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“Join your mates, Mum,” Alex says, and I’m surprised at how hard his tone is. “We’ll be through in a moment.”
Julie sighs but nods and scurries out of the room. She seems very sad, but I can’t bring myself to care. She admitted that she had a plan to kill Ryan.
Whether she carried it out and that’s how my daughter lost her father—how I lost my fiancé—or whether it was just a plan that never went anywhere, it doesn’t make a difference to me.
He’s dead, and she hated her nephew enough to plan his death.
That says all it needs to about the kind of person she is.
“Topher’s going to be a dick, and this conversation is not going to be easy, but it is necessary,” Alex says gently. “If at any point you need to leave or take a break, let me know, and we’ll stop. We’ll take the pause and figure it out together.”
I nod, and he squeezes my hand as Seb kisses my temple. Then the five of us head through to the dining room. It’s just as lavish as the rest of their home, the table a gorgeous oak, with enough seats to fit not just Julie, her mates, and their six children, but there’s enough to fit sixteen people around it.
Topher’s at the head of the table, which is another surprise for me, and his parents are down the left side. Alex slides into the seat next to Topher, and I sit next, with Seb and Ben sliding into the following seats.
I scoot my chair back slightly to make some room for Phoebe, and I keep my arms wrapped around her for the extra reassurance.
“We’ll be starting the transition into alphas immediately following this meeting, but just so you’re aware, Maia, from now until we pass the mantle to our own alpha child, we”—Topher gestures between him and the rest of my side of the table, including me and his brothers—“are now the leaders of this pack.”
“Meaning,” Alex says, turning to me with a gentle smile, “that we’re in a much better position when it comes to the custody battle.”
This is a big moment, even though I’m not stupid enough to miss that memo, and I’m so glad that it has happened. Penelope explained how good it would be for Phoebe’s case, but also, it means my mates can have a lot more resources at their fingers when it comes to protecting their pack.
“It’ll be really good for you, Maia, because now, my brother and his mate won’t be attempting to just take custody of their grandchild,” Edward says. His smile is gentle, his tone soothing, and I nod, listening intently. “They’ll also be attempting to take the heir of our pack. Your case has just been strengthened.”
I frown, not sure how that works, since they specified she wouldn’t be the heir of the pack, it would be her mates. But still—wait. I tilt my head. “But wouldn’t she be the heir to their pack, too?”
Topher shakes his head. “No. Their heir is Ethan, and whilst, sure, Phoebe and her mates would have a claim to the pack hierarchy, once Ethan finds himself a mate and has children of his own, they’d overtake her claim.”
“Whereas, since we are now the leaders, the only heir to our pack is through Phoebe,” Alex says. “It adds more weight to our side than theirs.”
I nod and press a kiss to my sleeping baby’s head and settle into the chair for what is no doubt going to be a long conversation that I’m not going to understand much of.
“So, Mother,” Topher says, lacing his fingers together as he leans forward. “Explain to me exactly how you planned to kill Ryan Grey.”
41
SEBASTIAN
“So, Mother,” Topher says, lacing his fingers together as he leans forward. “Explain to me exactly how you planned to kill Ryan Grey.”
“Nothing she says is going to be good enough,” Kane hisses along our bond. “Nothing she says is ever going to take the pain away from our mate. Nothing is going to bring back our daughter’s father.”
“I’ve thought about killing her for it a few times. I’d feel no guilt,” I say, stroking my hand up and down Maia’s thigh.
My beautiful mate is so tense, so uncomfortable. Her scent is so much more potent in this state, and I’m desperate to just whisk her away and lock her up so she’s safe. She’ll never need to worry, never need to be concerned with her safety, when I’m the one in control of it.
Who gives a fuck about a custody battle when they’d never find her or Phoebe to be able to take my little pup away from her mother?
I’d keep them both safe and happy. I’d make sure they were loved and protected. They’d live happily, with me and my brothers, and want for nothing.
“You’re not allowed to lock our mate away. She’d wither away in captivity, and we love her for her spirit,” Kane lectures, and I roll my eyes. “Besides, you’d run out of things to say to her after a day once you’ve used up your fifty words.”
My lips quirk up into a smirk as he pushes forward to take control. He leans in close to Maia and gently kisses just below her ear. A shiver races down my mate’s spine, and I can’t wait to recreate this moment in a much happier situation. A much more sexual situation.
She’s gorgeous, but I hate how pale she is. This situation is taking a toll on her, and that’s not something Kane or I can abide with.
“Breathe, little mama,” Kane murmurs, and she lets out a slow breath. “Good girl.”
