Page 21 of Sass Me Again

“What the hell? Who does that?” Tanner asked.

“That’s fucked up.” Erin took the syringe and eyed the contents inside. “I’ll run some tests to find out what this is.”

“Thanks. The sooner the better. I have to assume they’ve been using this on themselves as well. God knows who else,” Rafe said with a huff.

“I wish I knew,” Emily said. “I’m still in shock about all of this.”

“I bet you are. I’m going to have to confront them about this. This can’t slide. It breaks every single one of our laws. I can’t think of a single reason why they are hiding who they really are while living on the edge of a Black Paw Pack. It makes no sense.”

“I know,” she said with a sigh. “I know they didn’t leave you a choice.” The more Emily thought about her parents’ betrayal, the angrier she became. She could feel the heat in her veins, as if her blood were boiling.

“Calm down. We don’t need to shift in the Alpha’s office,” her wolf growled in her mind.

“I will deal with them fairly. I promise. But their crimes cannot go unpunished,” Rafe said.

Emily nodded. That was about all she could do. Her parents deserved to pay the price for all they had done.

14

The headlights sliced through the darkness as Ian pulled into his driveway, gravel crunching beneath the tires. Emily sat in the passenger seat, arms wrapped around herself; her thoughts were a tangled fucking mess. That seemed to be the norm for her these days…well… ever since she found out that her parents had lied to her for her whole life. She hated all the turmoil raging inside of her. Especially how she felt about her own damn family. She needed answers from them. Why had they drugged her to keep her wolf side hidden? A million images filled her brain, and she quickly dismissed them. She didn’t want fictional scenarios that made her parents look like some sort of fucked up heroes in her mind. She wanted the cold, hard truth.

Ian cut the engine but didn’t move to get out of the truck. Instead, he looked over at Emily, his expression softening. “You all right?”

She hesitated, twisting the long locks of her hair around her finger. “I don’t know. Everything feels… different. I keep thinking about what Rafe said.” She finally turned to face him. “What happens to them now? My parents? I know what they did is fucked up, and I’ll probably never forgive them—at least not anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean I want them to die.”

Ian reached for her hand, his touch steady, warm, and comforting. Their mating connection was stronger than she had anticipated.

“They’ll face pack law. Rafe will make sure they answer for what they did to you. He’s an honest Alpha. He’s tough but fair. I can’t imagine they would receive the harshest punishment for their crimes. Very few have been sentenced to death over the years. Those who were sentenced to die were guilty of far worse than what your parents did. Besides, Rafe isn’t like that. You don’t know him yet, but I do. Believe me when I tell you that he’s one of the best people to have on your side.”

She swallowed. “I know. It’s just—after everything, I almost wish they’d just let me go and stopped with this drugging shit they were doing. What the hell were they thinking? I don’t want a bunch of fighting. I don’t like any of it. But I have to see this through, don’t I?”

He nodded. “You do. But I’ll be with you every step of the way. They can’t control you anymore, Em. Your life is yours now. You are finally free to make your own decisions. And now that we’re mated, you’re not alone. I’m here. I will always be here for you. But it’s more than that. You have more than just me. You have an entire pack now as your family. I know it seems odd to think of a bunch of strangers as family, but they are. You’ll see.”

Emily managed a shaky smile. “I don’t know what that even means. I have no idea what being part of a pack is like or what I’m supposed to do with any of this,” she sighed.

Ian squeezed her hand. “We take it one day at a time. Tonight, we rest. Tomorrow, we’ll figure out the next step together.”

She blew out a deep breath. The tension that had been smothering her eased just a little. “I guess that will have to do for now.”

“I know you like plans. You like to be in control when you can, because you never had control over your life. Your parents never allowed that. It won’t always be like this. I promise. This is just a small pothole in our path.”

They climbed out of the truck and into the cool night air that whipped around them after the warmth of the cab. Ian slung an arm around her waist as they walked up to the porch, and she felt a sense of calm filtering through their mating bond. For the first time, Emily let herself hope that maybe, just maybe, things would turn out all right like Ian had assured her.

The porch creaked under their feet as Ian unlocked the front door. Inside, the familiar scents of home filled the air. It was funny how quickly she began to think of Ian’s house as her home.

As Ian reached for the light switch, a recognizable, icy voice sliced through the darkness.

“Emily!”

She froze in her tracks. That single word chilled her deeper than the brisk night air ever could have. Ian tensed beside her, his body shifting subtly in front of her, protective and ready for a fight.

“Back off!” Ian growled. He would protect his mate against any threat, including her own family.

The light flicked on, throwing a harsh illumination across the living room. Layla stood near the fireplace looking immaculate as ever, but her eyes were wild with accusation. Eric was beside her, arms folded, and jaw set so tight the veins stood out on his neck.

“How did you—” Emily’s words faltered. Her wolf surged forward, bristling at the violation of this supposed sanctuary, but she pushed back. It wouldn’t do her a damn bit of good to let her wolf take over right now. Not if she wanted any sort of answers or a peaceful outcome.

“We need to talk,” Layla said, voice icier than Emily had ever heard it. “Before you make any more mistakes.”