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And so she could stay here. With us. Make this her permanent home.
I wanted that. Desperately.
But Sasha and I were going to have to set some ground rules. She couldn’t constantly question my authority in front of my men and pack. It wasn’t going to fly long term with my wolf. He was smitten now, but one day... I shuddered.
“Winter has a choice. They all have a choice. Every goddamn day. Your job, as their leader, is to make sure the sum of all your actions weigh in their favor. In their true long term, best interest. So they thrive. In the hopes that the next day, they look to you again.”
“Don’t tell me your wolf would back down just ‘cause some of your people told you to. I heard about what happened. Felt it. Silver didn’t deserve what you dished out.”
“No,” I sighed, shoulders sagging. “He didn’t. And I’ll be spending tomorrow—hell, probably the rest of my life—proving to him that I’m sorry. What I did was wrong, Sasha. But I assure you, it has nothing to do with what I think of him or his place in the pack, and everything to do with the beast I keep locked inside. For good reason.”
“So you think what I did was wrong then? By bonding Silver and hurting Winter? Is that it? You’re saying that I was selfish, right?”
Her eyes were shining with unshed tears as she faced me, waiting on my judgement. Begging me to just come out and say it. I couldn’t give her this, though. She was begging for an absolution which wasn’t mine to give.
“In my opinion, giving love is never wrong. It often hurts like hell but it’s never wrong.” I took a step forward and swiped a tear from her cheek before it could fall, then forced myself to back out of her space again. “Sasha, it’s not me you’re mad at. It’s yourself. As a leader, you recognize that you did wrong by one of your own. And believe me, I get that kind of anger, I do. Just don’t let it make you bitter or doubt your choices. However, Winter is breaking away. For her own reasons. A true alpha would recognize it’s time to let her go.”
“But who will protect her?”
My mate’s chin wobbled as she bawled her hands into fists and her sadness stained the air.
“I think my Enforcer has it handled,” I drawled. “Don’t know if you noticed, but he’s a fucking beserker. Even his own brothers make sure to stay out of his way in battle. And he has all of us to back him up.”
I let her stew on the heavy words for a moment.
“Now, here’s the part you really don’t want to hear.”
“Oh goodie. Lay it on me, oh alpha-of-alphas,” Sasha rolled her eyes, hard. I liked the little spark that returned to her frame, preparing her for the bombshell I was about to lay down.
“This isn’t your territory. It could be your home—and I want it to be—but the Soul Reapers MC has already been claimed by a wolf. My wolf. He’s the alpha here and you are just a human. You cannot challenge a shifter, Sasha. No matter how much your soul might long to.”
In a flash, her rage returned.
“Just a human,” Sasha screeched. “Is that how it is? I’m just a human.”
She snarled her lip up at me, her eyes sparking with defiance. The challenge went right down to my soul, tugging at my animal and forcing it to come out to meet her dominance.
I couldn’t let it. Couldn’t let her drag the wild out of me. Look what I’d done to my own omega and Mongrel tonight. If they hadn’t had shifter healing, I could’ve really hurt them. Sasha’s body was a million times more breakable than any of my wolves, regardless of the ferocity of her soul.
“Are you seriously saying if me and my people remain here—after you so kindly offered us your hospitality and a way to earn our place in your pack—that your wolf plans to treat us as second rate citizens?”
“No,” I growled, the beast in my throat. “Don’t put words in my mouth, woman. That won’t work out well for you.”
“Ugh, I can’t even talk to you when you get like this. Me fierce wolf, you only human. I shall crush like a bug.” Sasha stalked away, arms waving dramatically as she went, then she sat her happy ass in my chair. My chair. Rocking it back and forth as she rubbed her scent all over it. My mate knew exactly what she was doing. “I say yes. You say no. We both growl and shout.”
“Nothing that comes out of that little human throat is a growl, sweetheart. It’s the squeak of an alleycat I ain’t done shaking.”
Sasha hadn’t finished her rant. She ran right over what I had to say as she continued, “You get all high and mighty. Yell at me. Do your best to make me feel small, unworthy as a leader in my own right. Then I storm out and angry fuck your omega. That the way you wanna play this, Prez?”
“Sasha,” I warned. “Don’t you test me. Or the wolf.”
“No, Grimm. Don’t you test me.” She leaned forward and planted her hands on the desk, skewering me in place with her eyes. “Winter is mine. Those people you rescued are mine. They’re my family, no matter what your beast has to say about it. And I look after my family. Even the ones who turn their back on me.”
I slammed my hands into my pockets so I didn’t actually pick her up and shake her. The woman was completely missing the point. “Winter is fine! She’s got Carbon to look out for her.”
The minute I said it, I knew it was the wrong thing to let loose.
She flew round the desk and fisted her hands into my shirt like she was planning on throwing me out of my own fucking office. Goddamnit, my cock got hard as diamonds when she became like this. Ready to burn the world to the ground for what she believed was right.
