Diamond (Rare Gems Series) by Kathi S. Barton Page A

empty.”
    “ And they own the house too?” Blair nodded. “Can I get it as a package deal? And if so, how far are we going to be from the main house you live in?”
    The property was perfect for what he wanted it for even though it was a little bigger than he’d wanted. But if things went well in a few years, he could bring the plant in Texas up here and have it all under one roof. When Blair didn’t answer him, he looked at him.
    While Blair hadn ’t been rude, he’d not been all that friendly either. Thad could understand that as well. He’d hurt them, all of them, and he was going to have to work very hard to get at least some of that friendship back. When there was still nothing from him, Thad spoke.
    “ I’m going to make this work with Diamond and the rest of you. I know that you have no reason to believe me, but—”
    “ I don’t.” Well, that was blunt, Thad thought, but didn’t say anything as Blair continued. “You hurt her again and they’ll never find the body. And I don’t mean because I’ll toss you in a deep hole. I mean there won’t be anything of you left to find. Not even a bone fragment. I will tear you to little pieces, then let the others have at you.”
    Thad shivered at his words , knowing that he wasn’t kidding at all. “I know what I’ve done and what I’ve said. You’ve no idea how much…you coming out here with me today means a great deal to me after the way I treated you. I will make this work. I’m doing my best to convince Diamond of it as well, but, like you, she’s not going to forgive me right now.” Thad looked out over the buildings and the land. “I had a long talk with Jane last night after Diamond went to sleep. She was telling me that I was lucky you hadn’t killed me the last time I was here.”
    “ I knew she was a smart woman.” Blair laughed a little. “I don’t think Diamond is going to be as easy to convince as I might be. You and she are going to have some rounds, and I hope I’m there to see it.”
    They ’d had a round last night. She’d wanted him to sleep elsewhere, and he’d been serious about sleeping with her. But when she shifted into her wolf, he’d left the room quietly. She was fucking scary as that big canine.
    “ She can hold her own.” Blair laughed at him again. “Your dad is very helpful. I asked him a few things yesterday that I didn’t understand in the book, and he said I should bring them up to you. Can I ask you some of them now?”
    “ Sure, but you need to know that I don’t know a great deal about being a pack alpha. I sort of fell into the job. I challenged the other leader because at the time I thought I’d be better than he was, but he died and I had to learn or fail. I don’t like to fail.” Thad nodded. He didn’t either, so he could empathize with the man.
    “ Did you know that you can’t have your pack house and your home in the same residence?” Blair looked at him with a frown. “It says that you and your mate have to live separate from the pack house. I don’t think many do it, but that’s one of the rules.”
    “ Did it say why?” Thad had thought that Blair would tell him he was lying or, worse, that he would tell him he knew but didn’t care. He wanted to know that the man that he’d call alpha someday had integrity.
    “ It actually gives several reasons, but the main one is because you can’t leave yourself in an unprotected environment in the event that one of your pack turns rogue. Apparently, there have been several cases, and in recent years, where one of the pack goes a little over the deep end and walked through the house killing everyone until he got to the alpha and his family. It wasn’t pretty.” Thad shivered again when he thought of the accounting of the massacre. “There is also something about having your family away from the everyday things of being an alpha so that they can have a life with you or, in this case, with you and Sapphire, that doesn’t revolve