7. Cannon

"Is she still sulking?"I asked my second bitterly, standing at the window of my office. I didn't turn to look at him as he closed the door behind him.

"Sulking is harsh," Royce muttered, taking his usual seat. "I don't think she's faking."

I licked my top teeth but said nothing as I stared out into the street of our town. Blackridge Peak Pack walked through the streets as they made their way to get to their days. Our town was slightly bigger than the one she came from, and far more organized and reasonable. Fair to male and female.

I watched two of the pack walking together, laughing as they made their way to the school where they taught the young. We had four teachers, who split the grades between them, and if any of the pack wanted to be taught in human school, I had spent several months setting that up for them.

My father had kept these wolves down for too long. They deserved freedom and they deserved to make their own choices, on the condition that it didn't come back and bite their alpha in the ass.

I was only half joking.

Kezia was a prime example of what happened when free became rogue. When carefree became dangerous. When her choices threatened us all with exposure.

"Are you going to go and talk to her?" Royce asked me, moving in his seat uncomfortably. "It's been a few days since you were last in there."

"I know how long it's been," I told him as I watched two of the pack walk their child to school, merely a few steps behind the teachers, and it pleased me to see how relaxed they all looked. It was a stark contrast to the pack I came back to over two years ago. "I also know if I go in there, I will either kill her or fuck her. Which one would you prefer?" I turned to look at my beta.

"Neither."

"Which is why I am out here, making sure my pack is well and has food and has order."

"Are you saying Kezia is chaos?" Royce asked with a small smile.

My eyes narrowed as I watched him, and with a groan, I pushed away from the window. "You too?" I asked him as I dropped into one of the chairs. "I thought you would hold out longer," I added harshly.

"I have held out!" He frowned as he heard himself. "I have not softened towards Kezia," he corrected. "I am still unsure of her, and a large part of me still thinks as I did the night you caught her: she is a young wolf who needs direction."

"She risked everything."

"To flee, she did."

My heavy stare didn't bother Royce. He had been my friend from birth. "I thought you weren't going soft?" I rebuked him.

"I thought you were willing to listen to the woe of your mate?"

"Can you please stop saying that?" I asked him instead.

"Can you please make up your mind?" he asked with exasperation. "She's your mate. You decided to let her go, then you hunt her, finding her after five months of, really, can I be blunt and say torture? It was all "find my mate," and then we found your mate, again, and again you become a complete asshole."

"She was kissing a human."

"You're no angel, Cannon, don't even pretend with me," Royce scoffed, tapping the arm of his chair.

"I've touched no other since I realized who she was," I corrected sharply.

"True," he conceded. "But…the people she trusts told her that distance would help her break the bond."

"The people she trusts are idiots."

Royce's eyebrows rose slightly, but he never argued with me. "She isn't doing well," he offered after a few minutes of silence. "You can be stubborn all you want, but she needs you."

I watched as he carefully avoided eye contact. "What aren't you telling me?"

"You judge so quickly," he murmured, but still my best friend was finding the groove of the wooden flooring very interesting.

"Spit it out."

"Nikan has been in her room every lunch and dinner."

My groan was loud as I slipped further down my seat, my head tipped back to look at the white ceiling. "Why is this happening?" I asked no one, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes. "Why?" I asked again.

"You shield him from too much."

"My father beat him every day I was gone."

"And you have supported him every step of his recovery," Royce countered back quickly. "Nikan is a strong wolf. A good wolf. You shield him, and I can tell you that man's seen more than you could ever shield him from!"

I was on my feet, pacing to and fro as my friend's words rang in my ears. "I know! I know that when I left the Peak and my brother behind, I left him to the prick in charge. I foolishly thought it was only me my father hated." Pushing my hair off my face, I met Royce's stare. "I know what I did, I know what I have done, and I know what else I still must do. I have years of work to make up for all of that to this pack, not just my brother."

Royce rubbed his ear. "You don't have to do as much as you think you do," he said carefully. "The pack is good, strong."

"But?"

He smiled. "You know me too well," he joked before he let out a heavy sigh. "But your brother is infatuated with your mate, and you need to stop that."

"And she can't stop it?" I asked tersely. Royce's unimpressed look said enough. "She's not as innocent as you think she is," I reminded him sullenly.

"Her pack hates her. Her brother's mate's twin pretended to be her mate because he didn't like the idea of his sister having something he didn't. Her human friend, and Luna knows I use the term loosely, knows much more than he ever let on to her." Royce waved his hand in my direction. "Another thing you have yet to tell her."

"Your point?"

"The point is that your mate is innocent when it comes to people using her for their gain."

He was right. I knew it. He knew it. I just didn't want to admit it.

"You are an alpha, could you remember that? Or are you going to hide in your study from her forever?"

"She pisses me off."

"It's a trait you both possess."

I glared at him, and he grinned. "I'll talk to Kezia."

"Good." Royce stood up.

"But you can tell Nikan."

