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But with that said, I can imagine that the vast majority of people using this scent neutraliser wouldn’t be doing it to kill people or to take over packs. They wouldn’t be doing it to harm others.
There’s so much good that could come out of it, and I have not a single speck of doubt in my entire soul that Ryan’s decision to create this wasn’t one of malice.
He wasn’t dragged down by hate or revenge. He had a purpose, but it wasn’t to harm.
I know him. I knew him.
He was a good man.
“We talked about the negatives,” I say, leaning back in my chair. Seb breathes my scent in, and I give him a gentle smile, knowing that he’s struggling. “But what about the positives that come from this? With no scent to identify, Phoebe would never be found by those who want to take her. I wouldn’t be at risk of losing her because they couldn’t confirm her scent. People could be safe when travelling from pack to pack.
“Children wouldn’t need to rely on their scent for safety—they’d be hidden from anyone who sought to hurt them. People could hide what didn’t need to be shared for their own protection. These scent neutralisers would allow people to blend and ensure safety.”
George laughs bitterly. “You think this drug of theirs is going to stop my brother from taking your pup? They know about her now, girl, and they’re going to want her no matter what she smells like.”
Girl? I’m not wasting my breath arguing with a man like him. Let him insult me, let them patronise me, because at the end of the day, they’ve lost their pack, they’ve lost their sons, and hopefully, they’ll lose the control they’ve got over their daughters, too.
I don’t need them to sit here and like me. They’re toxic, dangerous, and unhinged.
Words that are never used to describe people who are safe to be around an infant.
“Well, if you’re good enough friends with these people to plot to kill their son, surely, you can just tell them to back off and leave us alone?” I ask, raising an eyebrow, as I use the sweetest tone I can muster.
“I like your spirit, Maia,” Charles says. He sits back and rubs his face, sighing. “But, unfortunately, we’re not friends. We’re barely even allies. Our words carry no weight with my brother.”
Barely even allies is enough to prompt these people into organising an assassination of their nephew. It’s good to know how loose their morals are.
Bile rises, the acidity burning both my stomach and my throat. I hate how much this situation affects me, when they don’t even seem to care. It’s almost as if the bigger inconvenience is having to waste their precious time explaining to me what they’ve done over the damage they’ve caused.
Whilst they weren’t successful, they tried enough times that Ryan would’ve been looking over his shoulder to keep himself safe. That he’d have been working so much harder to look out for me without alarming me.
My fiancé was so confident he’d survive that he could have a life where someone loves him and depends on him. He was always so upbeat and kind and thoughtful.
And all the while, he was avoiding attempt after attempt as his so-called family tried to kill him.
I see the dark edge to Julie’s face, the anger in George’s hazel eyes, the blatant self-assurance radiating from Charles. There’s a sad aura surrounding Edward, sure, but even he doesn’t show any kind of remorse for his part in this whole assassination.
They don’t care.
These people would’ve been my family through my marriage to Ryan, and even still, they’d be Phoebe’s family. They share blood with her, but I have no doubt that if she didn’t suit their goals, they’d wipe her out, too.
I understand why Ryan left his pack, why he ran, and would never open up about it. If his parents are anything like these four—and it’s already been shown that at the very least, Henry is—then I’m surprised he turned out as lovely and kind as he did.
When these people are nothing short of monsters. They’ve got dark hearts and a soul to match, and it kills me to know this is what he had to endure.
The quadruplets have some of their parent’s darkness. I’ve seen it—heard it in their words and how they react to situations. They’re intense and dominant, and I have no doubt they skirt the edge of the law—likely both human and wolf—to achieve their goals.
But they’re not evil. Not that I suppose I can claim Julie and her mates are, either. I don’t really know them, even if the little bits that I keep uncovering are terrible and toxic traits.
My mates, though, they’re not their parents. They’re good men. The quadruplets love hard, and their intensity can be scary because their love is possessive and all-encompassing. They’re obsessive, but there’s not a doubt in my mind that they’re good.
I loved Ryan, I still do, but even he never showed me this level of dedication and love. It’s like they can’t function without me, like my sadness is theirs, like my problems exist only for them to solve.
They’re not bad men. Not to me.
But how they emerged from this den of vipers and became the strong, protective wolves, I’ll never know.
“He came to us as alphas,” Edward says, and I forget I even asked them a question, it’s taken them this long to come up with their answer. “Not as his brothers. Once he told us about everything, well, we couldn’t deny him, not after… not after what Ryan did to Morgan, either,” Edward says quietly. He doesn’t have the gall to look me in the eyes as he admits this last part.
