She wipes her eyes and sniffles. I go over to the tiny kitchen area where the coffee maker is and get her a few napkins. I don’t balk when she blows her nose right there at the table.

Taking the napkins, she folds them up, and I toss them in the trash before washing my hands. She gets up to do the same when I return.

While she’s in the bathroom, Violet brings the food. She doesn’t come inside, but instead, she texts me and tells me it’s by the back door.

I see the car driving away when I open the door to get the bags, grateful that she chose to drive away without any questions. I set the box on the break room table and start unpacking the food. Heather isn’t back yet.

She enters the room again a few moments later as I’m setting down paper plates and plastic utensils. I’d ordered a bottle of soda along with the food, fairly certain that she was tired of water and coffee.

She sits down and starts dishing out from the cartons without a word. When she’s done, she spears a piece of sesame chicken with her fork and speaks before she starts to dig in.

“Ok then, tell me all about your grand plan to save my life.”

I sit down and talk as I fill my own plate.

“I never liked the laws of exile when we first revealed ourselves to the humans.”

“Then why have you upheld them all this time?” She asks between bites.

“I don’t have much of a choice. I’m the Alpha’s son. Unless I want to be in exile myself, it’ll take time to make changes, and that won’t be until after I’m Alpha myself.”

She waves her hand in a “go on” gesture as she continues eating. As wolves, we have insatiable appetites, and she’s been living mostly on freezer meals and processed baked goods.

“I floated the idea of changing those laws with my own inner circle and it didn’t go over well. I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime in our generation. I can seed the idea and do some groundwork as Alpha for the next generation to take over, but again, that takes time.”

“But you found something else?”

“I did. If the person in exile becomes an Alpha, then they’re protected. That’s how we save you.”

She puts down her fork. “I don’t get it. How can I become an Alpha?”

I smile at her. “Well, you’ll have to get married.”

She gulps down the soda she’d just sipped. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Absolutely. If you marry an Alpha, you become his partner, his Alpha female.”

“And who is this Alpha I’m going to marry? Because I sure as hell am not marrying your father.”

I chuckle at that. “I agree. That would be a nightmare.”

“Who else then?”

“I’m not sure yet. But I’ll help you find someone.”

“And after that?”

“After you’re married, you don’t have to be in exile anymore. You probably won’t be living here in the city, but there are some nearby packs that may have an Alpha who’s eligible. You’ll be able to visit your parents, and they can come see you, too.”

She looks up at that. “Really? I can tell them I’m alive?”

“Not now, but yes, after you marry your Alpha husband, you can tell them whatever you want.”

“Okay. I’m in. Let’s do this.”

She puts out her hand, and I shake it, trying to forget where it was earlier tonight.

“Deal.”