Page 77 of Fated to Her

Maverick nods.

I turn to Eli, who seems deep in thought.

“How long?” Eli asks.

“About ten years, I think. I tried to get help but lost contact with my assigned hunter, Michael. I told him about the deal with Pete, and he said he would try and help, but then he never came back. That crop you burned was meant to be delivered this week. You just signed all our death warrants,” Maverick says.

I’m still stuck on the name Michael. “Do you know Michael’s last name?”

“Not sure. I think it’s Parse or Pace. It was a long time ago, Addie. He was assigned not long after the first shipment, but he didn’t like Pete or Jamison.”

“Paisley?” I ask.

He clicks his fingers. “Yes, that’s it. Do you know him?”

“He was her father,” Eli tells him.

“Your father was a hunter?” Maverick seems taken aback.

I nod.

“Well then, your father tried to help and was going to notify the supernatural council for me, but he never returned. I hold no ill will against your dad. It was a bit of a predicament to get involved in, especially to go against your own organization,” Maverick says.

“Her father died nearly nine years ago,” Cyrus says.

“Yes, he died when I was sixteen. Hunters said he was in a car accident, but we never believed it. Now I think I know why he died.”

All while Pete pretended to be a friend to my father, and now I’m wondering if he had something to do with his death.

“When are you supposed to deliver the herbs?”

“By the last day of each month,” Maverick tells Eli.

“Where?”

“The forest line on the road. They come in trucks.”

“Do they know Addie is here, that Cyrus and I are here?”

“No, I wouldn’t tell them that, Eli. Please, I would never harm your mate,” Maverick tells him, patting my hand.

“I’ll handle the herbs, but you should have gone to the council, Father. They would have put a stop to this,” Eli says.

Maverick sighs. “It took me months to get a hold of your sister. I wouldn’t have had a clue how to even find them. That’s why I was relying on Michael, but when he never returned, I knew we were on our own. After a while, we became reliant on their help. In case you haven’t noticed, there isn’t much wildlife out here besides boar. There is nothing left, the forest barren of wildlife. We need them not just for protection but for food. Other than what we grow, nothing is left out here. In winters, our people would have nearly starved if it weren’t for the supply dropped.”

Eli looks at Cyrus. “I need the phone.”

“What are you going to do?” Maverick asks him.

“Calling the supernatural council. As for the forest, maybe it’s time this pack joined Emery’s. Let her have it. I can’t run this pack long-term and Addie won’t stay out here forever,” Eli tells him.

Maverick sighs. “It may be the only choice. I did quite like some of the humans’ inventions. Their houses are a lot more comfortable with their heating and cooling. I also like the box that has the pictures; a TV, Emery said it was. Plus, I find the phones quite handy. No letters to post and no waiting for a reply,” Maverick says.

I chuckle. He has definitely been living in the wrong century all these years.

Eli shakes his head at his father and heads outside to make some calls.

• • •