21
“I can take you home so you can get some things together for you and the pups, Mr. Blake volunteers.
“I don’t know if I want to take the twins back there so soon,”
“I can watch them, Tessa and Maria blurt out at the same time
“I don’t know, I start to shake my head.
“There is no safer place for them, Phoebe. The ranch is sealed off. I have betas patrolling all the way around. The girls
I
wouldn’t allow anything to happen to them,” Mr. Blake tries to reassure me
“I believe you. I’ve just never left them with anyone else. Kendra has been their only nanny and before that, it was just me
“It’s just for a couple of hours, Maria says. “What do you guys say? Want to spend time with Grandma Shark?”
“Yes,” the two of them shout.
“What we doing?‘ Ayrie asks.
“I can show you around. You can see the horses and the cows,
“Please, momma,” Aizen looks up at me immediately. “I’ve never seen a real–life horse;”
“Okay, only if you promise to behave for Grandma. Remember D.A.D. said she’s his Mommy”
“Promise,” they both hold up their pinkies.
“Okay,” I agree.
“It’s settled then,” Maria beams.
“I love skittles,” Ayrie dances on Freddy’s lap. He is loving how trusting she is with him.
Aizen loves animals. He shed tears when I told him couldn’t bring our neighbor’s cat Shanty with us. It didn’t last long, but he didn’t like it. It’s why he slept through the entire plane ride. And he hasn’t brought it up since. Once we’re done with breakfast, I find that someone cleaned up our room and set our belongings on the loveseat by the television set on the right side of the bedroom.
By the time we’re in my car, I’m a mess. Mr. Blake offers to drive and I don’t deny him. I press the home button on the screen so he knows where we’re going. Then I remembered that he was there last night.
“I imagine this is a lot to take in,” he breaks the silence.
“Yes,” I nod.
“I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you may have,”
“Most of the questions I have are for Knightly,” I admit.
“You and me both, kid,” he chuckles. “This is a very nice car,”
“Thank you. I don’t really know anything about cars. My assistant put everything together for me. I just drive it,”
“What’s her name?”
“Him. His name is Cevin Nendo,”
“Marissa and Charles Wheeler’s youngest?” he asks. That is Cevin’s maiden name before he got married.
“Oh, shit. Are they shifters too?”
“Yeah, they’re allies. Their alpha is a friend of mine,” he nods. “So is your boss,”
“Xo?”
“Yes, she an alpha as well. She’s something we call Feral,”
“Knight told me about that. About his dad. I mean his biological father,”
“Yeah, Arnold is Feral too. But she’s not like him. She lost her mate. There’s a difference,”
“Right,” I agree.
“Have you always liked fashion? I’m not sure what it is you do,”
“Oh, well right now I’m just starting to get acquainted with the business side of the industry. Xo named me the acting CEO of our California branch. The former went a little crazy after his divorce and he was sent to rehab,”
“Francis? Is that what they told you happened?”
“Is that not what happened?”
“His mate Louis was killed in a highjacking. Up towards Downtown LA, the rogues running gangs down there stop expensive cars to commandeer and shake down the owners. My guess is he fought and they didn’t take lightly to it,”
21
“Oh, god,” I cover my mouth. “That’s terrible,”
“Yeah, he’s not in rehab, sweetheart. He couldn’t bear to be without his mate,”
I feel terrible. That is not I don’t understand this world.
“Forgive me, but what is rogue?” I ask needing to change the subject.
“Rogues are wolves or shifters like me who don’t adhere to pack laws. They’re nomads. They don’t want to belong anywhere,”
“Knightly said you’re the alpha of the city. Does that mean you own the entire city?”
“No,” he grins. “It means I’m the strongest. I have the most wolves, the biggest territory, and ready heirs to take my place should anything happen to me,”
“Are there other alphas?”
“Dozens. Just here in this region. Southern California is a vast territory. There’s a mix of people and our kind here. I take care of most wolf–related problems. Maria represents our kind under the official government here. Tessa runs our education system. Elliot jumps around. He’s kind of enamored with whatever keeps him busy,
“What about Knightly?”
“Knightly.” he lets out a heavy sigh and I can’t help the laugh that comes out of me. “Knight has the potential to be an amazing Alpha. I want him to take over after me in a few decades. He’s an intelligent little fuck. But he’s young and he didn‘ t have a great start with the father that brought him into this world.
“He put my son through hell and that darkness follows him around. He blames himself for things he has no business blaming himself for. But talking that boy out something once his mind is made up is impossible. Just like his momma,
“Did you say a few decades? How old do wolves get to be?”
“I’m sixty–eight,”
“No, you’re not,” I laugh. He grins looking over at me. “Seriously. You aren’t that much older than me,”
“You’re a baby,” he laughs. “How old are you?”
“I’ll be thirty in the fall,”
“Yeah, you’d still be considered a pup to us. Just like Knight, Tessa, and Eli,”
“Aww man,” I say sitting back.
“You okay? Your heartbeat is going crazy,”
“You can hear that?”
“Yeah,” he pulls into my building.
“My babies are going to outlive me by forever. I don’t know how to deal with that,” I whisper to myself.
“Well,” he clears his throat. “Not necessarily,”
“What does that mean?” I ask once we’re in the elevator. I can’t believe he heard that.
“You’re human for now,”
“For now? I don’t think there’s a cure for that,”
I try to calm myself and mentally prepare for the chances of finding Kendra in my apartment. He finds me amusing. His smile says it all.
“Knight might have been able to let you go six years ago, but he can’t this time around. You’re his mate. Whether he wants to admit that to you or not. Those pups are going to need both of you. Once he puts that mark on you, you become one of
- us.
ot let
“You may not be able to shift, but your life will be bound to his until your last breath,” he reaches into his coat and pulls out a big ass gun. “Listen to me, sweetheart. Stay behind me. You do as I say and we’ll get through this together. anything happen to you. I made a promise to my son and I intend to keep it. Yes?”
“Yes, sir,” I nod.
“Good girl. No more questions until I make sure you’re safe so you can pack your things. Take what you can, because I don‘ t want you coming back here anymore. I don’t think my boy and I can handle seeing you cry again,”
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