Page 134 of Unforgivable

I look at him. Kissing his mouth softly, I murmur, "he won't drive me away from you, Sunshine."

"You're right, Ez, it is disgusting," Carmichael says. We both turn to glare at the young alphason. He just grins and walks away, his laughter lingering.

"He's a jerk," I mumble into Ezra's chest.

"Yeah, but a necessary jerk."

Heavy footsteps come down the hall a few seconds later.

"We have company," Rhet says grimly.

Ezra and I wander out of my bedroom to see no signs of Devel anywhere. I can scent him in the air, his blood loss was too high to cover up, but the wolf himself is no longer on the couch.

"Our friend?" Ezra asks for me.

"In the spare bedroom," Rhet replies.

"There's a spare bedroom?" I ask, surprised. You would think that I would know this by now.

"It's what Thjis calls his closet. It has a window, and he has no clothes," Ezra explains.

I laugh softly. Thjis is a very basic wolf. Nothing fancy or frilly. I sneak a glance at Ezra. Not like my Sunshine. He's my shopping buddy.

"I know what you're thinking," Ezra grumbles.

I just smile and kiss his cheek.

We walk out of the house, and I see the familiar sedan. I'm moving before I even register what is happening. Mom's arms close on me and mine on hers. We both start full-on sobbing. Why, I'm not sure. Well, I know why I'm crying. I came close to never seeing my family again, and I know that my mom would never really recover from losing a child. What mother ever does?

It's the growling that pulls my attention away from my mom.

I turn to see my males facing off with former Alpha Macon. By his side is his mate, Luna Elizabeth. Just behind Rhet is my dad, with Ezra and Thjis fanned out just behind him to the left and right in a spearhead formation. Behind them, Mom, Penny, Sarj, Tyler, Elder Bea, and I are huddled. Inuit, the stubborn pup, is trying to step up to be with the adult males, but Dad is holding him back.

At the front is Carmichael. And now, I understand his usefulness. He is formidable. Not as tall or broad as Thjis, but like his cousin, Rhet, Carmichael has a presence that screams dominant-alpha. He's more than even Rhet is, though. If Rhet is our rock, then Carmichael is pure, hardened steel. Unbendable, sharp, heavy. Only the hottest fire can make steel warp, and let's face it; Alpha Macon isn't on fire anymore. He's more of a dull spark.

But a spark can become a fire pretty quickly, especially if a young, hot-headed alphason is threatening violence.

I exhale and unwind my arms from Mom. She tries to grab me back, but my she-wolf flashes fang at her mother. Not an actual threat, but the new order of their hierarchy. She is in charge here. This is her land. These are her males and her younger brother trying to edge in with the adults.

"Inuit," I warn in a soft voice. I want to pull the most vulnerable out of the equation first.

He growls back at me. It's as natural as much as my posturing to my mother a moment ago. The hierarchy is suddenly terribly disrupted. Rhet is not the alpha here. Carmichael has the strength in his blood, but Alpha Macon has decades of experience. Inuit's wolf, even before his first shift, is just present enough to make his own play for dominance.

I need to switch tacts, or this will turn ugly very quickly. I just hope that years of Alpha Macon's experience will win out over his arrogance. It's a risk. I've found his son and grandson to ooze arrogance, themselves.

"Alpha Macon, Luna Elizabeth, Elder Bea, thank you for visiting. Would you like to come inside?"

There is a moment of breathless anticipation. All wolf eyes watchful of the dominant wolves in the yard as they test, measure, seeking holes in the other's defenses.

It is Alpha Macon, who backs down first. Wisdom wins, for now.

"Of course, young Lyri. Tea, perhaps?"

Just the tone of his voice, asking instead of demanding, ease's all of the male's ruffled fur. Unless his game is very deep, Alpha Macon isn't here to threaten us.

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The smell of burning casserole covers the scent of Devel's blood nicely. I rush to the oven and take out the congealed, half-blackened disaster, and set it on the stovetop to cool. I crack open the window and switch on the fans before setting the kettle on to heat. After I have that situated, I make a pot of coffee, too.

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