Page 30 of Found Objects
“Why are you—”
“It’s good to know how safe we all are just this close to you, Mere.”
He was out of his mind. “This should terrify you.”
“And yet I find it quite comforting.”
“As do I,” Abel said, walking up beside Cole and putting his hand on his shoulder, looking at me in awe. “You’ve already been such a blessing to our pack, Merritt.”
“Where are our children?” a woman asked me, and several other concerned voices joined hers.
“Before I call the kids back, we need to move the dead men from in front of the main house. All of us know the killing was necessary, but the kids won’t understand.”
“Oh my God, that’s right,” the woman said, grabbing hold of my arm and turning to Abel. “And what are we going to say to the police and—”
“We’re not going to say anything,” I told her, taking her hand gently in mine after prying her fingers off my arm. “We’re going to bring those men up here, and the kids need to go to their homes once I call them down. They can’t be anywhere near the alpha’s house until that area is clean.”
When I was done speaking, I turned to Abel. “With your permission, Alpha.”
“Yes, you’re right, of course.” He stared at me a moment before turning to the others. “Do as Merritt says. Let’s get this done quickly.”
Cole, who was already healing rapidly and looking much better, which I saw several of the wolves who weren’t so lucky notice, immediately directed others to follow him.
Five men followed Cole, and Abel turned to me. “Were you an alpha at one time, Merritt?”
I shook my head. “I’ve just always owned my business, so I’m used to giving directions. If you want to handle everything yourself with Tuss’s father—”
“Matthias. His name is Matthias Haviland.”
“Well, if you’d rather I—”
“No,” he rushed out, clamping a heavy, clawed hand down on my shoulder. “Clearly, he’s a madman and there’s no agreement to come to with him. I truly thought we’d left on good terms, with arrangements we both understood after the lives he took from us.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I can’t have him threatening my pack.”
“No, I agree.”
“What would you do?”
Narah, who was standing next to him, turned to look at his profile, and I saw the surprise on her face. Clearly, he didn’t normally ask.
“I think you let Tuss go home with only those who wouldn’t choose to come back.”
He took a breath. “So the others who would want to return, to kill us, will die.”
“I don’t think there’s any other choice.”
After a moment, he nodded. “I concur.”
“Good. So I’m going to wake them, one by one, and ask what they want to do, and I’ll be able to judge whether they’ll follow Tuss again or not.”
“And the ones who spew hatred and violence?”
“Won’t leave my grove,” I said flatly.
“Oh.” He glanced around, realizing where we stood and seeing how beautiful it was for the first time. “I didn’t notice how—did you plant it this way or—”
