Page 40 of Protecting His Treasure

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“You did this.”

“No, sweet alpha. You did this. It’s your hands covered in blood. Not mine.”

“You forced me.”

“I aided you.”

“I never wanted to murder my parents.”

“That’s not what your pack will think. They’ll think you argued with your father about Onaku. They’ll think you wanted to banish your cousin and his wife from the pack. But your father didn’t. And when you couldn’t convince him, you went into a fit and became demented. Then you went crazy and killed your mother and father.”

“My pack will never believe you.”

“They wouldn’t believe me. But they will believe you.”

“What?”

“You keep forgetting I’m a powerful sorceress, right? I have ways of making men bend to my will. Even alphas. Or, in your case, would be alphas. Earlier, I told you I wouldn’t settle for anything less than being with an alpha. Since you wouldn’t have me, I had to go through you and make someone else alpha.”

“Onaku.”

“Honey,” Hanami called out. “Your cousin is calling you.”

His bastard cousin stepped into the cabin. He even had the nerve to gag when his eyes landed on Kaede’s father.

“How could you?” Kaede cried.

“I…” Onaku’s gaze darted from Kaede’s father to Kaede. “I…”

“He was your uncle.”

Onaku swallowed and glared at Kaede. “But he was also in my way.”

“And that meant you had to kill him?”

Onaku side-eyed Hanami. “That part wasn’t my idea.”

Hanami raised her hand. “It was mine.”

“You bitch.”

Hanami looked to Onaku. “Are you going to let him talk to me like that?”

Onaku’s gaze dropped to Kaede’s father. Hanami shoved her husband aside. “You can give a man a title, but you can’t make him an alpha.”

“What did you say?” Onaku yelled.

“Inside voice,” Hanami said.

“Let’s finish this and get out of here. The stench is suffocating.”

“I rather like the smell.” Hanami inhaled. “Fresh alpha and organic beta. I wish I could bottle it up and sell it.”

“When I get free, I’m going to kill you. I’m going to rip you apart…”

“Oh, you mean like you did your poor mother.”