Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 168701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 844(@200wpm)___ 675(@250wpm)___ 562(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 168701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 844(@200wpm)___ 675(@250wpm)___ 562(@300wpm)
“This is Wyatt Meadows,” Grey calls out. “Stacy’s brother. And I think you’re right, Ty, but Mitch disagrees.”
“Update us,” Ty demands, glaring at Wyatt.
Grey replies, “Tried to take my wife and says he’s identified Sherry Creed as his. Thing is, he took Jessica Young somewhere. She’s making the phones all go nuts, probably to alert us they’ve got her. Mitch here is suggesting we let him take Sherry and give Jessica back. Mitch says we’ve got grievances against Wyatt’s pack, he’s got some against ours. Wants us to settle those in arbitration.”
Mason looks thrown. “Give us Jessica and take her, then. We’ll sort the rest of this later.”
“Fuck that. He’s not taking my goddamn sister!” Jase shouts. “I know she pissed you off, bro, but come on!”
“He’s lying. I’m not his mate!” Sherry cries. “Nobody’s listening to me. This is my life here!”
“There’s a solution,” Tyson says. “Put Sherry and this assclown in a cell in the basement tonight. We find out tomorrow if he claimed her in a way that proves she’s his.”
“Wait. What? That’s barbaric!” I say. “Women should not be treated this way.”
Riley wraps his arms around me. “Erica,” he says softly.
“Don’t Erica me, there pooky. This is bull pucky.”
“I agree!” Bailey calls out from where she stands by the door. “If a woman is repulsed by an alpha, if he’s a psychopathic criminal, he should not automatically get to take her just because he identifies her as his. She should have a choice!”
Sherry looks at Bailey with shock.
Bailey keeps talking. “Don’t mistake me, Sherry. I hate your guts. And that’s on you. Because you’re a shitty person. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have rights. It doesn’t mean that just because you’re a girl you should be stuck with a psychopath.”
“These are the rules. If you have a problem with them, there’s protocol,” Mitch says. “But as of right now, my recommendation is that we follow Tyson Savage’s suggestion. Though instead of a cell, perhaps Tyson’s cabin and have guards posted.”
“No. Not my cabin,” Ty denies. “That’s for pack use only.”
Mitch shrugs. “I was thinking this way, the lass is safe while it’s determined whether this alpha does have a legitimate claim to her.”
“The cells downstairs can be used for that,” Riley puts in. “Grey was willing to stay there with his mate when he identified her.”
“Jase, no,” Sherry buries her face into Jase’s chest and bawls.
“Sherry,” a voice calls out and I look over at Robert Creed, who I met earlier. “You need to go with the man that says he’s your mate. I like Tyson’s idea. Then you’re still here while we find out for certain.”
“Dad-” Jase starts to say.
“No, son. You mate next. Would you want someone standing in the way of that? Would any alpha here allow anybody to get in between them and their mate? We don’t know this guy. We don’t know what led him to think we’re their enemies.”
“Tyson Savage killed my old man,” Wyatt speaks up. “That’s where all this started. I might be willing to talk it out. Look for resolution.”
He’s lying and everyone in the room has to know it. Maybe not about the death of his father, but about willingness for resolution.
“I don’t know you, man,” Tyson tells him. “I don’t know who your father was. Your sister told Grey this, but I was in another life back then. My uncle used drugs to send me into the red haze for fights for money. I don’t know any of these details. Whatever I did to your family, if it wasn’t deserved, I apologize. But I apologize to your sister, not you, because what you’ve pulled is bullshit. Using a woman in your pack to enact your revenge? Treating your pack badly? She told Grey that you’re a dictator, that you’re abusive. You need to be usurped. Maybe one of our alphas should take over for you if you have nobody who-”
“Whoa whoa. Seems like there’s been hurt on both sides,” Mitch interrupts. “How about if we table all this until there’s a tribunal? I’m trying to help you all find peaceful resolution tonight so that common sense will prevail.”
“I don’t want to be alone with him,” Sherry pleads. “No. I’m not okay with going to a jail cell or anywhere else with him, especially not in a cell next to a dead witch. I want to go before a tribunal before I’m alone with this guy. What if he’s lying? He gets to have sex with me even if he’s lying?”
“Lass, you know that’s not how it works when an alpha identifies his mate,” Mitch tells her.
“He’s lying! And this isn’t fair!” Sherry cries out. “This is my home. He’s not even in our pack! Daddy…”
“I’m sorry, Sher. You know this is our way,” Robert replies.