CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER THREE

Casey woke five minutes before her alarm was due to go off. She always did. Her internal body clock operated like … well, clockwork. Still, she always set the alarm just in case, and she never rose until it went off. She liked to spend those minutes just lying there as the sleep-fog cleared from her brain. That morning, she intended to spend those minutes snuggled into her mate, who was presently wrapped around her like a clinging vine.

God, she was mated.

It was a little surreal. In just one evening, her life had changed. Before, she’d only really had herself to think about. Her days had been dedicated to her enforcer-role, and her loyalty had been mostly toward her Alpha.

Now, she was part of a couple—something she hadn’t been good at in the past. But it was no simple relationship. Her soul was bound to this male. Her loyalty would always be primarily to him. He had access to her emotions, which probably should have felt at least a little uncomfortable, considering he was a practical stranger. But he didn’t feel like a stranger.

Her mink didn’t take to people easily; there were few that she trusted. Like Casey, she felt more at ease with Eli than she ever had with anyone else. Not just physically, but emotionally.

Both woman and animal sensed that although there might be times in the future when he’d do or say something that would hurt them, he wouldn’t purposely cause them any pain. Would never betray them, tire of them, or leave them for another. How could they not feel one-hundred percent safe with him?

And how could Casey not feel damn lucky to have this lethally sexual male in her bed?

When he’d said they’d go “slow” the second time around, she’d thought he meant he’d take her soft and easy. She hadn’t thought he intended to indulge in a very long, thorough exploration of her body that seemed to go on for hours. He’d left no part of her untouched. Had discovered every hot spot she possessed. Had licked, bit, scratched, and kissed her until she was a quivering, whimpering mess.

Then he’d fucked her, and there’d been nothing slow about it. His pace had been feverish. His thrusts had been rough and deep. And she’d come so hard she’d lost her breath.

He’d woken her sometime in the night and then, just as rough and furiously, he’d taken her all over again. And she’d totally loved every second of it.

Her alarm went off, snapping her out of the memories. Casey grabbed her cell phone and swiped her thumb over the screen to switch off the horrendous noise. He stirred behind her and pressed a soft kiss to her nape. Before he could work his magic on her body and lure her into staying in bed, she slipped out of his hold and edged off the mattress.

He frowned. “What time is it?”

“Six-thirty,” she said, digging a sports bra, tank top, and shorts out of her drawers.

“Why in the world would you get up this early?”

“I’m going for a run.”

Watching his mate dress, Eli felt his frown deepen. For one thing, he preferred her naked. For another, he preferred her in bed. “A run? You do this often?”

“Every morning apart from Sundays, yeah.”

He groaned. “Just when I was beginning to think you were perfect …”

She snickered. “Go back to sleep.”

Instead, he flicked back the covers. “I’ll come with you.”

“The running track is inside the gates of my territory, I’ll be quite safe.”

Probably, but Eli wanted to be at her side whenever he could. Not just for her protection, but because he liked being with her. Liked being able to touch and smell and hold her whenever he wanted.

Standing, he curled an arm around her waist, hauled her close, and kissed her hard. “I’m coming with you.”

“So, you have spare clothes with you? Because I kind of ruined your tee last night. I don’t think you want to go running in jeans anyway.”

Well, he kept a spare set of clothes in the trunk of the SUV. But they’d get sweaty if he wore them while jogging, and then he’d have nothing to wear after his shower. “I’ll go running in my wolf form.”

“That won’t get people’s attention at all.”

“You’ll need to tell the pack you’re mated now anyway. It’s not like you ever intended to keep me a secret.” He palmed her ass. “You look hot in these shorts. All I want to do is peel them off you.”

“Maybe later. Now if you’re really set on coming with me, you’d better get ready, because I don’t dawdle.”

He kissed her and then, with a mock sigh of annoyance, disappeared into the bathroom. Once he’d done his business, he headed to where she was sat on the sofa, slipping on her trainers. “Be warned that my wolf won’t like other males being close to you, especially since the mating bond hasn’t yet fully snapped into place.”

