Page 68 of Ravenous

“I don’t mean to disrespect your pack, Alpha, but Soraya wants what’s best for her child.”

“The disrespect was definitely received, Parker.” Warning laced Rob’s voice. “Watch it. Wes found and marked his fated mate.”

Soraya’s surprised gaze flicked to me.

That’s right. Joy wasn’t some rando human I had sleeping over. She was my one true mate. The female nature intended for me.

“The union is solid,” Rob went on. “Permanent. Nothing can come between what has been fated.”

While Parker might be a council member, he was no alpha.

“Tad has given his judgment that Remington should be with me, her mother, free from anycontamination.”

“Documentation?” Johnny held out his hand.

Parker sighed, reached into his pocket, and handed him a piece of paper.

Johnny read it then passed it to Rob.

After a thorough review, Rob passed it back. I didn’t need to see it if they had.

“It’s interesting, Parker, why Soraya is so interested in her daughter now, after no contact since three weeks after her birth.”

“I want to know that, too.” I crossed my arms over my chest mimicking Rob.

“There is no statute of limitations on being a good mother,” Soraya said.

“No, there isn’t,” I agreed, giving her a pointed look.

“See, he agrees.” Parker pointed my way.

“I agreed on her statement,” I snapped. “Her statement doesn’t indicate that she, personally, is in fact, a good mother.”

Soraya’s green eyes narrowed, and she looked murderous. “She’s coming with me. You can’t stop me. If you try, there’s a council member, an alpha, and an enforcer here to witness to what we can all agree is against pack rules.”

“Not this pack,” Rob growled. “And you’re in my pack territory.”

“I am acouncilmember,” Parker snapped back. Council members comprised shifters’ governing law. They were the judges of our kind. They outranked alphas.

“Your council doesn’t rule this territory,” Rob continued.

“I had a feeling you’d pull this kind of bullshit,” Soraya huffed.

It was my turn to narrow my gaze at how she had me cornered. I hated this woman. I wanted to wish I’d never laid eyes upon her, let alone fucked her, but she gave me Remy, and for that, I wouldn’t change a thing.

“That’s why I stopped at the sheriff’s office before I came,” Soraya bit out. “Thehumanlaw enforcement. I filed kidnapping charges on you for taking my daughter. They should be here any minute to arrest you and ensure I get custody.”

32

JOY

I felt no bettertoday than I had after crying myself to sleep last night, but I wasn’t my mother.

I wasn’t going to stay in bed with my covers over my head for days at a time.

So I dragged myself out of bed at Mom’s and went to my studio to work on a replacement platter for the shipment that had broken.

There was a strange truck and car parked in front of Wes’ house.

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