Chapter 26

Kieran

I started asking around about Zara. I realized that I didn’t actually know very much about our pet’s background. I knew she was the last Alpha’s daughter because he was the only one we killed when we took over her pack, and she accused us of killing her father. I knew she was part human because I heard some of the other she-wolves taunt her about it, and she never denied it. And that was, basically, all I knew.

I wanted to know more.

I thought it would be easy to learn more. This was her pack, so surely someone must know who her mother was and where she went.

But no one I talked to seemed to have any actual information. I heard several fascinating rumors.

One of the older servants told me she heard that Zara was the result of a whirlwind romance between the late Alpha and some kind of human diplomat. She didn’t know where the diplomat was from or why she was visiting this pack in particular.

A guard insisted she’d been left on the pack’s doorstep and the Alpha simply adopted her. I doubted that story immediately. What Alpha would take in a foundling like that for no reason?

As I asked around, though, I realized that Zara wasn’t the late Alpha’s only child. She had a sister. Someone probably told me that before, I just hadn’t cared.

We hadn’t banished either Zara or the sister because they were potentially our fated mates. Neither one was, but it was possible.

I thought that the sister would likely have at least some information about Zara, so I asked around. I probably should have paid more attention when we first took the pack.

The sister was named Chloe. She was Zara’s half sister, the daughter of the previous Alpha and his werewolf Luna, who remained with the pack despite her mate’s death. She’d sworn loyalty to my brother and I with no hesitation.

I wandered around until I found the sister, Chloe. Surprisingly, I recognized her. She was the she-wolf who led the little band of bullies who’d been taunting and then attacked Zara the other day.

Why would she attack her own sister? Sure, siblings fought, but usually for a purpose. To win a mate, or take over a pack. There was nothing to be gained by attacking Zara.

Oh, well. I hadn't paid that much attention to the argument until it got physical. Maybe there was some grudge between them. I didn't care about any of that. Pack politics got messy, everyone knew that.

I approached the she-wolf, standing in a circle of her friends. They were talking and laughing but they all fell silent and bowed when I reached them.

“Chloe, right?” I said.

She looked up. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes were shiny with lust. I knew that look. Unfortunately for us both, I didn't have the time or the interest to indulge her.

“Yes, Alpha Kieran,” Chloe purred.

“I'd like to speak with you,” I said. “Privately.”

I didn't figure she'd want to air her father's dirty laundry in front of her little gaggle of friends.

She flushed a brighter shade of pink, and motioned for the others to leave. I realized what she must think when I asked for privacy and shrugged. I wasn't responsible for her assumptions.

Weird though. Normally, I'd be dragging any she-wolf who looked at me like that right to the nearest horizontal surface for a quickie. Yet I didn't feel even the faintest hint of interest stirring. I guess I was just distracted by the mystery surrounding Zara.

The other wolves scattered. I ignored them and took one of the vacated bench seats. Chloe hesitated momentarily before taking her previous seat back when I nodded towards it. It was kind of funny when wolves tried to kneel at my feet or something, but I didn't want to waste more time.

“You're Zara's sister, right?” I asked.

“Yes, Alpha,” Chloe said, “Well, she's my half-sister. I'm a full-blood wolf, unlike her.”

There was a distinct sneer in her voice on that last word. Huh. I knew a lot of wolves looked down on half-bloods because of how weak and fragile they tended to be. I just hadn't expected that level of resentment. Maybe their parents had favored the weaker sibling for some reason? Coddled her?

“I can see that,” I assured her. “I was just curious about some things. I figured you'd know all the intimate details.”

“Well, of course I do,” Chloe simpered, leaning closer to him. “What would you like to know, Alpha? I'll tell you anything.”

I smiled. “Great. Can you tell me who her mother was? And where she is now?”

Chloe blinked. “Why would you want to know that?”

“I'm just curious,” I said.

Chloe frowned. “I don't know. No one ever talks about it. I mean, they talk, there's rumors, but they're all stupid. Like, no way did my father fall in love with some human he found out in the woods.”

I snorted. Yeah, that sounded like nonsense. “But he did have a human lover,” I pointed out. “He must've, since Zara's here.”

Chloe shrugged. “I dunno, I guess so. It was all before I was born, and then he married a proper she-wolf. And they had me. But he was stuck with Zara.”

“And you have no idea what happened to her mother?” I asked.

“Sorry, Alpha, I really don't. I don't think anyone left in the pack really knows.”

“Would your mother know anything?” I asked.

“I doubt it,” Zara said. “I don't know what the whole deal is, really. She never liked having Zara around, but my father wouldn't let us run her out. I mean, I guess that makes sense because she's his kid and all, but if the mother was still alive, why not send Zara to her? She's been going on about wanting to live with the humans anyways.”

“Zara's always wanted to go to the humans?” I asked. I knew she wanted to be banished, had even tried to declare herself Rogue when we first took the pack. I'd just assumed she was being dramatic because Lucian killed her father in the Alpha Challenge.

Chloe shrugged again. “Maybe not always,” she admitted. “She was always curious about them. Reading books the traders brought from the human's side of the Veil and all. And our father let her get a computer and internet hook up. But she never said anything about living with them until Adrian chose me over her.”

“Adrian?” I asked. The name was vaguely familiar but I couldn't place it.

Chloe looked uncomfortable. “My former mate. You and your brother banished him.”

“Oh, right,” I muttered. The Alpha had no sons, but we'd banished his son-in-law so there wouldn't be any challengers while we integrated the new pack into ours.

“Not that I mind!” Chloe was quick to say. “I rejected him. I have, hm, much better prospects now.”

Huh, she must have found someone more to her tastes at the Mate Ball. Well good for her, at least that fiasco wasn't a total waste of time.

“You said your mate chose you over Zara?” I asked.

“Yes, well, can you blame him? Zara really thought he'd mate her just because they were fated,” Chloe said.

“Zara has a fated mate?” I yelped. I couldn't imagine rejecting my mate if I ever found her.

Chloe wrinkled her nose. “Sort of? I mean, he rejected her, and you banished him. But she's part human so it's weird. Like, the healers told us she can't reject a mate, if they claim her. And the bond lingers or something. I dunno. Why?”

I stood up. I needed to talk to Lucian. He would know what to do about Zara and her bond to a banished Rogue.

I left and didn't look back at Chloe. Maybe if I had, I'd have seen something in her face. I could have prevented all the trouble that followed. But I was too concerned by what I'd just learned, and too impatient to talk to my brother about it. So I left without a word or a glance back.