Chapter 44: The Viper’s Den
Roman
-35 BONUS:
“Tell me again what the plan is, Samara,” I say as we leave our pack. It’s only a couple hours‘ drive to Sawyer’s pack, and I need to know that she’s ready to face Sawyer and not give everything away today. My father will be mobilizing the warriors today and tonight, but I know that once they realize that Samara is back, they’ll want to have a party for her.
I’m guessing that Sawyer will try to figure out what Samata saw or heard that night. It will be tricky to keep from showing how much we know, but Samara wants a chance to speak to her sister alone. Since I doubt she’ll have that time today, I made
sure that we had a plan in place so we don’t show our hand too soon.
“I never leave your side,” she says.
“Rule number one, and the most important rule. We have the mind link, and we have our warriors with us, but I will feel safer with you by my side in case something goes wrong, or Sawyer figures out that you saw him that night. What else?” I ask
She stiffens beside me. Tlet Sawyer hug me if he tries.”
I take her hand and pull it to my mouth, kissing the back of her hand. “Til warn him off, not just because I don’t want him touching you, but because even if he had nothing to do with Theo’s death, I wouldn’t want him or anyone else touching you. However, being Althea’s sister, it’s not completely out of the question”
She nods. “If they ask, Theo got me away after my mother died. I didn’t know that he was dead until days later.”
The next part should be easier for her. I’ve told her to stick with what Theo told her, to run and not trust anyone. It will
explain why she didn’t trust me and because it’s the truth, it will be easier for her to say it and have Sawyer believe it. I’ll be there to help her navigate through the story, but I need to know that the two of us are on the same page before we walk into
the viper’s den.
“He knows I found you in Alpha William’s pack, so stick with the story you originally told me. Alpha William didn’t know who or what you were. I can corroborate that since Alpha William told me you were an omega. Sawyer won’t believe it any more than I did, but if he remembers, he’ll know that your father knew Alpha William and he’ll figure that he was just
protecting you
–
She turns in the seat and looks at me. “What about you?”
“What about me?” I ask, looking at her before refocusing on the road.
“Are you going to be able to spend a night in my family’s packhouse knowing their killer is there?” she asks me
“WE can do it together. If I were alone, never. I’d kill him the moment I saw him. But we need to warn Althea first, I know that
I know it’s important to you and if Sawyer was willing to kill his best friend, 1 have no idea if he’d would threaten his mate or
his own pups to save himself. It’s despicable, but so is he,” 1 growl.
I glance at her again. “I also know it will be hard for you to be there again. You can’t stare at the spot where Theo died. I know you’ll want to. You’ll probably feel an almost desperate need to when the memories come flooding back, but you can’t Sawyer will know. Just know that I’ll be there for you when the memories come, and they will,” I say to her, squeezing her hand
Through the bond, I can feel her resistance to going back to the place where her family was killed. She wants revenge, but being back there for the first time will be very hard for her. I’ve already mentally prepared myself to be there for her. I’ve been back to Theo’s pack many times over the years. The first ten or so times were overwhelming for me, and I didn’t hear my mother die with only a small door separating us. I didn’t witness my brother’s best friend stabbing my brother and leaving him for dead.
When we pull up to the guard gate of the pack, I can feel Samara desperately trying to hold on to her emotions
1/3
+25 BONUS
“Alpha Roman. We were expecting you and your mate, but not anyone else,” the guard says.
We were
“These are my warriors. They’re here to make sure my mate stays safe,” I tell him
He glances at Samara who forces a smile. This isn’t one of her father’s men. It’s one of Sawyer’s
I watch as his eyes go unfocused and a moment later, he refocuses on me
“You’re clear to continue.”
We make our way up the drive. Samara’s emotions get stronger the longer we’re in the car. When the packhouse comes into view, she gasps. I hold her hand tightly, keeing her grounded.
“You can do this,” I whisper to her.
She nods but doesn’t speak. I feel Ayla push forward, giving Samara strength. Pierce pushes into their mind, giving her his
strength as well.
Stay with me too, buddy. I need you to help keep me from killing that worthless piece of shit,‘ I growl for Pierce alone.