My beta looked down at me, and when I raised an eyebrow, he called me a very unpleasant name before he turned on his heel and left my study.

With a grin, I made my way to the bunker. If I was honest, I could handle all the venom Kezia threw my way. I'd rather deal with her temper than my brother's disappointment that the girl he liked was my mate. We had a good relationship, but I still left him for five years while I traveled the world, and my father took an already beaten pack and ground them to the dirt.

In the bunker, I avoided Kezia's cell for a little while longer. Instead, I detoured to Doc's room. He was in his lab coat, pouring over a slide on a microscope.

"Do I want to know?" I asked him as I took a seat out of his way.

"E-coli."

I nodded. He could have told me it was the bubonic plague, it wouldn't have surprised me. "Food poisoning in shifters?" I guessed.

He raised his head and looked at me. "I purposefully fed contaminated spoiled food to five of you—not even acid reflux. I licked the packaging, and I had the shits for two days."

"Thanks for the visual," I told him with a grin. "I was one of the five?"

Doc rolled his eyes. "As per our agreement, Cannon. You are always one of the test subjects."

"Her?"

"No." Doc stayed glued to his microscope.

"You too?" I asked him with a frown.

"She's got enough problems." He looked up at the far corner, where the other cage sat. "You told her about him yet?"

I looked at Vance. He sat on his cot, legs crossed under him, back against the bars, and he watched. He hardly ever spoke, but he watched everything, which is one of the reasons he was in here, away from my pack. His cage was encased in plastic, thin and almost delicate in appearance, but it was rigid and unbreakable, and it kept him enclosed in silence.

Sometimes, Doc opened the system and spoke to him, but most times, he flicked on the air and let him sit in his cocoon of silence.

He had nothing left to say anyway. Not to me. I had pried every lie from his tongue, and when I was done, I had gone back and cracked open every truth he ever kept.

Eyes filled with hate watched me as I appraised him. His hair was unruly, his skin pallor pale, and he had lost the cocky air he'd worn when he strutted around fighting rings.

It had taken five months to find Kezia. It had taken three months to find him. Him we had watched for a long time before we made our move, never realizing that he was the one who would lead us to my mate.

"How long has he been silent for this time?" I asked Doc. "Did you feed him spoiled meat?"

Doc looked affronted at the question. "I am a scientist. Not a torturer."

"Does it matter if it's him?" I asked honestly.

"Yes!"

"Fine." Doc was still staring at me in disapproval. "I said fine! Fuck, Doc, I didn't say feed him to the coyotes." I looked at Vance again. "But you know…"

"We are not feeding him to the coyotes," Doc said in exasperation. "I know he's scum, and I know he could have hurt her, but no."

My wolf grumbled and I agreed. Coyotes were too good for Vance Forbes. I caught Doc's pointed stare, and I couldn't hide my guilty grin.

"Out. Stop stalling," he told me. "Go speak to her."

"I am a grown alpha," I grumbled as I got to my feet.

"Then go alpha your mate and stop avoiding her."

I'd like to say that I left his lab with dignity, but I was pretty sure I was mumbling about the unfairness of it all. At the door to her room which housed her cell, I stood outside for a long moment, running it through in my head how I was not to rise to her brattish ways.

With a deep breath, I schooled my face into one of a calm mask of indifference and pushed open the door. I almost choked on my tongue.

Kezia was in a handstand, wearing only boy shorts and a bra that was too small for her. Every inch of her was on display, and she was perfect. Even upside down. Her hair pooled on the floor around her, and with her eyes closed, she didn't know it was me yet.

Closing the door gently behind me, I masked my scent and my presence as I approached her. When she let out a low controlled breath, I realized she was in cool-down exercises. Her legs parted into the perfect splits, and I watched in fascination as she brought her legs back together, then down to a crouch, and slowly dropped them to the ground in a controlled move before bringing herself up straight.

Opening her eyes, she jumped when she saw me watching her, surprise quickly morphing into anger. "Creepy much?"

"Your control was impressive," I complimented her. "Where is it the other ninety-nine percent of the time?"

Kezia flicked me the finger, stooping to the bed to pick up her discarded sweats. "Where have you been?"

"Miss me?" I taunted. I felt my wolf's disgruntlement at the fact that I was yet again acting like a surly pup.

"Can you miss a disease?" Kezia asked me with a pleasant smile.

"They told me you were feeling sorry for yourself," I told her, feeling a petty sense of victory when I saw her smile dim. Dragging the chair to the cell, I sat down. "Moved on already?"

Kezia said nothing while she pulled her T-shirt on. With a flourish, she sat on the cot and looked at me, resting back on her hands as she waited for whatever reason I was here for.

Whatever reason? Where did I start? "Royce tells me you understand now?"

She broke eye contact, looking away as she shrugged.

"Use your words, pup."

"Royce put forward an argument that was worthy of consideration."

