Echoes of Fire (The Mercury Pack #4)(51)
Tensing, Madisyn swore, and her fingers curled into fists.
Bracken narrowed his eyes. “Archer thought she was once part of your pride, didn’t he?”
“Yes,” said Vinnie. “We’re the only pallas cat pride in the United States, so it’s not a stupid assumption to make. Unlike most other breeds of shifter, we don’t keep records showing our family trees, so he wasn’t able to double-check that assumption.”
“Why did Archer go to you?” Madisyn asked. “What did he want?”
Vinnie draped his arm over the back of his chair. “Basically, he’d come to see if I had any loyalty toward you. He’d assumed that I’d banished you, but he clearly wanted to be sure.”
“He wanted to know if you’d make a good ally for him,” Bracken guessed. “And to be sure there would be no repercussions from you if he was to harm her.”
“Exactly.” Vinnie’s gaze slid back to Madisyn. “He said you’re keeping a member of his clan from him. Didn’t say much about the sow in question; he was vague about the whole thing, as a matter of fact. He was hoping I’d know where you might have hidden her.”
“She’s not a member of his clan.” Interlocking her fingers with Bracken’s, Madisyn explained the situation.
“Bastard,” spat Luke.
Tate curled his upper lip. “A guy who pulls shit like that is no Alpha.”
Ingrid walked in with a tray of steaming cups that Luke quickly took from her and set on the coffee table. Humming what sounded like “Highway to Hell”—and yeah, that did weird Bracken out a little—Ingrid started handing out cups.
“What did you tell Archer?” Bracken asked Vinnie.
“Well, I thought about expressing how very disappointed I’d be if anything were to happen to Maddie,” said Vinnie. “Then it occurred to me that I might be of more help to her if I gave him the impression that I was in fact her old Alpha and that, out of some personal vendetta against her, I’d be willing to stand with him against your pack, if need be.”
Madisyn frowned. “You think this will really come to a full-on battle? His beef is with me.”
“True, but many people stand between you and him,” Vinnie pointed out. “The Mercury Pack has many, many allies. It’s closely tied to the Phoenix Pack, which has just as many allies. You might as well have a ten-foot-tall wall surrounding you. But Archer can’t let this go, can he? It’s bad enough that one little sow got away from him. If he can’t, at the very least, punish the person keeping her from him as a message to others that running will only lead to the death of those who help them, he’ll look even weaker. He can’t afford that if he wants to keep his position of Alpha of his clan as well as reign over the other clans.”
“This isn’t just about the sow for Archer,” added Tate, sipping his coffee. “It’s about showing just how far he’ll go in such a situation. He needs to keep those other clans in fear of him if he’s to continue maintaining control over them.”
Luke nodded. “You’re standing in the way of all that, Maddie. He thought you’d prove to be no problem, given that you were a lone shifter. But that changed overnight.”
“It wouldn’t matter if she wasn’t my mate,” said Bracken. “She’d still have the protection of my pack and the Phoenix Pack.”
“But not all your allies might have been willing to back you in a battle over a loner,” said Vinnie. “They will if she’s one of you—especially if she’s your mate. I don’t have to tell you that you’re a hero to many. That will make it harder for Archer to get the backing he needs. People won’t want to go up against you—some out of fear, some out of respect, some out of both. But there are those who will.”
“Like Archer’s MC chapters,” said Luke.
“Although the clans under his control likely despise him, they’d probably back him since they very obviously fear him,” hedged Tate. “And there are always mercenaries who’ll do anything to anyone for the right money.”
Vinnie rested the hand holding his cup on the arm of the chair. “Archer claims he doesn’t want war, just the whereabouts of Daisy, and maybe that’s true—I don’t know. But he’ll act soon, one way or another. Maybe in a productive way, maybe with the sole purpose to piss you off, hoping it will make you think that going up against him isn’t worth the bother. He can’t afford to be here long.”
“The more time he’s away from his territory searching for one clan member who’s managing to evade him, the weaker he looks,” mused Luke.
Madisyn rubbed at her temple. “I hate the idea of anyone going to war, but I won’t hand Daisy over to him. No way.”
Sitting on her other side, Ingrid clasped her hand. “No one would ask you to. I don’t know all the specifics, but I know enough to be sure that Archer is a bad one. If it comes to a fight—and my Vinnie believes it will—you have us.”
“You’re sure Archer bought that you’d side with him, not Madisyn?” Bracken asked Vinnie.
“He bought it,” the Alpha stated confidently. “Like I said, he already thinks I banished her from my pride.” Vinnie tilted his head and pursed his lips. “Cain told me a little about you.”