“Obviously a human made that up, because they never lived in the Breed world,” I said, touching my braid. “You’re going to lose all your men if you keep coming at us. Lorenzo’s numbers are strong.”
“Yeah? And how attached are you to that wolf? Making yourself a nice home? Because I have a feeling this is just temporary and you’ll be heading back home to your Packmaster soon. So you can get off your high and mighty rocker.”
I could hear a low growl coming from Thunder Wolf, but it was almost inaudible. That let me know Lorenzo was awake and aware of what was happening.
A knock sounded at the door and Caleb inched in. It made Fox sit up straight, ready to spring into action if needed.
Mostly because Caleb was holding a bloody spear. A grin spread across his angelic face. “Everything okay in here?”
“We’re fine, thanks for asking.”
“Thought you could use this,” he said, walking forward and handing me the spear.
I blushed and suppressed a rising laugh as I settled the blunt end of the spear on the floor to my right, the arrow tip pointing up.
Fox’s eyes rose to look at the stained blood on the end.
“She got one of yours last night with that spear, so you better behave,” Caleb said, warning Fox before leaving the room.
Fox. Looked. Pissed.
“You took out one of my men?”
“It doesn’t look dignified to lead a pack who would tear out the throats of women. Your man advanced on an unarmed woman and I didn’t hesitate in protecting her. If these are the only men you can get to follow you, then it will lead to your downfall. And deservedly so.”
“Keep yapping your mouth, Ivy. We both know I’ve got claim on you.”
I rotated the spear between my fingers, wondering how much of this conversation Lorenzo could understand. Some alphas had the ability to access areas of the brain in control of interpreting language and memory, while others had to rely on scents, tone, and posture.
Fox laughed quietly. “You’re afraid he can understand us, aren’t you? Why don’t you ask him?”
“Why don’t you tell me why you’re here so we don’t waste anyone’s time? There are wolves outside the door, hungry for a fight.”
“You see, Ivy, I’m more clever than you give me credit for. I’ve always known how to get what I want, but your mother was the only exception. Ivan had money and no woman will turn down a Packmaster. Before you were born, we both courted her. Naturally she chose the alpha, and we put it to rest.”
“Don’t you dare talk about my mother,” I spat out. “You drove that woman to suicide. She meant the world to me and you took that away.”
“Is that what you think? Your mother came to my bed and spread her legs for me. Ivan wasn’t enough, and yet she still wouldn’t leave him.”
“Why would she? My father offered her protection, love, and a home. What could you have offered? She told me what happened, Fox. She said she was pregnant with your baby and she knew it would shame my father and the pack. When I found out you were the father, I had no choice but to tell her what you did to me. She was devastated. She went to a Relic to get an abortion but couldn’t do it. Grief consumed her. I don’t fault my mother for having loved you, because you deceived us all. I just wish I had told her sooner—maybe then she wouldn’t have given herself to you.”
“Jesus Christ,” he said. “So that was it. She was ready to leave Ivan and suddenly, out of the blue, decided she wanted to keep the baby and stay with the pack. I should have known you had something to do with that. She promised herself to me—she was mine.”
“She was never yours!”
“That child made her mine. Ivan would have strung me up in front of the pack and castrated me if she had told him, and he would have cast her out. She was foolish to think he’d forgive her; Ivan would have known the baby wasn’t his. They hadn’t had sex in years. Years!”
My stomach soured, and I looked at the ashen wolf on my left. Maybe my mother had felt she had no way out, but her suicide had affected me profoundly.
“Couldn’t have that,” he continued. “I tried to get her to leave one night and told her we could start our own pack. The baby this, the baby that. All she cared about was what would happen to you and that damn seed growing inside her. She wrote a note to Ivan and said how unhappy she was and that she was leaving. Your mother was willing to leave you, Ivy. How’s that for love?”