Chapter 33

Kieran

I stormed through the halls of the Alpha house, scattering guards and servants as he went.

Why was Lucian so damned stubborn?

Why wouldn’t he just tell Zara why he wanted her to stay in the tower? She wasn’t an idiot. If she knew someone out there wanted her dead, she’d cooperate with their protection.

Why did someone try to kill her, anyway? She was just a hybrid she-wolf. She couldn’t even shift. We only knew she had a wolf because the Alpha voice worked on her. And that had failed, so her wolf must be pretty weak.

Trying to kill Lucian and me, that made sense. We made the other Alphas nervous. We’d taken four packs already, and as soon as we found a mate to stabilize our wolf-bonds, we’d take another. And another after that, and we’d keep going until someone stopped us.

But someone had tried damn hard to murder Zara, instead. Why? Had someone else learned what she could do for us?

How? Lucian and I were so careful. We never talked about her ability, even to each other. Zara certainly wasn’t talking about it.

Someone in this pack had to know more. And I was going to find them, no matter what it took.

Zara’s half-sister was a dead end. And her father was dead. There was one more member of the family left, Chloe’s mother, the former pack Luna.

I remembered the day we’d first met Zara. She’d knelt at my brother’s Alpha voice. And then she’d resisted it. We still didn’t know how. I’d thought maybe it was because of her human blood. But I’d asked around, and no one had ever heard of a hybrid resisting the Alpha voice. So it must be something else.

Maybe the former Luna would know. She’d been shuffled off quietly into a little cabin in the Sawyer pack compound with her daughter. I had Chloe sent off on an errand and went to visit her mother, former Luna Charlotte Sawyer.

“Alpha,” she said, opening the door and bowing deeply. “You honor me with your presence.”

“Sure,” I said, stepping into the little cabin. “I had some questions for you.”

“Of course, Alpha, I am happy to answer any question you might have,” Charlotte said.

“I wanted to talk about your step daughter, Zara,” I said.

“You… you want to talk about Zara? Not Chloe?” Charlotte stammered.

“Why would I want to talk about Chloe?” I asked, then decided I didn’t care. “No, I’m here about Zara. I’m sure you’ve heard all sorts of rumors. I’d be willing to trade some of the truth in return for your cooperation. I realize you must be concerned.”

“Yes, Alpha, very concerned,” Charlotte said.

I could smell the lie on her breath. She didn’t care one bit about her step-daughter. Even though from what I’d heard, she was the only ‘mother’ Zara had ever known. And people called my brother cold-hearted.

“You were there when Zara resisted the Alpha voice,” I said. “When she refused to kneel for my brother and myself.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Charlotte said with a wince. “I swear to you I tried to instill some semblance of proper behavior in that girl, but it never took. She's always been a hellion.”

“I see,” I said. “Has she always been able to resist the Alpha voice, too?”

“I... I'm not certain, Alpha,” Charlotte admitted after a moment. “I do not believe Arthur ever tried to use it on her.”

“Never?” I asked. “Did he avoid it intentionally, because she was his daughter? Or was there some reason?”

“He never mentioned it,” Charlotte said. “I don't believe it was intentional, I think it just never came up.”

“He never tried to use it to make her stay in line?” I asked. “Even though she was a hellion?”

“Well, she mostly stayed out of his way,” Charlotte said. “I had to deal with her little teenage rebellions, as Luna. And I managed her well enough, I think.”

“So well that she thought she could defy her new Alphas to their face on the day they took the pack,” I said.

“Oh, no, I mean, yes, but that wasn't my fault!” Charlotte floundered for a moment before declaring. “It's her mother's blood, obviously. She was a mistake, but my mate... the late Alpha was left with her. We did our best.”

“Hm. Well, your best leaves much to be desired,” I said. “If it's the mother's fault, I'd love to have a word with her. Do you happen to know who she is or where she went?”

Charlotte's expression soured. She shook her head once and sighed.

“I wish I could tell you more, Alpha, I truly do. But I never met Zara's mother. She was a... a fling. Arthur met her once, briefly, early in his time as Alpha. Then she reappeared, left her whelp on our doorstep, and vanished again. That's all I know.”

“Nothing else?” I asked. “Not even a name?”

“Nothing, Alpha,” Charlotte said.

“So, what makes you so certain Zara's a human hybrid?” I asked.

“Well, what else could she have been? Zara's obviously not pure-blood. She can't shift. She heals slower than any wolf. And there's the matter of her mate bond.”

“Yes, about that. I heard there was some controversy, or an incident, involving Zara and a potential mate?” I tried to sound casual but I was desperate to know if Zara had a mate out there somewhere. Was there someone else with a claim on my pet?

“Oh, Adrian,” Charlotte said with a shrug. “Yes, Zara was fixated on him for a time, convinced they were fated or something. But can a part human even have a fated mate? I don't think they can. Anyway, he quite rationally picked my Chloe over her.

I frowned. Zara didn't just have a mate, she had a fated mate? And he'd rejected her? Chloe had hinted at something like that but I found it hard to believe. Who could reject their fated mate?

Maybe it was one sided? I would have liked to question Adrian, but we banished him. I certainly wasn't going to hunt down some Rogue just because he had poor taste in mates.

“I see,” I said. “Well, that's all I needed. I suppose I should explain what's going on with Zara.”

“Only if it pleases you to do so, Alpha, I wouldn't want to waste your time,” Charlotte said. “Has she caused some kind of trouble?”

“She's being isolated,” I said. “But not punished. And I would be unhappy if any rumors to the contrary were to spread.”

“Of course, Alpha, I would never allow such a thing to happen,” Charlotte simpered. “If that were to happen, it could still shame my household, and might reflect poorly on my own daughter. You have met my Chloe, haven't you? She is, after all, unbonded now. And I promise you her pedigree is stellar.”

I blinked at her. Her daughter's pedigree? She was a wolf, not some human's fluffy little lapdog!

“I'll keep that in mind,” I lied. I wasn't going anywhere near this woman's progeny with a ten foot pole. “I need to go tend to important pack matters now.”

“Have a pleasant day, Alpha Graves,” Charlotte said, rising to bow formally.

I left, feeling vaguely unsettled. I hadn't learned anything much, except that Zara had apparently been abandoned with the Sawyer pack. Assuming, of course, that Charlotte hadn't been lying. Something about her story didn't sit right with me.

And now I had new questions. Because Zara's human heritage was apparently a guess. But if she wasn't part human, what was she?