then?”
“Then, I lived,” she smiled brightly. “He taught me to shift. Raised me as his own. There were only three of us then. The other two were way older than me and moved out soon after I came to stay, but Garner taught me well, and soon I was helping him track down others like me. Kids nobody wanted. Shifters nobody wanted.”
Barron turned to glance toward the farmhouse, guilt at his earlier words biting hard. “I’m sorry for what I said.” His voice was barely a whisper.
Willa smirked. “Don’t be. It’s not the first time someone has written us off. We’re very content to be,” she lifted her hands to curl her fingers into air quotes, laughing at him, “‘saddled’ with each other.”
He winced, keeping the expression in place when he asked, “So, what’s your plan?” He hurried to add, “If you don’t mind me asking.”
Willa stood in silence for a few moments before sighing and looking up at the trees. “My first order of business is placing my girls. Sarya and Becca will need strong males, who will be able to protect them.”
Inexplicably, Barron’s anger seared to life. “That’s your plan? Pawn off the females of your pack?”
Willa’s green eyes flashed angrily as she turned away from him, storming back toward the farmhouse. “I’m protecting them.”
“Protecting them.” He snorted, knowing the conversation was one they needed to have. “You’re pimping them out!”
Chapter 10
Willa turned on Barron with a snarl. “I’m a female Alpha without a mate. What do you think is going to happen here?” When he didn’t answer, her scowl deepened. “Males will come from hundreds of miles around to challenge me for my territory. I’ll lose, and that’ll be the end of it for me and my pack. My females will be taken , without any choice in the matter, by the first wolf who lays a claim.” Angry tears glistened in her eyes. “Keryn and Cortez are the oldest members of my pack, aside from me, and they’ve got each other. My other two females are young, just children. Do you have any idea what would happen to them if I let a new Alpha decide their fate?”
Barron knew exactly what would happen. The Alpha would permit his pack to fight for the females with the winner claiming the prize. This, of course, would be after the Alpha himself took first liberties with them. Keryn too, would suffer the same fate, as she and Crotez hadn’t cemented their mating. None of Willa’s girls would have a say in their fate.
Wanting to lighten the mood, he scoffed with a smile, “What? No faith in yourself?”
Willa’s lips turned up in a humorless smile as some of her anger vanished on an amused snort. Turning, she crossed to a patch of grass and dropped to sit, bending her knees a little to rest her arms on them. “I’ll take out a few, but there will be too many.”
His eyes rounded, and all the air left him. “You’re not actually considering fighting?” He’d been joking!
“Of course I’m fighting.” Her harsh tone softened to one of bitter reluctance. “The least I can do for my pack is to go down with the ship. To show them that I was worthy of the title. To be the leader they deserved.”
Was she actually speaking of herself in the past tense? His hands balled into fists. “Why not mate one of the challenging Alphas and be done with it?” He ignored the jolt of jealousy that tore through him at the thought.
Delicate brows shot up. “Why don’t you mate someone you’ve never met, whose only interest is in your territory?” Her shoulders slumped and she rolled her head, her hand lifting to rub at her neck. “If I can’t place my girls, and I fight, perhaps the incoming Alpha will show pity on my pack.”
“You could fake a mating,” he suggested, dropping to sit beside her.
“It was my first thought.” She exhaled long and slow, fidgeting with her fingers. “It’ll
“Then, I lived,” she smiled brightly. “He taught me to shift. Raised me as his own. There were only three of us then. The other two were way older than me and moved out soon after I came to stay, but Garner taught me well, and soon I was helping him track down others like me. Kids nobody wanted. Shifters nobody wanted.”
Barron turned to glance toward the farmhouse, guilt at his earlier words biting hard. “I’m sorry for what I said.” His voice was barely a whisper.
Willa smirked. “Don’t be. It’s not the first time someone has written us off. We’re very content to be,” she lifted her hands to curl her fingers into air quotes, laughing at him, “‘saddled’ with each other.”
He winced, keeping the expression in place when he asked, “So, what’s your plan?” He hurried to add, “If you don’t mind me asking.”
Willa stood in silence for a few moments before sighing and looking up at the trees. “My first order of business is placing my girls. Sarya and Becca will need strong males, who will be able to protect them.”
Inexplicably, Barron’s anger seared to life. “That’s your plan? Pawn off the females of your pack?”
Willa’s green eyes flashed angrily as she turned away from him, storming back toward the farmhouse. “I’m protecting them.”
“Protecting them.” He snorted, knowing the conversation was one they needed to have. “You’re pimping them out!”
Chapter 10
Willa turned on Barron with a snarl. “I’m a female Alpha without a mate. What do you think is going to happen here?” When he didn’t answer, her scowl deepened. “Males will come from hundreds of miles around to challenge me for my territory. I’ll lose, and that’ll be the end of it for me and my pack. My females will be taken , without any choice in the matter, by the first wolf who lays a claim.” Angry tears glistened in her eyes. “Keryn and Cortez are the oldest members of my pack, aside from me, and they’ve got each other. My other two females are young, just children. Do you have any idea what would happen to them if I let a new Alpha decide their fate?”
Barron knew exactly what would happen. The Alpha would permit his pack to fight for the females with the winner claiming the prize. This, of course, would be after the Alpha himself took first liberties with them. Keryn too, would suffer the same fate, as she and Crotez hadn’t cemented their mating. None of Willa’s girls would have a say in their fate.
Wanting to lighten the mood, he scoffed with a smile, “What? No faith in yourself?”
Willa’s lips turned up in a humorless smile as some of her anger vanished on an amused snort. Turning, she crossed to a patch of grass and dropped to sit, bending her knees a little to rest her arms on them. “I’ll take out a few, but there will be too many.”
His eyes rounded, and all the air left him. “You’re not actually considering fighting?” He’d been joking!
“Of course I’m fighting.” Her harsh tone softened to one of bitter reluctance. “The least I can do for my pack is to go down with the ship. To show them that I was worthy of the title. To be the leader they deserved.”
Was she actually speaking of herself in the past tense? His hands balled into fists. “Why not mate one of the challenging Alphas and be done with it?” He ignored the jolt of jealousy that tore through him at the thought.
Delicate brows shot up. “Why don’t you mate someone you’ve never met, whose only interest is in your territory?” Her shoulders slumped and she rolled her head, her hand lifting to rub at her neck. “If I can’t place my girls, and I fight, perhaps the incoming Alpha will show pity on my pack.”
“You could fake a mating,” he suggested, dropping to sit beside her.
“It was my first thought.” She exhaled long and slow, fidgeting with her fingers. “It’ll
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