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Chapter Seventeen
“We’ll discuss yourattitude later,” Niko said in a firm voice, staring Liam down until the younger, less dominant wolf had no choice but to look away.
“I can’t wait,” Liam muttered, turning on his heel and heading toward the house.
Once they were alone, Shale said, “You can’t command respect from him when you’ve done nothing to earn it, Niko. You know that.”
“Yeah, I fucking know that,” Niko said, turning to glare at his lieutenant and friend, reminding himself not to lunge for the man’s throat. It was a sad fact that he even had to do that—remind himself not to attack somebody he’d known for twenty years. “But you know his attitude toward me can’t stand. Pack hierarchy won’t allow it. Sooner or later, somebody outside my top men will see it and take it as a challenge and he’s not strong enough or dominant enough to survive if the wrong Therian is the one to take up that challenge.”
And Zee would never forgive him if one of his people harmed her brother. Ever.
Shale cocked his head, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Then he nodded slowly, as if coming to a decision. “I’ll talk to him. He needs a friend inside this mad group you call a pack, Prime. Might as well be me.”
“Fine.” Biting the word off like it was bitter and painful, he crossed his arms over his chest and pinned Shale in place with a glare.
Shale stilled, recognizing something in either Niko’s voice or eyes that captured his wolf’s attention—demanded it. “Yes, Prime?”
“What the fuck was that between you and Zee?”
Shale’s mouth tightened. “I don’t think I care for the tone, Prime.”
“And I don’t care for how you were looking at my mate.”
“Your mate.” Shale let out a harsh laugh. Irritation sharpened his accent. “That’s a fookin’ laugh, Niko, and ya know it. You ignored the girl for going on ten years—it was ten years, right? All because ya found out she had Fae blood. The nerve of her.”
“That’s none of your business,” Niko said, blood crawling up his neck to heat his face, a mix of temper and embarrassment. “Now answer the damn question.”
“Weeelll... ” Shale rubbed at his jaw. “I should tell ya the same, that it’s none of your fookin’ business, but seein’ as how you’re my Prime—and my friend—and I can see you’re not thinking too clearly right yet, I’ll cut you some slack.”
Shale stepped in, now towering over Niko, although nothing about his presence intimidated Niko. Niko was Prime—being intimidated by somebody bigger wasn’t in a Prime’s make-up.
“Did ya ever wonder why, with my motley heritage, we ended up back in Ireland after my father was killed?” Shale asked. “I never thought about, not while was I still young, but later, I did wonder. Both Da and Mum had people in New Zealand and Da even had cousins in Zimbabwe who told Mum we'd be more than welcome to live with them. But, no... Mum told me she always knew if she was left on her own with me, she’d have to take me back to Ireland. So Gran could help out when it was time.”
Niko felt the first flickering hint of unease.
“Time for what?”
“Time for me to be trained, should other parts of my heritage start showing. See, while Mum and Dad are both Therian, Mum has a touch of something else, by way of her mum. The Emerald Isle is lousy with Fae, some of them so fookin’ rare, there’s only a handful of them in existence at any given time. Like the Fae bastard who met up with my gran one night. Seduced her, right and proper, then disappeared before the sun rose. She didn’t think much of it—Gran was a courier, running back and forth between the UK and the continent during the war and there were always people traveling the wayside. He wasn’t the first man she’d hooked up with to blow off some steam. But then she ended up pregnant—a decidedly not-normal pregnancy, either. Twelve months to the day she met him, she goes into labor and who shows up but the man who got her with child? My grandfather, there to welcome his child into the world. Only, it was a girl child and he had no need of her. But... he’d keep an eye out, he told her, in case his girl had any boy babes. That was why Gran left Ireland, so any grandkids would be safe.”
Niko blew out a breath. “You’re part Fae.”
“Yes. You want to know what it was with Zee?” Shale’s lip curled back from his teeth. “We’re kin of some sort. I can recognize her—she’s Leanan Sidhé, lovely ladies, the ones I’ve met. I still have no idea what particular sort of Fae is responsible for my sorry self, but it’s something akin to the Leanan. We recognized each other, Niko. That’s what was between us, you fookin' fool. And do you know how insulting it is to have my friend think anything else?”
“I’m sorry,” Niko said softly. “I... shit, Shale. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me.” Shale gave him a disgusted look, one that told Niko how much he’d just disappointed an old friend. “I already know you can be an arse. Figure out how you’re going to apologize to her. Again.”
* * * * *
“THIS IS THE ROOM NIKOwanted you to have.”
Zee only nodded at the trim, fit young Therian who’d escorted her to the door, trying to quell all the emotions churning inside her.
When the woman didn’t leave, Zee forced herself to look at her. That was when she took in the faint resemblance between them, from their height and body type, to the shade of their hair—not quite identical, but close, to the green eyes.
She was familiar too. Zee breathed in deeper, assessing the other female’s scent.
She’d introduced herself as Alison, but Zee only now made the connection.
