Read Online Choices by Viola Rivard - Free Book Online Page B

considered what Tulip had said. Hale could tell that his brother wasn’t going to be entirely swayed from his self-righteous position, but that was fine. In truth, Hale couldn’t have cared less if Whiteriver starved. They were all given a choice to join Halcyon, a pack with two strong and capable alphas. They chose to side with a young and inexperienced leader. That made even less sense to him than Taylor’s refusal to eat meat.
    Thinking of Taylor again only served to further sour his mood. He had a feeling that even if he explained the logic behind what he’d done, she would still side with Alder. Alder, who was in favor of negotiations, peace treaties, and all of that diplomatic shit. Peace only favored the weak and only lasted as long as it was advantageous to those with power.
    The sound of approaching footsteps had them all turning towards the door as Holly sauntered in. The fox shifter was wearing knee-high boots and not much else. She had on a filmy dress that clung to her like a second skin. Hale gave her a once over and, when his cock didn’t stir, gave up and settled his gaze on her face.
    Alder greeted her. “Good, you’re here.”
    She gave a mock bow. “At your service.”
    Standing, Alder offered a hand to Tulip, helping her up.
    “This is Holly,” he said. “She’s going to show you to your room and stick with you while you get settled in.”
    Tulip nodded with obvious reticence. “I’m not…a prisoner, am I?”
    Alder clasped her hands in his. “Of course not. I only want to make sure you have someone to look out for you.”
    “Come on, kid,” Holly said, grabbing Tulip by the arm. “I’ll give you the grand tour.”
    Alder waited until they’d been gone for at least a minute before turning to Hale and speaking.
    “I don’t trust her.”
    “What?” Hale asked, incredulous. “Believe me when I say that I don’t want her here, but she’s not loyal to Whiteriver.”
    “The only thing I believe is that when you decided to trust her, you were thinking with your dick.”
    Hale clenched his fist under the table, trying to let the insult slide. “That’s not true.”
    “So you haven’t slept with her?”
    Hale sighed. “Fine, keep an eye on her. Just know that you’re wasting your time.”
    “Maybe,” Alder agreed. “But I can’t see Silas handing her over after… Why did she help you get into their den? For what?”
    Hale grinned. “I pissed on his bed.”
    Alder put a hand over his mouth, but was unable to keep himself from laughing. “And you didn’t think that would start a war?”
    “Oh, I planned on him starting a war,” Hale said. “And when he did, his pack would have no choice but to defect to Halcyon.”
    They may be willing to live in squalor for their loyalty, but Hale doubted any but the most loyal would be willing to die to defend Silas’s honor.
    “You can’t keep things like this to yourself,” Alder said, leaning back in his chair. “If I’m going to stay here, you need to start being honest with me.”
    Hale reluctantly nodded.
    Alder went on to say, “And if I’m being completely honest with you, I haven’t been as invested in the pack as I should have been.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    Alder cast him an apologetic look. “I always thought I’d leave once I found a mate. I’ve spent the past few years doing everything I could to keep the peace and avoid conflicts because I didn’t want to leave a mess for you when I was gone.”
    Hale blinked in surprised. “So all of that diplomatic bullshit…”
    “I’m not saying it was all a front,” said Alder. “I still believe that we shouldn’t be making enemies where we don’t have to, but I’m not opposed to fighting if it means securing the future of the valley.”
    They stayed in the meeting room, discussing at length the conflict with Whiteriver, the western packs, and the different scenarios that could play out over the next few years. Hale could hardly believe that he was