“I know, I know. But you don’t need to worry—a running track isn’t a place where guys try to pick me up.”

He grunted. “Good.”

He shifted so wickedly fast that Casey felt her brows shoot up. “Impressive.” She petted the huge, powerfully-built, gray-white wolf. He licked at her jaw and rubbed against her, scent-marking her. “Well, aren’t you an imposing sight. Seriously, does Eli give you steroids or something?” The wolf gave a playful bark. Nodding, she stood and said, “I agree: Time to go.”

The track circled the housing estate within the gates, never crossing over into the surrounding woods or land. Her teammates often jogged whenever the annual competition came around, but not as often or as far as Casey. She’d always pushed herself and her body hard—she didn’t know any other way.

She’d been working her ass off, intent on securing her place as a starter, which meant she’d be one of the players who were on the field from the very beginning of each soccer game. And she’d be thoroughly pissed off if all that hard graft came to nothing.

The wolf kept pace with her the entire time she ran. Didn’t once leave her side—not even to sniff at a bush or pee on a tree. Since it was so early in the morning, she didn’t happen across a lot of people. Those she did see … yeah, they did a whole lot of staring. She greeted them oh so casually, as if it were totally the norm to have a wolf shifter at her side. A few people tried calling her over, but she just kept moving. There didn’t seem any sense in introducing them to her mate when he was wearing his animal’s skin—the wolf wouldn’t exactly be able to talk to them.

Back at her apartment, Eli shifted back into his human form and followed her into the shower. After soaping her down and washing her hair, he took her from behind while she kept her hands plastered to the tiled wall. He also delivered one hell of a bite to the back of her shoulder. Her mink had never liked guys being so territorial with her, but the animal rather liked how roughly possessive Eli could be.

Clean and dressed, they went to the kitchen. He froze, looking adorably confused. “Where’s the coffee machine?”

Leaning against the counter, she said, “I don’t drink coffee.”

He looked at her like she’d told him she was a secret member of the Manson family. “You … you don’t drink coffee? When? When don’t you drink it?”

“Oh, like, ever.”

He just stared at her. “You’re joking.”

“Nope.” But she was rather enjoying his reaction.

“How can you get up at six-thirty most mornings and still function without drinking coffee?”

She gestured at the bottle she’d just taken out of the fridge. “I prefer smoothies. Sometimes fruit juices. They provide a lot more energy than caffeine.”

He did a slow blink. “I really don’t know what to say to you right now.”

“If you need coffee that badly, you can get one in the bakery downstairs. It opens at seven every morning, so you’re covered.” He looked so relieved she had to laugh. “Come on, I’ll come with you. I could really do with a Danish pastry right now.”

An hour later, Eli pulled up in the parking lot outside the main lodge. Normally his wolf would relax on reaching their territory. Not today. The further away Eli had driven from Casey, the more the beast had snarled and snapped his teeth.

Eli let out a heavy breath. It shouldn’t have been so hard to leave her. It wasn’t like she was in any danger on her territory. But their mating was so new that he wasn’t quite secure in it yet. Being away from her made him edgy, and he suspected that that would only worsen as the day went on.

Every instinct he possessed urged him to remain at her side. Not just to guard her, but to reinforce their bond. The link wouldn’t strengthen until they got to know each other better and deepened their emotional connection. He didn’t properly know her, so he couldn’t yet claim to love her, but the seeds of that emotion were there. Everything he did feel for her was so intense and consuming that she cast a huge shadow over every female who’d come before her. And that was as it should be.

Eli slipped out of the SUV and headed for the main lodge. The three-story, timber-framed building housed the Alphas, their pups, and Kathy. The other members resided in varying smaller lodges that were dotted around their expansive territory.

With its earthy colors, spacious rooms, comfy furnishings, and rustic tone, the main lodge had a very relaxing, welcoming feel to it. Especially the large open-spaced living, dining, and kitchen. The pack often gathered there throughout the day, so it was a constant hub of activity until after dinner when most people headed to their own homes.

