Savage Urges (The Phoenix Pack, #5)(28)

According to Rhett, Travis had been an Alpha since he was twenty-one. He’d mated a year later and had four pups. He mostly kept to himself, not interested in politics or making alliances; he was much like Trey, in that respect. Trey hadn’t bothered to form alliances until just before he mated Taryn, when he’d been a target of an ambitious *.

Travis inclined his head at Trey. “Coleman.”

“Bradwin,” said Trey.

It was a simple greeting, but their tone was polite and respectful.

Travis introduced his mate, Betas, and two enforcers before introducing the two wolves they had come to see—Rosa and Fenton. Trey introduced each of the Phoenix wolves, and then everyone took a seat. Except for Ryan, who stood with his back against the wall, watchful.

“Myles tells me you need to speak with two of my wolves,” said Travis. “Your high-handedness isn’t appreciated. You should have contacted me and requested a meeting.”

Trey didn’t appear to take offense. “I figured you’d contact me if there was a problem. But you didn’t. Why? Why not refuse us entrance?”

“Because the subject is Remy Deacon. I have pups of my own, so if the rumors about him are true, I’ve no problem being of assistance to anyone who wishes to end his life.”

Good, because it was very likely that was exactly what would happen.

Elise bit her lip. “Are they true?”

“That’s what we’re here to find out,” replied Taryn. Because Trey had a way of inspiring fear in people, she’d insisted on coming along, strangely thinking that her presence would be reassuring. The presence of another female, sure. Not Taryn, considering she had a reputation for being just as unbalanced as her mate.

Trey looked at Rosa and Fenton. “As you know, we have some questions about Remy.”

Rosa licked her lips. “May I ask why you’re interested?”

“I can’t go into the specifics. But I can tell you that he may soon be in a situation where he has access to a lot of shifter children.”

Fenton visibly recoiled and Travis uttered a low expletive.

Rosa swallowed. “What is it you want to know?”

Taryn leaned forward, bracing her elbows on the table. “I want to know what kind of Alpha Remy is; I want to know about his personality. What five words would you use to describe him? I don’t mean things like ‘dominant’ or ‘domineering’—we’ve figured that much out for ourselves.”

Rosa thought about it for a moment. “Charismatic. Neat. Well mannered. Determined. Short-tempered. But I’ve never seen him blow a fuse. They’re more like hot flashes of anger.”

“He’s a good Alpha,” said Fenton. “More ambitious and greedy than most, but not negligent. He’s protective of his wolves, and he keeps the pack organized and strong.”

Trey spoke then. “From what Myles said, you think his mother sexually abused him. Is that right?”

Rosa seemed to struggle for words. “Their relationship . . . it’s not healthy. She doesn’t like other females around him.”

Taryn’s mouth curved slightly, and Ryan imagined she was thinking about Greta. “Maybe she just can’t cut the apron strings.”

Rosa shook her head. “You’d have to see them together to understand. She touches him all the time—lingering touches, not the way a mother touches her son. It made my skin crawl. Deanne’s possessive of him the way a shifter would be possessive of their mate. She constantly accuses him of sleeping with females of the pack. To my knowledge, he hasn’t slept with any of them. I know some females who would have been happy to crawl into his bed—not everyone believes the rumors.”

“What about Remy?” asked Taryn. “How does he react to Deanne’s behavior?”

“I wouldn’t say he’s receptive to her touch, but he never pushes her away. He doesn’t like her possessiveness and they argue something fierce about it. But then she cries and says he doesn’t love her or he wouldn’t yell at her like that. Then he stops and comforts her, saying of course he loves her.” Rosa rubbed her upper arms. “Like I said, you’d have to see them together to really understand. But I’m telling you, no mother should touch her son like that.”

Trey draped an arm over the back of Taryn’s chair. “I understand Remy spends a lot of time with the children.”

Fenton nodded. “Mostly the boys. He keeps them close to him.”

“You sure that he’s not protecting them from Deanne?” Taryn shrugged. “I mean, if she abused him, he could worry she’ll abuse them.”

Rosa twiddled her fingers. “It crossed my mind, but . . .”

“What?” Trey pressed.

“Again, it’s something you’d have to see.” Rosa’s gaze turned inward. “The way he touches them is innocent, almost reverent. Just little strokes on their head, light pats on their back, and fingering their hair. But I once saw a child flinch away from his touch, and Remy backhanded him so hard he fell to the ground. The boy didn’t flinch the next time.”

Ryan bit back a growl. It was like Remy was grooming them, getting them used to his touch.

Dante linked hands with a pale Jaime. “How many boys went missing?”

“Three,” replied Fenton. “Two were orphans.”