Page 39 of In Your Eyes
“You mean ignore?” He waggled his eyebrows and grinned, reminding me of the boy he used to be. I wished I could have seen him then, really seen him, instead of being confused and afraid.
“History is important. Learning about our ancestors helps us know ourselves.” I meant those words, believed them completely. But I also believed knowledge was useful only if it was accurate. “The writings can be updated. Shifters no different from you and me wrote those words. What’s to stop us from sharing our knowledge with future generations?”
“Nothing.”
“I think I’ll do it,” I said.
“You should. As it stands, a lot of the pack lore was written by closed-minded bigots and now it’s being used to control us.” He sighed. “Believe me. I’ve seen it firsthand.”
Those words were familiar. I’d heard them very recently. “I spoke with Zev Hassick yesterday.” I tugged on Korban’s hair and diverted his attention from my cock, which he was lifting as if he was weighing it with his palm. His gentle fondling was causing that weight to increase despite the two earth-shattering orgasms he’d already given me. “He asked how you were doing,” I said.
“He knows you’re my true mate.” Korban wrapped his hand around my shaft, not stroking, just holding on.
“How?”
“I told him.” He lowered his mouth and huffed hot air on my sensitive cockhead.
I whimpered.
“I knew you’d contact the interpack council about the syringe, so after I led you there through our mental link, I called Zev, and he called one of his friends on the council. Then when they were struggling with your demand for a tribute, they called him. Some of them are traditionalists, so they had no problem with the idea of following the rules, but some couldn’t go along with the idea of sending me to my death because of something I hadn’t done.”
“I’m so sorry. I—”
“Don’t be,” Korban said, sounding completely sincere. “You didn’t know it was going to be me. You thought you’d get my father, and I don’t blame you for wanting him dead. Anyway, Zev’s friends on the council called him to discuss what was happening, he called me, and I told him the truth. Once he knew I was your true mate, he told his friends to let the tribute go forward, which was good because from what I hear they were close to imploding over this.”
“Why would he tell them to send you to your death?” I asked in confusion. “I thought he was your friend.”
“Zev has a true mate. He knows what that means, knows true mates would do anything to protect each other.” He gazed up at me, his expression soft, warm, and trusting. “Writings are just words on paper. Feeling half your soul live in another body is real. He realized you’d never hurt me.”
Both of us were quiet for a couple of minutes, and then Korban whispered, “Samuel?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry about your father. He was a great man. I always admired him.”
I nodded, too choked up to speak.
“I never would have stood by and let my father challenge him if I had known about it.”
“That’s why Dirk, uh, your father insisted on the challenge happening so quickly? He wanted you to miss it.”
“I think so, yeah,” Korban said. “That and because he was afraid of losing control of the pack.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m twenty-six,” Korban said. “I’m old enough to take over as Alpha. A lot of people in the pack aren’t happy with my father.” He scoffed. “Hell, they weren’t happy with his predecessor, either. I’ve heard grumbling about my grandfather and his father. Anyway, lots of people want him out, but if someone challenges him, pack members would have to take sides, which means fracturing the pack. For several years now, the contingent that doesn’t like my father has been biding their time, waiting for him to hand over the reins to me.”
“They trust you,” I said, pride bubbling up inside me at the knowledge that my mate was a good man, respected by his pack.
“The ones who know me really well trust me, but I’m still a Keller, so the rest of them were willing to give me the benefit of the doubt only because they trusted their family and friends who know me.” Korban shook his head. “Unfortunately, my father doesn’t want to let go of his power. From what I heard, he thought showing up your father and taking over the Yafenack pack would improve his standing within the Miancarem pack, which is ridiculous because it’s exactly the type of mindless, aggressive behavior that created the rift.”
“My father used to say lowering those around us doesn’t improve us.” I remembered those lessons and so many others he had taught me, and though I knew I’d never get over losing him, I was comforted by the realization that he lived within me, and I could still make him proud by carrying on his message.
“Your father was a strong shifter and a strong leader.” Korban kissed my belly. “You’re going to follow in his footsteps.”
“I want to do right by my pack. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. For a long time, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do it because I had problems shifting into my human form.” I looked away, still uncomfortable with the reason that problem had resolved itself.
Korban, on the other hand, had no qualms talking about it. He scooted up the bed until he was next to me. “But that got better after you tied with me, right?”