He was quite sure they’d be shocked to hear he was now mated. Although they’d be happy for him, they wouldn’t like that there was a chance he’d leave the pack. Eli had felt the same when the others mated—it was only natural, since they were such a tight-knit group. The loss of one could affect so much.

Their pack was very insular, but Nick would be happy for Casey to join purely because she belonged to Eli. The others would welcome her just the same, but they’d also be slightly wary. When you had such a small group of people, the addition of another person could shake the dynamics in a major way.

Casey would never be content to lounge around, doing this or that. She was far too dominant for that. She’d need a place in the hierarchy. Eli didn’t doubt that his brother would see the benefits of having Casey as an enforcer, especially since she wouldn’t require any training. The pack already had five enforcers—Roni, Marcus, Bracken, Zander, and Jesse—but there was always room for more.

Roni was the most dominant female within the pack, though Ally was a close second. His sister was also one of the best fighters—Eli should know, since he’d trained her himself. Casey, however, was even more dominant than Roni, and she could probably wipe the floor with his sister in a matter of minutes.

There was a chance that Roni wouldn’t like having such an addition to the pack. And if Roni didn’t like it, her mate—by extension—wouldn’t like it. Marcus would always back Roni, just as Eli would always back Casey. And that meant Eli could end up at odds with his sister. He really didn’t like the thought of that.

The porch steps creaked beneath Eli’s feet as he climbed them. He pushed open the door and walked through the country-style kitchen, past the dining area, and then into the living room. With the bulky chairs and sofas, there was ample seating, but some of his pack mates preferred to sit on the shaggy rug near the stone fireplace—just as Harley and Madisyn were doing right then.

The living room had a very cozy feel, especially with the throw pillows, artsy display shelves, potted plants, and the framed pictures that lined the walls and mantle. The only people absent were a mated pair, Kent and Caleb, and the Alpha’s pups. The little girls’ laughter and squeals filtered in through the open windows. Eli suspected they were having fun in the outdoor play area set back from the lodge.

Jesse saw him first. “Well, look what the cat dragged in. I stopped by your lodge to see if you …” The enforcer trailed off as he caught sight of the brand on Eli’s neck. “Is that what I think it is?”

Shaya’s head snapped around to face Eli. “What? What is it? What am I … Oh. Wait, you found your true mate?” The shrill note to her voice woke a pregnant Ally.

Eli stepped further into the room. “Yes, I found her. Knew she was mine within seconds of meeting her. The mating urge hit us hard, and we claimed each other last night.”

Standing, Shaya glanced behind Eli. “Well, where is she? Tell me you’re not making me wait to meet her. You know how I hate to wait.”

Eli snickered. “She’ll be coming here for dinner. You can all meet her then. And I expect you to be nice.”

Blowing out a breath, Nick stood and held out his hand. “Well, congrats.”

Eli shook his brother’s hand and accepted the well wishes that came from the rest of his pack mates. As he’d anticipated, they were happy for him but also seemed wary about what would come next—particularly his mother, whose smile was somewhat strained.

Ally studied Eli. “You feel a lot steadier to my Seer-senses.”

“I was just thinking that he looked it,” said Bracken. “You’ve always been kind of unflappable, Eli, but there’s a … restfulness about you that wasn’t there before. Like every bit of turmoil inside you just went still.”

Probably because that was exactly the case. “Being the last unmated pack member was getting to me and my wolf. If I’m honest, it was eating at us. What made it worse was that I couldn’t be sure I’d find her, or that I’d even instantly know she was mine if I did. And then there was the possibility that she’d imprinted on someone else. It all messed with my head, and I wasn’t in a good place. Then there was her.”

Bracken’s gaze briefly slid to his own mate. “Yeah, I get it.”

“Tell us about her,” urged Harley.

And then several questions were hurled at Eli at once from various people …

“What’s her name?”

“Where did you meet her?”

“How old is she?”

“Is she a wolf?”

“Does she want kids one day?”

“Is she dominant or submissive?”

“Does she have any food allergies?”