I watched her as she sat in front of me. So slight. So fragile looking. That white-blonde hair would age anyone else, but on her, she looked youthful. Large pale blue eyes, as hard and almost as colorless as ice. She looked small and delicate. In reality, she was solid.

Unbreakable.

"It's not a history paper," I rebuked her softly. "It's serious. I was led to believe you now understand that." Kezia licked her bottom lip as she continued to avoid my gaze. "Kezia?" She didn't look at me, only nodded. With a sigh, I leaned forward in my chair. "Do not make me come in there."

That earned me a scowl. "I get it, okay?" she snipped at me. "I'm a heartless bitch who beat men up and didn't care. There. That what you were looking for?"

Standing, I ignored her startled yelp of protest. Walking to the cell door, I punched in the code.

"You don't need to come in here!" Kezia shouted, scrambling up from the cot and backing to the far end of the cell.

"For Luna's grace, Kezia!" I protested. "You're hardly in danger."

"How am I supposed to know that?" she demanded, her hands on her hips.

I fixed her with a flat stare as I pulled the cell door closed behind me. "You're my mate, idiot."

"Idiot?" Kezia looked more affronted than before. "You can tell why I struggle to believe your intentions are good!"

"I'm hardly going to fuck you against the bars," I told her grumpily. "Sit."

"I want to stand."

"Fine. Get comfy, I have a lot to tell you."

She watched me through narrowed eyes and then, with great reluctance, inched towards the cot, sitting on the very end. "What is it?"

"Patience."

"Have you met me?" Kezia scoffed. "It's not one of my virtues."

"I'm aware," I deadpanned. I looked her over as she sat rigidly in front of me. "You're losing weight."

"I'm used to more food."

"Your brother must have needed a store just for you," I joked.

Kezia grimaced. "Sometimes."

She looked away and I subtly inhaled her scent. Blood? Ah, that made sense. "Do you need anything?" I asked her, feeling like I was invading her privacy.

Kezia flushed but pointed behind me to the small toilet area. "Royce has me covered."

Turning, I saw the small box of sanitary products. "Good." Turning back, I caught her studying me but said nothing. "I'll add more to the plate tonight."

"Thank you."

The silence grew until Kezia had enough. "Why are you here?"

"I need to tell Nikan you're my mate."

She blinked in surprise. "Um…okay?"

"He may be attracted to you," I told her bluntly. "I don't want… Well," I faltered. "You understand."

Kezia was frowning. "He's just friendly."

"I understand Landon was just friendly once too."

That earned me a glare. "There's no need to be you about it."

"If Nikan…" I bit my lip as I looked away. "If he addresses you about it, will you be kind?"

"I'm not the monster you think I am."

I didn't meet her eyes, but I gave a sharp jerk of my head in acknowledgment.

"Is that why you're here? To tell me you think your brother likes me more than just a jailed rogue?"

I chuckled before I could stop the laughter. "No. And please, for my brother's sake, try not to be so flippant next time you see him."

"I won't."

"Vance suspected you're not human."

I was watching her and felt a thrill of satisfaction when her mouth dropped open in disbelief. "No."

"Yes." I didn't want to tell her how I'd extracted the information from him, but I would if I had to. "He didn't believe your story. Let's be honest, who would?" I ignored her wince. "A girl hunted by the police for a triple murder is suddenly a case of mistaken identity?" Pushing my hair back, I met her hostile stare. "It's a stretch."

"It doesn't mean I'm not human."

"No," I agreed. "The silver bullets in his gun did that."

I didn't enjoy the look of betrayal this time. Even though I wasn't the reason for it, it still stung. "Silver?"

"Yes. Four of them."

"Shit." Kezia stood, her hands pressed into her lower abdomen, and I watched as she bent slightly forward. "Shit."

Frowning, I looked at her. "Do not even think of shedding a tear for him."

She shook her head, but I watched her left hand reach up and flick the tear from her eye. "I'm not." She flicked another away, catching my glare. "Ugh! I'm not."

"You're doing a shit impression of someone who isn't crying."

"Fuck off. I'm angry."

"Good. You should be," I told her forcefully before I hesitated. "Why are you crying then?"

"What did he say when you questioned him?" She changed the subject. "Did you torture him?"

Was there a wrong way to answer that? "Are you on board for his torture?"

Fierce blue eyes glared at me. "Yes!"

"Then yes, I did. He sobs like a little coward by the way."

"Good," she said fiercely as she slowly sat back down again. "Do it all over again and let me watch."

I grinned. "Savage little wolf." I felt the knot in my belly loosen slightly when she shared the smile.

"Meditation was a waste of time," she muttered as she resumed her seat on the cot. "Nikan then Vance, anything else?" she asked dryly, obviously trying to lighten the mood. Whatever I tried to hide on my face, Kezia groaned as she lay back. "Really? Ugh. Just hit me with it."

"Hey, this is no picnic for me either." I saw her lift her arm from off her eyes to pierce me with a glare. "Fine, it's about your heat…"

Kezia watched me warily. "What about it?"