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116
Knightly
“Why do you say that?” Phoebe asks, taking my hand.
“My brother is a better man than I,” I answer honestly.
I don’t doubt that he’ll form an alliance with Arnold instead of watching his father let the pack go down with him. It’s why he wanted to leave. There’s no way in hell Freddy would ask Arnold for assistance.
“You’re leaving already?” My mother stops us from getting closer to him.
“Oh, look at that thing.” Phoebe points in a random direction and walks away.
“If you ever let a groupie disrespect her, I’ll beat the shit out of you.” she smiles. “You screwed the ranch when you became the King.”
“Yeah, I screwed the ranch.” I scoff.
“What led you to forgive your father, Son?” She links her arm around mine. “Give me some advice.”
“I almost lost Phoebe being mad at him. I can’t stop thinking of how painful it would have been for her to lose the twins had Ayrie not been alpha like me. Not only would she not have known what killed her, but she would have watched our son die a slow, painful death without his dominant side. They’re not like me and Ash.
“I choose the path that is best for them. It was going to happen one way or another. The packs aren’t safe for silvers, and I have three. I know Freddy gave Garrett Rizen our location and the plans to get in.”
“What?” she pulls away.
“You didn’t know.” I came here to tell them both to go fuck themselves. That I expected this traitorus shit from my father, but never from the two of them.
“You really think I would do that to you? You’re my son. My firstborn.” Her face fills with tears as she stares back at me angrily. She looks away as if thinking about how that could have happened.
“He’s your mate. Your true mate. I would have done it for mine.” I admit. “I couldn’t figure out how he got on the beach until last night. Phoebe likes to bait my wolf, and she ran towards the low–tide reef. He went all the way around. You are the only person who knows the property as well as I do.”
“Sergio remodeled the house for Phoebe,” she says, and turns around. Phoebe is holding Ayrie and laughing at something Freddy is telling her. “Nathan, I don’t-” “Come home with me. He did this to himself. You don’t owe him anything. This pack went as far as it did because of you. He knows that. Arnold knows that. You know that. It doesn’t matter who’s at fault anymore. You taught me to survive. We’re very good at
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it.”
“We’re linked,” she shakes her head.
“I’m here. I’d never let you go feral. Neither would Arnold.” I place my hand on her head so it doesn’t look like we’re doing anything other than saying goodbye. “I told Elliot to sleep on it.”
“You’re a little shit.” she smacks my stomach. “I love you, but you’re a fucking asshole.”
“No one is telling me I’m wrong,” I shrug.
“Callate,” she growls at me and walks away.
“Are you coming?” I ask to know if I have to wait for her to pack an overnight bag.
“Yes, I’m coming,” she shouts back at me. I press my lips together.
This is my mother accusing me of being an asshole. She didn’t even argue it. I doubt she’s going to try to stop Elliot. It wasn’t my intention to make my father happy, but here we are. That motherfucker is going to get everything he’s ever wanted.
As I approach my dad and my family, I can see the way he tries to divert his gaze. At the very least, he feels bad. What did he think was going to happen if Garrett had been successful in killing my mate and taking our pups? I’ve been up all night thinking about it. I even let Phoebe sleep in this morning, trying to decide what to do with the information I discovered chasing after my Phoebe.
“Daddy, we going?” Ayrie takes my hand.
“Why don’t you put them in the car seats? My mom is getting an overnight bag. We’re going out tonight, and she agreed to babysit,” I tell Phoebe.
“Okay,” she nods and smiles at my dad. “Thank you for having us, Mr. Blake. It was a pleasure.”
“The pleasure was mine.” He nods tightly. I step in front of him, so he has to look up at me. He meets my gaze and sighs.
“You taught me that envy was the worst of sins. Your exact words were Envy is a symptom of someone’s lack of self–worth.”
“I don’t envy you, kid. I know my worth. This was always the endgame for us. No matter how I tried to spin it.”
“I was never playing a game with you, My son will be a better man than I am because of what you have taught me. You have everything that you need at your fingertips. I never thought you’d disappoint me or hurt me in any way. I considered you better than the man who brought me into this world. If you ever come near my mate or my pups again, I will end you.”
“Nate, it was a mistake.” he looks away from me. “He wasn’t-”
“Fuck you, Fredrick. You should know that he never even came close. You can’t even imagine the perfection that is Phoebe Rizen. A killing machine all wrapped up in Prada.
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I’m going to cleanse Rogue Nation for her. So that pieces of shit like you can never reach her again. I don’t rip you apart because it’s not my place to. I’ll see you around,
Dad.”
He almost jumps out of his skin when I pat his shoulder. I get to the car to see my mom rush down with her overnight bag. She plays her part. Even kisses him goodbye. She’s in tears when she gets into the passenger seat.
By the time we get home, she’s composed herself. She helps Phoebe take the pups upstairs, and I text my father. It doesn’t surprise me when he appears out of the darkness when I go out to get the kids‘ things from the car.
“What’s going on?”
“Lurking, Arnold?” I offer him a backpack. He takes it.
“As a rogue, I have every right to be around my King’s property, setting the perimeter,”
he huffs.
“Elliot is giving you what you want by morning.”
“Hmm,” he breathes in deeply. “I severely overlooked the boy. It doesn’t surprise me. Bloodlust runs in his veins. Where is she?”
“She’s here. It’s why I asked you to come.”
“She won’t go feral immediately,” he shrugs. “She has time to think about it.”
“We don’t know that. Her mother didn’t. She killed their entire pack that same night and was dead by morning. If it happens to her, I need you here to help me.”
“Is that an order?”
“No, I’m asking you as a son.”
“Nathan-”
“Fuck, Dad,” I growl. “What is so fucking broken inside of you that you would rather she
die?”
“You’re linked to Phoebe now,” he places his hand on my chest. “It’s just you and her. Do you feel bad about that? How you taint her with all your rage and regret? I’m a lot older than you, Nathan. I deserve to be damned a million times over and I will be damned a million times more by the time my heart stops beating. You don’t know what you’re asking me to infect her with.”
“Maria is no saint. She’s a good person, but she’s not exactly mother moon. Please, don’t make kill my mother. I’ve fought your command for years. Claim her so I can rest. So she can rest. It’s over. Full circle. You got what you wanted.”
“This is not what I wanted. I wanted a devoted soldier.” he shoves me.
“You have plenty of those. All led by your pretty little princess. I swear it feels like you
and Mom planned all of this. Like you knew. It bothers me that you’d never confess, and she’d never betray you. Even after what you did.”
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“You really think I have that kind of power?” he smiles.
“I wouldn’t put anything past you anymore. I can hate you and still have respect. Take it as a compliment. It’s the only one you’ll get from me, you fucking cockroach. Now excuse me while I go tell my mate why Grandpa shark isn’t making it to the kid’s first training session,”
