Page 76 of Claimed

Though she’s distant with a constantly pulsing stress coming at me, she’s trying to dote on me. She’s doing what I imagine is nesting as she cleans the house and waits on me like her life depends on it. While walking on eggshells with me.

I’m used to being able to put others at ease and this is the time that supposed gift needs to work. And it’s not working. The key to that is putting an end to this drama with her brother. And I know down to my gut it’ll be a rocky road ahead.

As for progress with Jared, all he’s told and shown us isn’t much help so far. The settlement of the Silver Hills pack seems to be behind the tall fences of their salvage business. Roughlymade fences made of a combination of different sheets of siding and old fence pieces. The scrap metal and car parts yard isn’t currently open for business, marked as temporarily closed with not much motion around the gates, though Jared can scent shifters as being nearby. He doesn’t know how many, doesn’t know much – says it’s a majority of women, and kids as far as he can reckon but the scent coming off the place is foul.

I asked Stacy about the living arrangements, and she shakily drew me a rough sketch map of the place behind those fences, showing a main office, some out buildings, then fences behind the junkyard, leading to some bigger buildings, then squares dotting around a figure eight layout where the pack member homes are. Beyond that are some more outbuildings and storage sheds, a fence line around the back. Jared said he sent a drone over and had to get it close because of structures and piles of scrap metal and tarps over areas, making it hard to see anything besides junk from that view, but his drone went dark. Homing didn’t work to get it back, so we figure they must have gotten their hands on it.

I left a second message for Wyatt Meadows on his cell.

“Wyatt, this is Greyson Blackwood trying you again. Hoping the reason for your recent attack is that you didn’t get my first message. So, listen… I’d like to sit down with you. Since we’re linked through your sister, let’s sit down and iron out whatever your beefs are. I’m willing to listen despite the repeated attacks on us. We can meet on neutral ground, so everyone feels safe, but man, this needs dealing with and it’s in nobody’s best interest for there to be another attack on my people. Since you’re my mate’s brother, I’d like us to work this out without further pain for anyone involved. But this is the last olive branch I extend.”

I repeated my phone number on the recording and then left a quick message on the Silver Hills Salvage number with my mate’s voice on the recording.

“This is Grey Blackwood of Arcana Falls. I’ve left a couple important messages for Wyatt Meadows on his cell voicemail. If he or anyone else on his team could contact me as soon as possible it’d be appreciated. Stacy is with me, she’s safe and well and so long as Meadows does not continue to lash out, we’d like to chat about an amicable relationship between our group and yours. If someone else is checking this message and wants help from a pack who can show you the way to new and improved leadership, call me.”

I rambled my number off again.

No one has returned my calls.

It shits me I’ve had to play nice with this piece of shit, but I’ve done it for her.

I asked my mate if she’d like to come with me to Rye’s today, to meet Erica, my other cousins, and my great aunt – to have dinner with the council and their mates as well as some of the council members’ parents.

Fear gripped her so viscerally, I immediately let her off the hook. I felt pissed off though, and although I didn’t say anything, she knows I’m pissed so she’s been walking even more gingerly on her eggshells.

She’ll have to get over this eventually, but now isn’t the time to press. I’ve always been a patient guy, but my patience is on a knife’s edge.

Part of me wonders if I should press because once she sees she won’t be treated poorly by my pack, it’d help. She needs to see the family she’s become part of.

I want this shit over, but I’m not impulsive and it has served me well. Now is not the time to change. I’ll continue digging for information while doing my best to keep her and the rest of my pack safe. Once all this shit is behind us with the SCC beef Riley’s got to deal with tomorrow, I’ll have his help too.

***

Riley’s yard is filled with smiles and laughter and I’m wishing I’d insisted she come. I know it even more when Ivy Savage leans in to ask, “How’s Stacy doing?”

“She’s nervous about meeting everyone.”

“I’m sure she is,” Ivy says softly, eyes full of empathy.

Amelia leans in. “We’d be happy to put her mind at ease. We should do it as soon as possible.”

Ivy nods. “Definitely.”

My sister pipes up. “I’ve already talked to them about her. We need to show her nobody is holding a grudge. That the girls understand.”

“That’d be good,” I say. “I’ll make sure she comes to the next pack event.”

“Good idea,” Ivy agrees. “We’ll do our best to make her feel welcomed.”

“Appreciated.”

Ivy Savage’s eyes are full of empathy. Clearly, she’s a good woman. And seeing how she’s settled in despite how things were a few weeks back does my gut some good. Things were extreme with her and Ty. That she’s now carrying his baby and integrating well within the pack gives me what I need. I know I can continue being patient with my mate – she’ll settle.

The mood at Rye’s is good overall, but there’s strain over this meeting at the town hall tomorrow with three members of the Supernatural Council Collective. They’re coming to talk about why they forced them to spend seven years apart, those seven years with Rye believing his mate drowned.

Nobody is happy about them coming right now, but it couldn’t be pushed off and I can’t help but feel like shit is going to kick off with them, somehow some way. Because everything feels wrong right now. My gut is leading me to believe that whatever is coming… it won’t be a breeze. I won’t subject my mate to that meeting. She’s not ready for something this amped, but I went into the house to use the john and heard some of the women having a secret meeting about a surprise birthday party for Erica and I’ve decided that’ll be ideal for introducing her to everyone.

***

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