Mated in Mist (Talon Pack #3)(21)

Luis opened his mouth to speak, but Finn cut him off.

“We will meet again to discuss our plans. We want to live in a world where we can be free and not threatened. I can see we’ve started off on the wrong foot. Because of that, we will be back again at a later time to discuss our options.” Finn met Ryder’s eyes and nodded. “The humans who came after the Packs and then after Leah are the ones at fault. Not a witch who was trying to protect herself. I see no proof she’s an abomination, nor do I know what the hell that even means. So, yeah. She’s with us.”

“So it’s wolves versus witches, then?” Luis snarled.

“It’s not anything as of yet,” Ryder answered. “We will begin again, but know this, we are wolves, we are strong. We have fought by your side before, have always worked with you to protect our secrets, but we are Pack. Never forget that.”

On that note, he turned on his heel and the others followed. The witches began to fight within their Coven, screaming at one another, but Ryder let that go. He needed to get Leah and Brandon within the ward walls so he could breathe.

“Ryder,” Leah whispered once they were out of hearing range. “You shouldn’t have done that. You might have started a war over me. I’m not worth that.”

Ryder snarled and turned to her. The others stood around them, not bothering to walk away to give them privacy.

“You are worth that and more,” he said and wanted to curse. He hadn’t meant to say that. “We do not allow the innocent to get hurt by those in power. And frankly, we wouldn’t have given you away to them because we don’t do what we’re ordered to. They are not my Alpha. And they should know that.”

“Ryder…”

Finn let out a breath, then shook his head, a small smile on his face. “Well, that went well.”

Ryder snorted. “Fucked up for sure.”

Brandon and Drake both rolled their eyes.

“We’ll figure it out,” Finn said then brought Leah into a hug. It was only because he was mated that Ryder didn’t rip Finn’s arms off for doing that.

“It was never going to end well,” Brandon said. “We were pissed going in because of the summoning. The witches are running scared because of their own Unveiling. But it’s not your fault, Leah.”

She scowled. “It sure feels like it. I’m not going to allow that to be for nothing, though. I’ll help you protect your Pack. I have some power, enough that my father wanted me dead from birth. So I’ll do what I can to help you, even as I try to figure out what I’m doing.”

Ryder’s wolf let out a happy howl, but he didn’t let his face say anything. He’d claimed her in front of the Redwoods, his brother, and the witches, and she hadn’t said anything about it. He was giving her mixed signals, and yet, he didn’t care. He couldn’t think when there was so much going on, so much that could go wrong.

The first witch and wolf meeting had gone to hell, but they would figure it out.

There wasn’t another choice.

And it didn’t take seeing the dead for him to know that with one wrong move, all would be lost.





Chapter Six


“Is he staring?” Leah asked.

Charlotte’s eyes danced and she looked over Leah’s shoulder. “No, but he was earlier.”

So Ryder wasn’t looking at her, but he had been. That sounded about right. He kept changing his damn mind. First he’d pushed her away before he kissed her. Then he’d said he wouldn’t mate her, but damn well claimed her in the Coven meeting. She still wasn’t sure what that had meant or exactly what the others had thought, but it had meant something. She wasn’t Pack, but he’d still said she was his. Or, at least, theirs. It wasn’t as if she wanted to marry him and have his babies, but it would be nice if he would make his choice and stick to it.

She’d told herself years ago she wouldn’t have children and wouldn’t find a man to live her life with. She’d always thought her twin would be able to do that despite the danger, but that wasn’t for her. She hadn’t wanted her bloodline to continue with her, not with all the pain she’d lived with for so long.

But letting her hands run along that wolf’s body as they both panted with need wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

Her cheeks heated, and Charlotte raised a brow at her.

“Interesting place your thoughts went, I would think.” She smiled and her whole face brightened. The woman was absolutely beautiful, though there was a sadness in her eyes that she couldn’t quite hide. Leah knew what Bram saw in the woman, though he, like Ryder, did his best not to stare for too long.

If Leah had planned to stay within the den for any amount of time, she might have asked Charlotte what the story was behind that, but she couldn’t. She didn’t know her future and what path she would take. Therefore, making friends and promises wasn’t for her. It hadn’t been the case for more years than she cared to count.

“Leah? Are you okay?”

Charlotte’s voice brought her out of her thoughts and she nodded. “Sorry, just woolgathering.”

The other woman’s head tilted. “Are you sure that’s it? You can talk to me, you know. I’m not an Omega or anything close to that, but I’m a good listener.” Her words echoed what she’d said at Roland’s gravesite, and Leah couldn’t take anything away from them but pure honesty.