Tm right here and when it’s time to kill him, I’ll be here too. He and Bronson die for what they did to Theo and Raye.”
I watch as Sawyer steps out of the packhouse, waiting for us to pull up.
“Stay in the car. Ill come around and get you, “I say to Samara when I park, keeping my eyes on my enemy.
When I step out, Sawyer shakes his head. “Warriors? Really?”
“Thave a mate now. I won’t allow anyone or anything to harm her,” I say as I walk around the car.
“As if she’s not safe in my pack, brother. I would protect her with my life,” he says and it takes everything in me not to snarl at him. Instead, I focus on the car door and open it, helping Samara out of the car. I grasp onto her mind more tightly. knowing we both need to stay calm.
“So, this is the elusive mate,” Sawyer says, looking at Samara. He tilts his head, obviously feeling the same power in her that I did. Only now, her power is even stronger than it was when I met her nearly two months ago.
I watch Althea step outside and Samara goes rigid beside me a moment before Althea does too. I hadn’t considered that as family, Althea would recognize her sister by scent. Her wolf, Gillian, would recognize Ayla, another white wolf, immediately.
“Samara? Oh my goddess, SAMARA? Is that you?”
Samara nods and loses the battle of her tears as Althea descends the steps and the two sisters run into each other’s arms.
“You didn’t think you should tell me that BEFORE you arrived? Your mate is Samara? Sawyer says, looking shocked as he walks down the steps watching the sisters crying as they hug
“I told you, I had to gain her trust. I knew it would be a shock, and I knew that you wouldn’t believe me until you saw her. I just forgot their wolves would recognize each other as family,” I say, watching my mate. I can feel the relief inside her as she holds on to her sister.
“Bringing warriors with you makes sense now. Where has she been all these years?” he asks, as our mates pull away from each other.
*Hiding Theo got her out before he died and she ran and hid, just like he told her too. She didn’t know who she could trust, which is why it took so long for me to gain her trust.”
“Where have you been, Samara? We looked everywhere for you. Eventually, I just assumed you were dead too,” Althea says, staring at Samara like she can’t believe she’s alive. I understand that. I’m pretty sure I had the same look on my face when I realized that my mate was little Samara
2/3
+ BONUS
“Why don’t we go inside. I know this is very emotional for both of you. Samara didn’t know until recently that you were alive either, Althea. And this is her first time back to your family’s pack since… everything happened,” I say, stepping up to my mate and wrapping an arm protectively around her.
“Let’s get your warriors settled. Oh my goddess,” Sawyer says, rubbing his hands over his face. “We need to tell the pack. Many of your father’s warriors are still here, Samara. They’ll be so happy to hear that you survived.”
“And I want to hear everything, everything that has happened to you. Sawyer said you ended up in a southern pack. How?”
she says
“Theo told me to run. He got me out that night after mom…” she stops, her throat closing. I wrap my arms around her and
kiss the top of her head.
“As I said, we should take this inside. This is all very emotional for my mate,” I say.
“Yes, come inside. Let’s talk. Then, at dinner, we can make an announcement that Althea’s little sister, Alpha Royal and Luna Jessica’s youngest daughter is alive and well and mated to the most powerful Alpha in the north,” he says.
His smile isn’t as genuine as he’d like me to believe it is. Being mated to Althea increased Sawyer’s strength, although I remained the most powerful Alpha in the country, not the just the north. Now, he knows that my strength once again far
exceeds his.
Get settled, then come find us. I want warriors near Samara at all times,‘ I say to my warriors in the mind link.
y as an omega comes out to lead them to their rooms.
“Yes, Alpha,‘ they say
Althea wraps her arm around Samara as I grab our bags out of the car, then I follow them into the packhouse as Sawyer falls
into step beside me.
“We can’t kill him yel, Pierce growls in my mind
No, we can’t. But soon, very soon, I will stab him the way that he stabbed Theo and I will let him bleed out in the same way that he let my brother bleed out on the floor of this very packhouse.
Cooper
Ohhh, they arrived Even I’m biting my nails…