Eli raised his hand to stop the flow of questions. “Her name is Casey Frost. She’s twenty-seven. I met her at The Den—she fights there sometimes. She’s an enforcer for her pack, and she’s strong as fucking hell. Even more dominant than Roni.”

His sister’s eyes widened. “Really? Well, now I’m super intrigued. What pack is she from?”

“The Craven Pack,” replied Eli, relieved that Roni didn’t seem bothered by the idea of having a female around whose level of dominance exceeded her own.

Marcus frowned. “That’s not a wolf pack, is it?”

“No,” said Eli. “Casey’s not a wolf. She’s a mink.”

Zander gaped at him. “You’re kidding.”

“Wait, there are mink shifters?” asked Gwen, the only human in their pack. She was also mated to Zander. “That is awesome.”

Kathy shot to her feet. “It’s far from ‘awesome.’”

Eli’s brows snapped together. “Why is that?”

Kathy spluttered. “Maybe because they’re the psychopaths of the shifter kingdom. And cannibals. Did you forget that part? They’ll kill and eat each other.”

Nick sighed. “Mom—”

“Are you sure she’s your true mate, Eli?” asked Kathy. “There’s no mistake?”

Eli felt his face harden. “I’m sure.”

Kathy flapped her arms. “I just can’t believe fate lumped you with a mink.”

Madisyn shrugged one shoulder. “I like them.”

Smiling, Bracken snorted at his mate. “You would. They’re as bloodthirsty as your kind.”

Kathy perched her hands on her hips. “But whereas pallas cats are crazy, minks are just rampant, indiscriminate serial killers.”

Shaya cast her an exasperated look. “Do you have to be so dramatic? Really?”

Kathy blinked. “Dramatic? It only takes for you to hurt one of them—just one—and their entire pack, which often totals hundreds, will descend on yours in a fury. Crossing a mink means you get to experience the meaning of wholesale massacre.”

“If they were bigger, they’d rule the world for sure,” said Madisyn, smiling. “And pallas cats would totally help them do it.”

“Well, I’m glad you’ve found your true mate, Eli,” declared Derren. “It doesn’t matter what breed she is; what’s important is that you’re happy. Isn’t that right, Kathy?” It was more of a pressurizing statement than a question—it had no effect.

Kathy pushed her hair out of her face. “I think it’s possible that you’re wrong about her being yours, Eli. As you said, it was getting to you and your wolf that you hadn’t found your mate. I’ve known males your age to start panicking that they’re never going to find their true mate—they can be so eager to do it that they’ll easily mistake a strong attraction for a true-mate situation. Think about it, Eli. Really think about it. Just because you’re sexually attrac—”

“And we’re done,” Eli cut in.

Kathy’s lips thinned. “But—”

“No.” Eli slashed a hand through the air. “You had your say. I listened. Now the conversation is over. And make sure you don’t repeat any of that shit to Casey. Think what you want, but don’t offload it on her.”

“I’m entitled to my opinion,” Kathy clipped.

Nick sighed. “Be honest with yourself, Mom. Your problem isn’t that Casey is a mink. Not really. It’s not even that you simply hate change. You found it difficult to be happy for me and Roni when we found our mates, and that’s because you know what it would do to us if we lost them. You’ve been through the loss of a mate, you came out the other side of it, but you didn’t come out of it whole. You don’t want that for us, and that taints this for you. But you can’t let it taint things for Eli.”

Some of the bluster left Kathy. She sniffed. “I have a few things to do.”

Nick watched her hurry out of the room. “She’ll be fine, Eli. Don’t let this put a downer on finding your mate.”

“Nothing could,” said Eli. “On the subject of Casey, I need you to ask Donovan if he can track someone for me.”

Nick’s brow furrowed. “Who?”

“Her brother.” Eli told them about the business with Miles and Ignacio. “Miles has now gone into hiding, and Casey says he’s damn good at it.”

Nick twisted his mouth. “Well, that explains it.”

“Explains what?”

