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He whispered, “Your pack will howl you home. All you need to do is listen for their song.”
JOE TOOK one look at Ox as soon as we opened the door and immediately pulled him away down the hall toward their room. He glanced at me over his shoulder. He didn’t speak, but I understood.
Carter and Kelly were downstairs with their mother in the kitchen, huddled up on either side of her as she held a steaming cup of tea, the string from the bag resting on her fingers.
I could see Mark through the windows at the front of the house, standing outside in front of the wolves Pappas had brought. It didn’t look like they were speaking, and I figured Mark was posturing, as he sometimes did.
The humans weren’t at the house. As soon as we’d known Pappas was in Green Creek, we’d sent them away. Jessie had glared at Ox before huffing out a breath and stalking out the front door. The guys had followed with less attitude, which I was thankful for.
Pappas was still in the office.
As was Robbie.
“—and she sends her regards,” Pappas was saying, the door not quite closed.
“That’s… great,” Robbie said, sounding uncomfortable.
“She worries about you.”
“I’m fine.”
“I can see that. And I’ll tell her the same. Though there’s always a place for you if you ever decide you want to come back home.”
That irritated the hell out of me, especially since Pappas had to know I was right outside the door. They would have heard my heartbeat. Which meant he wanted me to hear.
“This is my home,” Robbie said. “Ox and Joe are my Alphas. This is my pack.”
“Indeed,” Pappas said. He was amused. “Well. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t extend the Alpha’s offer. You did good work for her. She was impressed. And you know she isn’t impressed by much these days.”
That was enough. I pushed the door open the rest of the way. “Robbie,” I said evenly, “can you do me a favor and call the others? Let them know the situation’s been handled.”
He looked relieved, standing immediately. “Got it, boss.”
“I told you not to call me that.”
“Yeah. Many times. Still gonna do it, boss.”
He smiled gratefully as he passed me by.
I waited until he left to close the door completely.
Pappas stayed in his chair, eyeing me curiously. He was unafraid.
“Coming to another Alpha’s territory and trying to poach a member of their pack is one thing,” I told him, leaning against the door. “But coming onto Bennett land? With two Alphas?” I shook my head. “That takes some balls. Or a massive amount of stupidity. Jury’s still out.”
If Pappas had been the sort that smiled at anything, I was sure he would have been smiling then. He wasn’t intimidated. I wondered if he knew what a mistake that was. “Funny, that. Seeing as how Robbie belonged to us once.”
“And here I was thinking that free will still mattered. That wolves had a choice who they belonged to.”
Pappas nodded. “I was asked to make the offer. I did what I was told. Michelle, she’s… concerned.”
“About?”
“Your pack seems to be buying up a lot of the property in Green Creek. Businesses and such.”
“Checking up on us, is she?”
“It’s a matter of public record.”
