Page 76 of Fated to Her

Cyrus growls at him.

“Any of them touch her, I remove their fucking limbs. She doesn’t understand, Eli. She isn’t used to this sort of violence over stupid titles,” Cyrus says.

“Fine, I’ll remove her, then,” Eli says, stalking toward me.

Why is he so keen to kill his own father? I know he isn’t a good man, but to kill him, have that on your conscience? I don’t understand it.

“Sorry, Addie,” Cyrus says, grabbing me.

I thrash, screaming for him to let go as he drags me away. Maverick gets to his feet, and he tries to shift but can’t. Eli’s not even holding back as he continues to beat his father while I scream, begging them to stop. Eli knocks him down again, and I can see Eli is about to deliver a deadly blow as both his hands reach to break his neck, my eyes locking with Maverick’s. He knows he is about to die, and I look away, tucking my face into Cyrus’s arm. I wait to hear the sickening crack when all I hear is a collective gasp from everyone.

I pull my face from Cyrus’s arm, trying to prepare myself for the gruesome sight, only for my eyes to go wide when I see Maverick baring his throat to Eli in submission. Eli is breathing heavily, glaring down at him. I peer up at Cyrus, who seems shocked. I tug on his arm, wanting him to let go. He releases me, and I rush over to Maverick, throwing my arms around his neck.

“Thank you,” I whisper to him. I hear Eli growl behind me, but he doesn’t stop me as I help his father up.

“Help him. Why aren’t you helping him?” I snap at the other pack members who stand watching.

“It’s fine, Addie. It’s out of respect to their new Alpha,” Maverick says.

I hold his arm, walking toward the house. Cyrus and Eli follow closely behind us, Eli continuously growling.

“Please tell me you don’t work for Sam,” I whisper to him.

“Sam? God, no. I wouldn’t work for that leech,” Maverick says, patting my hand that’s holding his arm.

“He is lying, Addie. You are too trusting,” Eli snaps at me.

“I’m not lying, Eli. You didn’t even give me a chance to explain. Instead, you just challenged me,” Maverick says before coughing, blood spraying on his hand.

“I’m fine, dear. I’ll heal,” Maverick says as I stare at him worriedly.

“Where is Emery?” I ask, hoping to see her. I know she would help her father.

“On a date with one of her pack members,” Maverick says. “Though she should have come back by now. Obviously having a good time not to be back yet.”

I push the door open to the house. I help him to the futon, placing him on it. He clutches his stomach with deep claw marks, still trying to heal as he holds his stomach together.

“Explain,” Eli says, shifting back.

Cyrus enters the bedroom and returns with shorts, tossing them at Eli, who catches them. I wet a cloth, trying to clean Maverick up as he pulls a blanket across his lap, trying to cover himself.

“I’m fine, dear. Really just a few scratches,” Maverick says.

“Fucking answer, Father, or I’ll kill you. Are you working for the hunters, for Sam?”

“No. The hunters, yes, but because I have no choice,” Maverick says.

Eli steps toward him, his eyes blazing.

“I had no choice. They were picking us off. They killed three of the kids and took four others,” Maverick says.

Eli stops, looking at Cyrus.

“What do you mean picking you off? Your people attacked them?” Cyrus asks, and Maverick shakes his head before groaning in pain.

“No, they came on our land wanting to do an assessment, assign one to us or some crap. I said no, they left, and then our kids started going missing. We thought maybe they ran away for civilization, but then this man Pete came out by chopper and said he would return the four kids if we grew him wolfsbane. I said yes so I could get them back, then it was more and more herbs each time, and they would bring stuff out to help us. The pack wanted to keep working with them, afraid more kids would go missing or turn up dead if we stopped.”

“Did you say, Pete?” I ask.