Mated in Mist (Talon Pack #3)(20)

No, not his witch.

He needed to remember that.

As soon as he inhaled and scented Finn and Drake, the Heir and Omega of the Redwood Pack, he relaxed marginally. He couldn’t relax fully, as he had Leah at his side and his wolf craved her more than air, but at least he didn’t feel as if he were in more danger than usual.

“You ready?” Finn asked, his wolf in his eyes. His new brother-in-law was one damn strong wolf and had recently increased his strength after almost dying for his bond with Brynn. It was good to have him on their side rather than the enemy’s.

Everyone nodded before taking deep breaths and starting their way to the official meeting place. Instead of meeting on anyone’s land, they were going to meet in an older building that was not claimed by either wolf or witch.

As soon as they entered the building, Ryder’s senses went on alert. There hadn’t been a sentry on duty, but there had been magic. He’d felt it on his skin, and Leah had let out a slight gasp. His wolf pushed against him, but she didn’t scent of pain, only surprise, so he didn’t mention it. He couldn’t let others know there might be a weakness.

“You’ve made it, wolf,” a deep voice with a slightly nasal tone said.

Leah’s hand brushed his arm discreetly, and he wanted to pull her behind him to shield her. Only to do so would undermine her own strength.

Ryder raised his chin and met the gaze of an older man with dark hair, sprinkled with white and grey. His pointed nose and chin made him look aristocratic, but he had Leah’s blue eyes.

This was the Coven leader.

Leah’s father.

The man who’d abandoned her, shunned her, and called for her death.

Ryder’s wolf growled, pushed, and scraped. Yet on the outside, he looked cool, calm, and collected. That was one of his strengths. It had kept him alive through the worst.

While his gaze was on the man in front of him, his senses were on the others around him. Six witches sat around the leader, men and woman in dark robes with frowns on their faces.

But they weren’t alone.

Dozens of spirits lined the walls. He’d never seen so many at once. His skin grew cold and his lungs seized. He couldn’t allow the others to see his reaction, couldn’t let them know what he saw. The spirits looked at him, frowns on their faces, as well. Some screamed. Others called his name, called for his death, for his life. They didn’t move forward, and he wasn’t sure if they could.

It seemed to him that these spirits were of the Coven, ancestors of the seven breathing witches that stood in front of him.

Interesting.

And scary as hell.

He’d been born with the power to hear and see the dead, been born with another, darker power, as well. And yet he didn’t know what to do with it.

However, this wasn’t the time. He met the leader’s eyes and set his jaw. The other man finally lowered his gaze, and Ryder’s wolf was satisfied. He might not be the Alpha, but he was damn strong, and this f*cking peon in front of him couldn’t match his strength. He wouldn’t ignore the magic within, but he knew Leah was stronger than her father, as well. Knew deep in his bones.

He just didn’t think she knew that.

But from the look of pure hatred in the other man’s eyes, her father knew it.

“I am Ryder, Heir of the Talon Pack.” His voice was strong, not a hint of anger, just pure wolf.

“I am Finn, Heir of the Redwood Pack.”

“I am Brandon, Omega of the Talon Pack.”

“I am Drake, Omega of the Redwood Pack.”

“And I am Leah. Daughter of the moon goddess and water witch.”

They hadn’t planned what they would say, and yet what they had said sounded as if it were buried deep within tradition and meaning. That Leah would use those exact words made his wolf sing. Damn the Coven for shunning her.

“You dare bring that abomination in our presence!”

“Luis!” One of the younger female witches called.

“Quiet, Diana. You know the law. This witch, Leah, is an abomination and should never have been born.”

“An abomination?” Leah asked, her voice deadly quiet. “Or just your bastard?”

The woman by Luis’s side hissed. “You are not my husband’s child. You are nothing. You should have been killed when you were born.”

“My wife, Darynda, is correct. If you hadn’t been born, the witches would be safe. Now the world knows we are real. They will burn us at the stake as they did a century ago. You have caused our ruin.” Luis stood up and pointed his finger. Water wrapped around his arm in a rush of waves but didn’t lash out.

Ryder let out a growl and barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. So dramatic, these witches.

“We aren’t here to have you call for her death. She is ours.” Ryder’s words surprised even him. Brandon stiffened by his side but relaxed so quickly Ryder wasn’t sure anyone else had seen it other than perhaps Finn and Drake.

“Yours? She’s a wolf, then? You want to start our negotiations with a threat?”

Ryder smiled, then. It wasn’t a happy one, and from the way some of the Coven members paled, he knew his point had gotten across.

“It wasn’t a threat. It’s a promise. As for our negotiations… You know as well as I do that our meeting today is just that, a meeting. We are not enemies. We never have been. You summoned our Alpha, and he is not here because you do not summon a wolf. We are here because our people are dying. Your people are dying. The humans are running scared right now, but soon they will formulate a plan and we could all be in their hands in the end.”