got in the way.”
Stasia shook her head. “There is no excuse. Alec has to know.”
Todd’s embrace tightened, and his expression beseeched her to understand. “Alec’s gonna help his brother take the scientists back to the vampires. Think about that, Stasi. His actions will help them breed more of the bastards. We’re already losing territory; our packs are thinnin’ fast. Alec’s gonna betray us.”
Her heart raced. Not Alec. He was strong and pure—by-the-rule Alec. “He would never do that,” she said, although she felt doubt creeping in due to the strength of Todd’s conviction.
Todd’s gaze pleaded, his hands caressed her back, soothing her now. “Maybe Alec doesn’t understand what they plan. They’re gonna build an army to destroy us—wipe us off the face of the Earth once and for all.”
Stasia shook her head again. “I’ll talk to him.”
“He’s gonna follow his brother, Stasi. He did before—all the way into vampire territory. You’ve defied him every step of the way. Why would he believe you now? He may not even understand the conspiracy they’ve hatched, but he’s gonna betray us just the same. There’s not a damn thing I can do.”
Everything he said was true. She’d fought Alec, ridiculed him, acted like a spoiled bitch every time he’d sniffed around her. Why would he listen to her? Her heart squeezed. “He’ll be cast out,” she whispered. Alec would be alone. She could follow him, there was nothing holding her here…except for her little sister. She could never leave her in Todd’s care. Her shoulders slumped.
Todd shook his head sadly. “The overlaird will kill him. Unless…you help me. We can stop them. We can save Alec from himself.”
She eyed him, suspicion rearing its ugly head. “You hate Alec. Why would you want to save him?”
He kissed her belly. “I love you more.”
“Stop it!” she said, shoving his face back. “You’re asking me to betray him?”
He tilted back his head and nodded. “It’s the only way to save him. Do you love him?”
“He won’t ever forgive me,” she said, her voice breaking.
“It’s the price you’ll pay to save his hide. Do you love him enough to give him up?”
A dull, thudding pain pounded behind her eyes. “That’s what this is all about, isn’t it? You want to separate us.”
“I…love…you,” he said, tears filling his eyes. “I know you’d never forgive yourself if you didn’t give him this chance.”
She stared out the kitchen window into the bleak, gathering dawn. “What do you want me to do?”
“What you do best.”
*
“I don’t like this one damn bit.” Alec slammed the telephone back in its cradle and cast a worried glance across the desk at his brother.
“So, they want someone else to transport me to the meeting,” Max said, his voice deadly calm.
“Yeah. Todd,” he snorted. “I guess they don’t trust I’ll get you there.” Alec felt a deepening dread that something more was at work here—the hairs on the back of his neck lifted, warning him.
“And you don’t trust Todd? I know he holds a grudge against me for mating with his sister all those years ago, but do you really think he’d betray the clan?”
“He’s the same weasel he ever was. And big brother, he hates me more. Not only did I take Stasi for a mate, I kicked his ass in the trial.”
“I still don’t see the problem. He wouldn’t dare try anything along the way—not if he ever hopes to win back the pack alpha position.”
Alec rubbed the back of his neck. “Still…something doesn’t feel right.”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t follow him. You plan on being there, right?”
“It’s an open meeting. I wouldn’t miss it.”
Max’s mouth tightened. “Maybe you ought to,” he said quietly.
Alec’s gaze fell away, and he took a deep breath. “If they decide to put you down, I want to be there.”
Max leaned forward in his chair. The hard edges of his face were sharper than ever.
Stasia shook her head. “There is no excuse. Alec has to know.”
Todd’s embrace tightened, and his expression beseeched her to understand. “Alec’s gonna help his brother take the scientists back to the vampires. Think about that, Stasi. His actions will help them breed more of the bastards. We’re already losing territory; our packs are thinnin’ fast. Alec’s gonna betray us.”
Her heart raced. Not Alec. He was strong and pure—by-the-rule Alec. “He would never do that,” she said, although she felt doubt creeping in due to the strength of Todd’s conviction.
Todd’s gaze pleaded, his hands caressed her back, soothing her now. “Maybe Alec doesn’t understand what they plan. They’re gonna build an army to destroy us—wipe us off the face of the Earth once and for all.”
Stasia shook her head again. “I’ll talk to him.”
“He’s gonna follow his brother, Stasi. He did before—all the way into vampire territory. You’ve defied him every step of the way. Why would he believe you now? He may not even understand the conspiracy they’ve hatched, but he’s gonna betray us just the same. There’s not a damn thing I can do.”
Everything he said was true. She’d fought Alec, ridiculed him, acted like a spoiled bitch every time he’d sniffed around her. Why would he listen to her? Her heart squeezed. “He’ll be cast out,” she whispered. Alec would be alone. She could follow him, there was nothing holding her here…except for her little sister. She could never leave her in Todd’s care. Her shoulders slumped.
Todd shook his head sadly. “The overlaird will kill him. Unless…you help me. We can stop them. We can save Alec from himself.”
She eyed him, suspicion rearing its ugly head. “You hate Alec. Why would you want to save him?”
He kissed her belly. “I love you more.”
“Stop it!” she said, shoving his face back. “You’re asking me to betray him?”
He tilted back his head and nodded. “It’s the only way to save him. Do you love him?”
“He won’t ever forgive me,” she said, her voice breaking.
“It’s the price you’ll pay to save his hide. Do you love him enough to give him up?”
A dull, thudding pain pounded behind her eyes. “That’s what this is all about, isn’t it? You want to separate us.”
“I…love…you,” he said, tears filling his eyes. “I know you’d never forgive yourself if you didn’t give him this chance.”
She stared out the kitchen window into the bleak, gathering dawn. “What do you want me to do?”
“What you do best.”
*
“I don’t like this one damn bit.” Alec slammed the telephone back in its cradle and cast a worried glance across the desk at his brother.
“So, they want someone else to transport me to the meeting,” Max said, his voice deadly calm.
“Yeah. Todd,” he snorted. “I guess they don’t trust I’ll get you there.” Alec felt a deepening dread that something more was at work here—the hairs on the back of his neck lifted, warning him.
“And you don’t trust Todd? I know he holds a grudge against me for mating with his sister all those years ago, but do you really think he’d betray the clan?”
“He’s the same weasel he ever was. And big brother, he hates me more. Not only did I take Stasi for a mate, I kicked his ass in the trial.”
“I still don’t see the problem. He wouldn’t dare try anything along the way—not if he ever hopes to win back the pack alpha position.”
Alec rubbed the back of his neck. “Still…something doesn’t feel right.”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t follow him. You plan on being there, right?”
“It’s an open meeting. I wouldn’t miss it.”
Max’s mouth tightened. “Maybe you ought to,” he said quietly.
Alec’s gaze fell away, and he took a deep breath. “If they decide to put you down, I want to be there.”
Max leaned forward in his chair. The hard edges of his face were sharper than ever.
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