Savage Urges (The Phoenix Pack, #5)(21)

His mother’s voice was suddenly ringing in Ryan’s head . . . “I should have waited for my true mate! This is my punishment from fate for betraying him by imprinting on your father!”

No, his mother was miserable because of her own choices—something she’d never taken responsibility for. She’d blamed fate, the universe, his father, everything and everyone but her. “There’s no such thing as a higher power,” Ryan insisted. People were in charge of their own destinies. If they f*cked up their lives, it was their own fault and they needed to own it. “Zac could have still ended up here at some point. How did you end up here?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

Pissed by those words in a way he couldn’t explain, Ryan closed the small distance between them. “You’ve been living as a lone wolf since you were a kid . . . and it doesn’t matter?”

“My life is good. I have friends, an apartment, a job, a car, and my own money.”

“But not a pack, not pack mates, and not a real territory. Don’t tell me that doesn’t hurt you or your wolf.” He narrowed his eyes. “What’s your name?”

She blinked. “You already know my name. Did you hit your head?”

“But it’s not your real name.”

It was possible that he was right, but Makenna didn’t know. As she had no intention of explaining that, she simply said, “It’s the only name you’re getting.”

“Are you in hiding? Is someone looking for you?”

“Ryan, let it go.”

The door swung open as Dante and Dominic came outside with more trash. Dante’s brow creased. “Everything okay here?”

Ryan grunted, urging her inside with a hand on her lower back.

“He thinks you should mind your own business,” Makenna told the Beta, translating the grunt.

Dominic cocked his head. “You understand his grunts?”

“You don’t?”

“You got ‘Mind your own business’ . . . from that one sound?”

She lifted her chin. “I thought it was crystal clear.”

Dominic turned to Ryan. “Marry her.”

Ryan grunted again before heading for the door.

“What did he say?” Dominic asked her.

“Fuck off,” she translated.

“Hey!” Dominic moaned at Ryan, following him back inside.

By the time the Phoenix wolves were done giving the shelter a makeover, dinner was being served. Due to the residents’ discomfort around packs, it was decided that the Phoenix wolves would eat outside with Dawn, Madisyn, and Makenna. They all settled on the benches near the children’s playground.

Once they had finished their meal, Dawn spoke. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done.”

“You really didn’t have to do this,” said Makenna.

“You’re uncomfortable with all the help,” Taryn observed.

Makenna shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate it. The shelter needs whatever help it can get. But a lot of the stuff you brought here is new.”

Dante nodded. “But like you said, this place needs whatever help it can get. On another note, you might want to know what we discovered about Remy.” He told them everything Rhett had uncovered and the rumors surrounding Remy.

By the time Dante was done, Dawn had paled considerably. “So it could be that what he really wants is access to the children?”

“As sick as it is, that makes more sense than anything else,” the Beta replied.

Stomach twisted with disgust, Makenna placed her half-empty plate at her feet. She’d picked up that something wasn’t quite right about Remy, but she hadn’t considered this. And now she felt true fear. If he got what he wanted, the children in the shelter would suffer. She wouldn’t be able to protect them because the first thing he’d do would be to get rid of Dawn, Madisyn, and Makenna. He wouldn’t want any obstacles.

Her wolf, who was just as protective by nature as Makenna, wanted to hunt him down and tear him apart. Makenna approved of the idea. Sick f*ckers like him didn’t have the right to exist—it was really that simple. But getting onto his land, bypassing his wolves, and getting the opportunity to end his life . . . not so simple. That didn’t stop her from fantasizing about it.

As she looked up, her eyes collided with Ryan’s all-too-perceptive gaze. He knew what she was thinking. She wondered if he knew just how little it would bother her conscience to take Remy’s life, wondered how hard he’d judge her for it. She decided she didn’t want to know. “We can’t tell Zac about this. We can’t tell anybody in the shelter. Many of them are here to escape abusive environments. They’ll run if they find out this rumor about Remy.”

“I agree,” said Madisyn, cheeks flushed with anger. “They need to feel safe here.”

“Has Remy tried to bribe your mediator friend?” Dawn asked Taryn, her voice shaky.

Taryn shook her head. “But I strongly suspect that he will. It won’t work.”

“Do you think he’ll try to pick a fight at the meeting?” Madisyn asked.

Taryn snorted. “Not if he likes breathing. Ryan will be there.”

Makenna had to have heard wrong. “I’m sorry, what was that?”