“Why I got a call from Ignacio literally minutes before you arrived. He wants to meet with me today, and he asked that you be there.”

Eli narrowed his eyes. “Fucking did he now?”

“My guess is he wants to talk you out of involving yourself in this situation with Casey.”

His wolf snarled. “There’s no chance of that happening.”

“When he hears she’s your mate, he’ll know that. It should be enough to make him back off. He’s a cold motherfucker and he’s strong, but you could take him. And if a Head Enforcer defeated him, his pride members would lose respect for him. Some would challenge him for the position of Alpha. He won’t want that. As for her brother, I’ll talk to Donovan. If anyone can find Miles, it’s him.”

“What time do we need to leave for the meeting with Ignacio?”

“Noon.”

That meant Eli had time to tidy up his lodge—he didn’t want it looking a mess when Casey arrived. First … “I’ll go say hello to the girls,” he said, referring to his nieces. “I’ll meet you in the parking lot at noon.”

Eli headed outside and strode over to the play area, where Caleb and Kent were monitoring the pups. The mated couple did a double-take at the sight of his claiming mark, and then they were practically bouncing up and down in delight. He was just telling them about Casey when the pups spotted him.

“Uncle Eli!” Eleven-year-old Cassidy dashed over, making her long, blonde ponytail swing from side to side. “I had a knowing about you earlier, and I just knew you were going to bring a woman here to meet us.”

He smiled at the little Seer, who often had visions and knowings about her pack mates. “I’ll be bringing her later. Her name’s Casey. You’ll like her.”

“Is she your girlfriend?” asked Willow, tilting her head. With her red curls and pixie facial features, the ten-year-old looked a lot like her mother, but she had Nick’s green eyes.

“No, she’s my mate.” Eli told both girls about Casey, sure they’d welcome her. They were wide-eyed to hear she was a mink.

Given how close the pups were, a stranger would never guess that Cassidy hadn’t come to live with the pack until she was four. Nick and Shaya had adopted the little girl from the homeless shelter for lone shifters where Madisyn worked. Cassidy had foreseen that she would join the pack. Unlike Ally, she had more knowingsthan she did visions.

Saying goodbye to his nieces, Eli headed to his lodge and tidied up the place, which mostly involved decluttering and then tackling his laundry.

As promised, he went straight to the parking lot at noon, expecting to find Nick and whichever pack mates were coming to the meeting. There was only Zander, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the SUV.

Eli slid into the front passenger seat. “What’s the delay?”

“Nick and Shaya are arguing,” said Zander. “He told her that he wanted her to stay behind.”

Eli winced. Highly dominant, very unsociable, and annoyingly tyrannical, Nick was pretty much the opposite of his mate. Shaya was a bubbly, impish, warm soul who had an enviable ease with people. But she also had a wicked temper, and Nick had a terrible habit of prodding said temper—especially when he insisted on her skipping meetings for her “safety.” That kind of overprotectiveness didn’t fly with Shaya.

“Well, they need to hurry, or we’ll be late.” Eli snapped on his seatbelt. “Was it just me or did Ally look really pale earlier?”

Zander grimaced. “It’s not just you. Derren said her morning sickness is bad and she’s not sleeping well. I think it bothers her more that her abilities are playing up. It means we’re relying on Cassidy for warnings of danger—she’s just a kid, she shouldn’t have that kind of shit to worry about.”

“Cassidy once told me that she likes the visions, even if they’re not always good,” said Eli. “But when she reaches Ally’s age and has foreseen dozens upon dozens of bad things happen—some of which she wasn’t able to prevent happening in real life—Cassidy might feel differently.”

Eli had never envied either female their ability to foresee the future. Especially since their visions never felt like visions. To them, it seemed real; they truly thought those things were happening. Ally had once seen Shaya die in a vision, and she’d believed it to be true right up until she snapped out of the vision.

Zander tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Have you told Casey about this meeting with Ignacio?”

“No, because she’d insist on coming along. I don’t want him near her. I saw the way he was with her last night, Z. He enjoyed playing with her—I’m not going to give him another chance at it.”

