Page 57 of Forced Bonds

“Of course. You’re family to them now. I get why you don’t feel comfortable shifting around so many that aren’t werewolves themselves, but they will respect you and your boundaries.”

That made me feel… I didn’t actually know. I’d always been around other werewolves so I was fully accepted as I was. This would be the first time others would have to respect all parts of me, some who might not even fully understand what I was, or how little control I had when the full moon took over.

“I need to do the summoning,” I said after a few seconds of silence as we both watched Benji sleep peacefully.

I left the living room and walked out of the patio doors, stripping my clothes as I reached the grass. I could still smell Benji’s blood in the grass from when he’d been abducted. I doubted the scent would linger for long, but it was still there, haunting me. It was a reminder to never let them leave my sight for long. Another good reason for me to step down as alpha.

I shifted into my wolf, sitting there on the grass as I used my alpha power to send them all a telepathic message. I told them to show up and that I had news and some future changes planned. I’d kept it at that, not wanting the pack to know what was coming. Some would likely be pleased I was leaving, others wouldn’t. It didn't matter, though, only my men mattered. I was even tempted to just up and leave, but I couldn’t do that to people who were loyal to me.

When I felt certain everyone had heard my message, I went back inside, still in my wolf form because I wasn’t quite ready to return to my human form just yet.

Sal was sitting on the couch, stroking Benji’s leg and looking a million miles away as he stared into the distance. “Everything okay?” I asked, sitting between his legs and planting my head on his thigh.

He gave me a fond smile and petted me. “I worry about the future,” he whispered, glancing over at our softly snoring human. “I was too busy worrying about him to really take in what she said. About Hell.”

“And you doubt Altaur will know about it?”

“He likes to act as though he knows everything that goes on in our world, but none of us even knew about the book's existence. Or why the witch coven who’d created it had it so locked up,” he said. “And all these different covens that all want the book. Some to destroy and some to keep, it’s maddening. We still have no idea who we fought and killed, who Gabrielle worked with, or why the Greenwren Coven didn’t just demand we hand it over to them. We wouldn’t have been able to fight them, and they knew it. There’s just so much that doesn’t make sense.”

“And you don’t like the unknown,” I guessed.

“I fucking despise it,” he growled, making Benji stir.

We didn’t speak after that, just comforted one another while our human slept. So many things were unknown to us, we could only do our best to stay safe and happy, no matter what went on around us.

I’d never felt more nervous facing my pack than I did at this moment. The warehouse was one big open room, with a staircase at the end that led to an upstairs office. I now stood at the top of said staircase, Benji and Sal by my side as we stared down at the werewolves I called pack.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” I started, already hearing their murmurings of annoyance. “I decided now was the best time to tell you what has happened, and why we no longer have the book.”

“Your father died getting that book!” Someone I couldn’t see yelled in the crowd.

“Yeah!” a few others agreed.

“And you just gave it away?!” Someone else yelled. I was pretty sure it was Susan. Susan was a bitch, so that wasn’t a surprise.

“Some alpha, we’ve got!” Harry yelled. He was one of my father’s best friends. His clear disappointment in me was what hurt the most.

To my surprise, which I honestly shouldn’t have been, because I wasn’t alone anymore. I had mates now. Sal moved closer and snapped. “You were at war with all vampire covens for having that book! You wanted to keep it for funsies and have your entire pack killed because of it?! I think not. So shut the fuck up and listen to your goddamn alpha!”

I was so hard. It so wasn’t the time, but man, that had been hot as fuck to witness, even Benji seemed to like Sal taking charge like that, telling people to shut up.

There was utter silence in the room now, so I figured I would take over. “The Greenwren Coven, which is the most powerful vampire coven in the world, was set on getting that book. Which was why Benjamin was taken. They demanded we hand over the book or he would die.”

Silence.

I kept going. “We have no idea which witch covens we’ve fought or not, but because the Greenwren Coven demanded we hand over the book, the witches can’t fight us for it anymore, or get angry that we “gave it up”.

“What about my mother then?!” Mindy shouted from close by. “Why did she have to die?!”

I growled low, unable to stop myself. I felt my eyes glow with anger. “Because, your mother betrayed my mate.”

“Bullshit!” the once timid and blushing Mindy snapped back.

“She told unknown vampires where to find Benjamin and then hoped they would kill him!” I roared, losing my temper.

“They wouldn’t even have been here had it not been for him!” Another one shouted, clearly agreeing with Mindy.

“They were here because of the book!” I roared. “How is that so fucking hard to get into your fucking heads?! Benjamin and Salizar have fought our battle, a battle forced upon us because my mother demanded we get that damn book, without even knowing what it held! My mate was punished because he was a part of this pack, and Stacy led them straight to him without remorse. I would gladly snap her neck a second time for just daring to cause him harm!”