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Carson whistled. “Damn. No wonder he’s so pissed. Rook was a genius. He could sell it back to him or use it to obtain a truce.”
“I’m not sure. He never told me about it. I didn’t know it existed until Gail found the deed in our basement.”
Thinking of my father led me back to Laurel’s visit and the note she’d given me. I reached inside my cut and retrieved it, finally feeling like it was the right time to read it.
Austin,
Son, forgive me for all the deception. I had to follow through with everything down to the smallest detail, or Carrion said you wouldn’t survive.
Oh, shit. Carrion? But when would he have told my father? He wasn’t around when I was a kid. Hell, he wasn’t much older than me. It wasn’t possible.
But then I remember my conversation with Carrion only a couple of days earlier.
“You’ll need to trust me, pres. When the time is right, stay out of it.”
“You’re asking me not to step in and protect my woman?”
“Her life depends on it.”
Fuck! “Carrion. You can’t ask that of me.”
“I have to,” he replied sadly. “If you don’t listen to me, she won’t make it.”
Nooooooo.
“This is war. We’re going to lose people. It can’t be helped. But it’s the specific people we’ll lose that can be altered.”
“Fuck.”
“And that’s a very tiny window open to keep Gail and Bella alive.”
“Are you telling me I could lose my ol’ lady and my sister?”
“Yes.”
I shuddered. Fear slithered down my spine.
“Do what I say when I say so. No hesitation. No argument. Just do it. The clock has already begun to count down.”
Rook must have had a similar experience. I didn’t know how Carrion contacted him, but he did it. There was no other explanation for why my mother would have this letter, written in my father’s handwriting, dated eighteen years earlier.
My gaze flicked back to the letter.
There are things I’ve done, decisions I had to make to keep you and your sister alive. Gail is special.
You need to keep her away from the vargulf. Undertaker’s evil side will covet her. He’ll want to possess her gifts, and he’ll end up killing her.
Right now, we hold a bargaining chip. The deed to his land. Carrion told me the right time to purchase it. It’s all we’ve got to prevent the vargulf from slaughtering us all.
He needs that land. It belonged to his ancestors. Every generation of his pack has been born on those lands. His new offspring need to be born there, too. It’ll drive the rotten magic out and banish the vargulf. Undertaker’s child is a true Alpha male. He’ll lead his pack and bring peace.
This is a lot. I know it’ll sound unbelievable. Carrion seemed to believe you would accept it after Bella was taken. He said it had to be this way.
By the time you read this, your relationship with your mother will be shit. Give Laurel a chance. For me.
She’ll tell you the truth if you’re brave enough to hear it.
I love you, son.