“I don’t blame you, but she’s not going to like that you went without her.”

“No, she won’t. She’ll be pissed at me. But better that than she’s in the general vicinity of someone who wishes her harm. She can handle him. I just don’t want her to have to.”

Zander flicked up a brow. “Does that mean she can handle you, too? You’re not an easygoing wolf.”

The corner of Eli’s mouth canted up. “Oh, yeah, she can deal with me just fine. There’s so much grit and fire in her.”

“She’s your match.”

Eli nodded. “Yeah.”

“Nothing like Jen, then?”

Eli almost did a double-take. Fuck, that came out of left field. People rarely mentioned Jen. It wasn’t that she was a no-go subject, it was just that he and his family had different opinions about why Eli’s relationship with her had ended. He felt to blame for the fuckup. His family felt that the blame belonged solely to her.

Forcing a nonchalant shrug, Eli said, “We weren’t what the other needed. I was too much for her.” Even at the age of eighteen he’d been pushy, demanding, and overprotective. “I drove her away.”

Jen hadn’t been as strong-willed as Casey, but she’d had spine. She’d stood up to him, she’d pushed back when he pushed too hard. Until she didn’t. Little by little, the fight had started to leave her. She’d become someone who rarely questioned him, let alone defied him. And then she’d walked away, claiming he’d “broken” something in her.

Really, he hadn’t thought of her much over the years until Jesse brought Harley to their pack. The margay not only bore a resemblance to her, she was just as musically talented.

“I never met Jen, so I can only go on what Nick told me,” said Zander. “I happen to agree with him; I don’t think you were too much for her or that you drove her away. I think she just wasn’t the person she showed you in the beginning and that she gave up on you because, despite being a dominant female, she was mentally weak. She tossed the blame at your feet because she didn’t want to admit to that weakness.”

Twisting his mouth, Eli turned his gaze to the window. For a long time, he’d been convinced that he’d crushed the spine, and it had fucked with his head in a major way. But looking back, he had to wonder if his family was right. Had to wonder if she’d simply showed Eli the defiance and spunk that she’d thought he wanted in a female. Maybe, in truth, she’d always been a more pliant, easygoing personality.

At this point, he didn’t see that it mattered much to either of them anymore. She was happily mated with kids now, and Eli had finally found the female he’d been waiting decades for—all was well in both his and Jen’s worlds.

“So, you recognized Casey as yours at first glance?” asked Zander.

Thankful for the change of subject, Eli replied, “It wasn’t so much at first glance, though I think my wolf did recognize her instantly. When I was up close to her and our eyes met … then I knew.”

“It took me a little while to realize Gwen was mine. What’s it like? The feeling of recognizing your mate that quickly, I mean.”

Eli blew out a breath. “She slammed into my consciousness like a fucking freight train. My mind, soul, and body reached for her. The mating urge took hold, I claimed her, the bond formed … and then it was like everything just clicked into place.”

“Is it weird having such a strong connection to someone you don’t know?”

“Not at all. I might not know everything about her, but she doesn’t feel like a stranger. How could she? She’s part of me.”

“Well, I’m happy for you. I’m just hoping it doesn’t dredge up bad shit for Shaya and Nick.”

Eli frowned. “What bad shit?”

“They knew at first sight that they were mates, but Nick walked away. I know he had his reasons and she later forgave him. But seeing that you did the opposite when you found your mate … well, it might bring back Shaya’s hurt.”

Fuck, he hadn’t thought of that.

“Not that that’s your problem, and I truly don’t think Shaya would make it yours. She’d hide any pain she felt so that she didn’t ruin this for you. I’m just hoping that what Nick did isn’t still a sore spot for her, or she’ll later be upset with herself for letting her own pain interfere with how happy she is for you.” Zander tipped his chin at the rear-view mirror. “We have movement.”

Moments later, Nick, Shaya, and Bracken were sliding onto the rear passenger seats—Shaya looked smug, Nick was grinding his teeth, and Bracken wasn’t bothering to stifle an amused smile at what was no doubt Nick’s expense.

