Page 71 of A Wolf's Treasure
His upper lip lifted in a snarl. “Ye will no’ risk yer life just tae settle th’ score. I will take care o’ the prince.”
“Och. Haud yer wheesht!” Cedric told them. “The both o’ ye! Neither o’ ye are doing anything. As a matter o’ fact, I think ye should both lay low for a while.”
“That’s not acceptable to me,” Ryanne told him.
Cedric speared her with the “look”. Duncan knew that look. And although she couldn’t feel the weight of the alpha’s will as he could, Duncan knew she would not be getting what she wanted.
Not yet.
“I ken that, Ryanne,” Cedric told her. “But if ye want tae stop yer father, I think yer going tae need help. And I happen tae ken a few wolves and Faeries who would be willing tae do just that.”
Mimicking his stubborn pose, she turned her face, refusing to look at him.
Cedric looked to Duncan for help.
“Ryanne.” Gently, he took her hand and turned her toward him. “Will ye agree tae just step back for a short time and let Cedric come up with a plan. If ye dinna think it will work, and with my alpha’s permission, I will help ye take out th’ prince.”
“I can agree tae that,” Cedric said.
She stared at him for a long time. “Okay,” she finally agreed.
Cedric clapped his hands together. “Now that we are all in accord, Brock is pulling around th’ Jeep. How aboot we all go home and fill everyone in, then figure out where we’re going tae put th’ two o’ ye where th’ prince will no’ find ye.”
Tucking a curl behind her ear, Duncan gave her a smile. She returned it with a hesitant one of her own.
Epilogue
Back at the home of the wolves, showered, changed and rested. Ryanne was introduced to the other wolves she hadn’t met yet, including their mates—Heather, Bronaugh, Bitsy, and Keelin.
The Key.
The other Faeries greeted her with differing levels of friendliness. Heather being the nicest and Bronaugh eyeing her with suspicion.
Between her, Duncan, and Cedric, they filled in the others on everything that had happened. Without a word between them, they left out parts about Duncan no one needed to know. Those things were personal and not essential to the story. At least not now.
The others agreed she and Duncan should go into hiding. At least, temporarily. And Ryanne had to grudgingly agree with their logic. The others would act like everything was as it always was with the prince. They would put on a show “searching” for Duncan, while they regrouped and tried to figure out Prince Nada’s next move.
Not an easy task with a Faerie as ancient and powerful as him.
As Cedric and the others were filing out, Duncan’s pack brothers each came over and slapped him on the arm and shoulder as their females gave him quick hugs.
All except Keelin. Her male kept her close to his side as he eyed Duncan with distrust.
“I need to talk to you,” Ryanne told her.
“I know,” she told her with a smile. “Later.”
Ryanne nodded, and Keelin gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before turning away to say goodbye to Duncan.
Despite the visible aggression toward him from her mate, Duncan gave her a saucy wink and a big grin. “Dinna let this one get tae ye,” he told her. “He only does that because he kens he is no’ worthy o’ ye.”
She grinned back. “This is true.” Then with a final wave, she and her grumbly wolf left, leaving Ryanne and Duncan alone.
Ryanne had watched this exchange and the others with interest, until she finally realized what that feeling was inside of her. The one that ripped at her insides and made her want to cry in the corner and kill everyone in sight all at the same time.
She was envious.
Duncan turned back to her. When his eyes met hers, she caught the last remnants of the grin he offered to others. The one that offered fun and sex and butterfly flutters in one’s stomach. But as always, when he looked at her it slowly faded away.
