Dead After Dark (Companion #6.5)(15)

Now it was Angelia’s turn to be baffled. “What are you talking about?”

When Bride answered, her tone was rife with anger and disdain. “Not one male in your pack has ever confessed to what they did?”

“We were innocent victims.”

“Yeah, and I’m the tooth fairy. Trust me. The attack was provoked.” Bride shook her head. “You know, I will say this, the Katagaria at least admit what they do. They don’t lie to cover it up.”

“Well, if you know so much, then please enlighten me about what happened.”

“Fine. The Katagaria had a group of females who were pregnant and unable to travel.” That was common to both the Arcadian and Katagaria. Once a female was pregnant, she couldn’t shapeshift or use her power to teleport until after the children or pups were born.

Bride folded her arms over her chest. “Since they were in medieval England at the time the females conceived, the males took their females deep into the woods away from any people or their villages to make their den in safety. They’d been there for several weeks with no problems. Then one night, the males went out to hunt for food. They found deer and were chasing them when two of the wolves ended up in snares.

“Vane’s father, Markus, turned human to free the two who were trapped and while he was at it, he was approached by a group of Arcadian males—the ones who’d set those traps. Markus tried to explain that they meant no harm to them, but before he could, the Arcadians executed the two wolves in the traps, then shot arrows at the others. Outnumbered, the pack returned to their den where they found most of their women and children missing.”

Angelia swallowed as a bad premonition went through her.

“The wolves tracked their scent back to Bryani’s camp, where they found the remains of most of their women. They’d been butchered and their hides strung up to tan. There were a handful of pups still alive, but caged. So the wolves waited until nightfall . . . At dusk, a group of the Katagaria led the Arcadian males out of camp so that the others could go in and free their remaining women and children. Bryani’s father and others attacked them and the brutal fighting you remember happened.”

Angelia shook her head in denial. “You lie! They attacked us unprovoked. There was no reason for what they did. None.”

“Sweetie,” Bride said in a gentle tone, “you don’t know the real truth any more than I do. I can only tell you what Vane’s pack has told me about that event. Honestly, I believe them for several reasons. One, they don’t have any females that old. Something happened to kill them off. And now every male over four hundred years old in their pack is insanely protective of any female brought in. I’ve been with the wolves for the last four years and not once have I seen them be aggressive to anyone unless they or their pack was threatened. Nor have I ever known one of them to lie. If anything, they’re honest to the point of brutality.”

Angelia still refused to believe it. “My people wouldn’t have attacked women and children.”

“They tried to attack me.”

“In retaliation!”

“For what? Vane hadn’t hurt them and I most certainly hadn’t. Not one male in your entire patria, including your leader, Vane’s own grandfather, would come to my defense. None. But I tell you what. If anyone or anything came into this house and threatened me, there’s not a wolf downstairs who wouldn’t give his life to keep me safe. And that goes for any female in their pack, too.”

The baby woke up and started crying for his mother.

Bride left her to pick him up. “It’s okay, Trace. Mommy’s here.”

He laid his head on her shoulder and rubbed his eyes. “Where’s Daddy?”

“He’s with Uncle Fury and Uncle Z.”

The boy perked up instantly. “Bob play with Trace?”

She smiled indulgently. “No, honey. Bob didn’t come with Uncle Z this time. Sorry.”

He pouted until he saw Angelia. Then he turned bashful and buried his head against Bride’s shoulder.

Bride kissed his cheek. “This is Angelia, Trace. Can you say hi?”

He waved at her without looking up.

In spite of it, Angelia was strangely charmed by the small boy. She’d always loved children and had hoped to one day have a litter of her own. “Hi, Trace.”

He peeped at her over the safety of his mother’s shoulder. Then he whispered in Bride’s ear while his mother rubbed his back affectionately.

In that moment, a repressed memory came flooding back to her. It was something she hadn’t thought about in centuries. Fury and several boys had been injured while climbing a tree. The boys who’d skinned their hands and knees had run to their mothers for comfort. Fury had broken his arm. Crying, he’d gone to his mother, too. Only when he reached Bryani, she’d angrily shoved him away.

Angelia’s uncle had started to comfort Fury.

Bryani had stopped him with a sharp growl. “Don’t you dare comfort that boy.”

“He’s hurt.”

“Life is pain and there is no comfort for it. The sooner Fury accepts that, the better off he’ll be. Let him know early on that the only one he can depend on is himself. He broke his arm by being stupid. He must tend to it.”

Her uncle had been aghast. “He’s just a child.”