“And then you put her into her place,” Griffin grins.
“All in all, the outcome was good for us,” Forest says. “What else did you find, Griffin?”
“What Nina says is right. Lissa has her eyes on the omegas. She is hanging around them a lot, but not in a sweet and let’s-all-be-friends way. She just… hovers around, and when she talks to them, it’s only to the mated guys. And believe me when I say they did not look happy.”
“Nina said she flirts with their mates and messes with them.” I pause. “We know she blackmails them to do her dirty work, like she did with Nina’s mate. But there is no guarantee that she isn’t doing more vile things.”
“I was thinking the same,” Griffin says quietly.
“But why them?” Forest asks. “She can have any guy in the pack. Lissa was incredibly popular before you came, Rose. Why play with the mated omegas?”