Zander switched on the ignition. “You all ready?”

“Ready,” Shaya confirmed, flicking her red spiral curls away from her face.

The tires crunched as Zander drove along the dirt path that ran between tall, regal, claw-marked trees. Once they crossed the border of their territory, he asked, “What do we know about Ignacio? I’ve never met the guy.”

Nick hooked an arm around Shaya’s headrest. “He’s a cougar. A few years back, he left the Buxton Pride and mated the daughter of the Rotunda Pride Alphas. It was mere months after the mating that her parents stepped down from their positions and made Ignacio and Dahlia the new Alpha pair.”

“I heard it was an arranged mating and that Dahlia’s father, Glenn, promised Ignacio in advance that he’d make him Alpha,” said Eli.

Nick nodded. “Donovan, who has a contact within Ignacio’s pride, told me the same thing.”

Zander frowned. “Why did Glenn choose Ignacio as a mate for his daughter? Arranged matings are often political. From what little I know of Ignacio’s old pride, it’s small and has very few alliances.”

“True,” said Nick. “But what Glenn needed most in a son-in-law was someone who wouldn’t be whatsoever bothered by Dahlia’s sidepiece. Said sidepiece is a submissive cat she’s been sleeping with for years; a cat too quiet and subdued to run a pride. The only way she could be Alpha female was if she mated with someone strong enough to run the pride alongside her, but she wasn’t willing to give up her lover.”

“Ignacio obviously decided he wouldn’t care that the mating would basically be a façade,” said Shaya. “Then again, becoming an Alpha meant he could give his old pride the alliances it needs to survive in the cutthroat world of shifters. It’s understandable that he’d find that so important.”

“I initially thought that was why Ignacio agreed to the mating,” said Nick. “But when he met with Glenn’s allies to be sure the alliances wouldn’t be broken by the change in leadership, Ignacio requested that they each sever their alliance with his old pride.”

Shaya’s head jerked back. “Why?”

“Ignacio said it was weak and rotting from the inside,” Nick replied. “Said it was only a matter of time before a more powerful pride came along and tried to take it over. He didn’t believe his old pride was worth going to war for.”

“Is it rotting from the inside?” she asked.

“According to Donovan, yes. It’s full of alcoholics and drug addicts, and the members are constantly fighting among themselves. They’re not a unit anymore. The Alpha lost most of his alliances because he refused to back them up in battle, claiming his pride was so small it wasn’t needed. But the real reason he refused is that he doesn’t have enough control over his members to force them to fight. And why would a bunch of drunks, addicts, and assholes care to fight for another pride?

“Donovan’s contact also revealed that Ignacio’s father, Reeve, is the Buxton Alpha’s younger brother. Reeve was allegedly always jealous and bitter that his sibling had the position of Alpha. By all accounts, though, Reeve is too weak to ever rule. He also likes to smack around his mate when he’s drunk. Reeve also used his fists on Ignacio. The rest of the pride turned a blind eye to it all, even the Alpha.”

“That explains why Ignacio hates them,” said Shaya. “They all sat back and did nothing.”

Nick nodded. “It gets worse. Ignacio’s mother tried to suffocate him when he was just a baby. Said she was trying to save him from Reeve, certain he’d hurt the baby just as he hurt her. She never tried to harm Ignacio again after that, but she also didn’t stand up to Reeve and protect her son.”

“So Ignacio didn’t just want out of his pride, he wanted to be an Alpha so that he could lord it over his father, who’d always wanted that position. It also enabled Ignacio to cut the pride off from their alliances, leaving them vulnerable the way he was vulnerable growing up,” Shaya surmised. “I have to feel sorry for the kid he once was. But the adult he’s become? Dealing drugs, delivering torturous punishments, messing with our Casey? Nah, I got no love for him.”

Our Casey. Yes, Eli thought with a curl of his lips, she was theirs. And with any luck, he’d one day be able to convince her to officially become part of their pack. First, he needed to get rid of this fuckhead who’d been playing games with her.