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Alpha Dane yanked Sawyer up by the arm and shoved him into the wall, pinning him there.
I gaped, unable to tear my gaze away from the scene. I shifted in my seat. Why were Lincoln and I just sitting here? We should’ve been helping him.
Lincoln squeezed my thigh harder. “Don’t. It will make it worse.” His voice came out a low whisper.
I met his eyes and pursed my lips. “But…”
Lincoln shook his head. “Trust me. He won’t hurt Sawyer. Not really.”
My heart hammered as I turned back to the scuffle. Lincoln was right. Alpha Dane was in Sawyer’s face, growling, but he hadn’t made a move to hurt him.
Sawyer cast his gaze to the ground. “I apologize for talking out of turn.”
Alpha Dane shoved him away, making Sawyer stumble. “Luna has abandoned us. It is up to us to ensure our pack’s fate and to protect the packs across the world.”
What? How is killing innocent packs protecting anyone?
I recalled my mother’s words from years ago. I’d watched my first horror movie and had been trying to justify the villain’s actions, but couldn’t. She’d told me that even if someone’s actions seem insane, they aren’t to them. In their mind, their concerns and actions are valid.
Alpha Dane believed what he was doing was right. He thought Luna had wronged him. That she’d abandoned him.
Alpha bent down to pick up his chair and sat in it. He looked around the table. “We will continue to populate the pack. A female pup has not been born here since Luna took your mother and sister. We need strong boysandgirls for our pack to thrive.” He narrowed his eyes and looked from Willa to me. “Any woman not capable of providing that is of no use to me and won’t continue to consume our valuable resources.”
Willa gasped and covered her mouth. Tears brimmed in her eyes, and her bottom lip trembled. She bit it, but a sob tore free.
Alpha Dane glared at her. “You aren’t going to ruin my supper, are you?”
Willa’s face crumpled, her shoulders slumped.
I stood. “Let me take her to the bathroom and help her freshen up.”
All eyes snapped to me, and I realized how that had come out.
“Please,” I added softly.
Alpha Dane waved his hand dismissively.
I blew out a breath, and hurried around the table, and then I wrapped an arm around Willa, and pulled her to me.
She clung to me like I was her lifeline, and I had to drag her out of the dining room. We’d passed a few doors on the way here. One of them had to be a bathroom.
I supported the trembling girl as we stumbled down the hallway. Willa grasped my hand and pulled me to the right. There was a lone door down this hall. It had to be the bathroom. I led her inside and closed the door behind us, and then I locked it.
Willa threw her arms around me and wept against my shoulder.
I hugged her tightly and ran my hand up and down her back. “Shhh. It’s going to be okay.”
Willa shook her head and sobbed louder.
I combed my fingers through her hair like my mother always did for me when I was upset. I’d do anything to have her wrap her arms around me right now and tell me everything was going to be okay. It would be easy to slump to the floor and cry together.
But I wouldn’t do that.
Willa needed someone to be strong for her. To help her. I needed to be strong for her. At least I was a woman. Even if I was barely twenty.
Willa was a girl. Sixteen. She had no business being in Alpha Dane’s plans.
I pushed Willa back gently and cupped her face in my hands. “I’m here now, okay? We are going to get through this together.”
