A Mate's Revenge(6)

Cael felt sorry for her. This might break her, and it would be his fault for giving his heart to another. For the millionth time he wondered why he couldn’t have just fucked Isabesh until she was out of his system. But he already knew the answer. No amount of time with her would’ve cleansed him. There was no getting over her. Years had proven that.

“Why are you here, Avan?” Trager broke the silence.

She narrowed her eyes, considering the wolf’s question. “I’m here to help.”

“What do you mean?” Vesh asked. “Did Jax send you?”

Her gaze cut away from Cael. “No. He doesn’t know I’m here and I’d like to keep it that way. I actually thought your first question would be to inquire about your sister. But I see you’re all comfy and mated so maybe she doesn’t matter anymore—”

Vesh’s fist connecting with the table shut off the rest of her sentence. “Don’t. You. Dare say that to me. It was your phone the alpha used to threaten me away.”

Avan stiffened. “Yes, and as you know, he doesn’t exactly ask before using things that aren’t his. There was nothing I could do about that.”

Vesh glared at her. Cael knew he should be doing the talking but he liked to think before he spoke. And thinking was impossible at the moment.

“Is…” Vesh cleared his throat but it didn’t help his riddled voice. “Is she okay?”

Avan glanced at Cael before answering. “She’s alive. That’s all I can really attest to.”

Vesh nodded. “Why are you here?”

Avan leveled her eyes at Cael, a smile playing at her lips. “I figured it was time to meet my mate.”

Shit. This was going to get ugly. He had to figure out a way to talk her down.

Vesh sat back in his chair. Cael felt his eyes on him. It was time to alpha up and deal with this.

“Listen, Avan—”

“No, no.” She leaned across the table, her scent sweeping over him. He breathed through his mouth to lessen the blow. “I scented you in my camp weeks ago, so I know you chose not to come for me. Smartest thing you’ve ever done, alpha, because I would’ve fought you off. To the death if necessary.”

Cael shook his head at her words. He must be hearing this wrong.

“I have no desire to be a first mate. I’ve seen that life and it’s not for me. The fates fucked up, babe. We aren’t meant for each other. You’re a dominant, and I’m sure as hell not a submissive.”

He could see that.

Clearing his throat sounded like trying to start a train engine. The combination of relief and confusion had his wolf pacing inside, anxious.

“What then, do you want? You say you want to help. How?”

Avan rubbed her palms together, all the sexy come-hither mysteriously vanishing from her gaze. “Jax needs to die. I assume you and your crew are the ones who could get the job done. With Vesh and Trager on board, you have an even better chance of success. Add me to the mix, and it’s a done-fucking deal.”

“You’re talking about betraying your pack. You’d be a traitor.”

“No. I’m talking about helping my pack. They’re oppressed, and it’s killing them slowly. If things go on, if our alpha is allowed to live, the pack will wither to nothing. I know it. I feel it.”

Cael looked to Lexar. The wolf was his rock. Had the most level head he’d ever seen. But now he stared at Avan with slanted eyes. He was as confused by this development as Cael was.

He focused on his intended. “And what do you get out of this? Something tells me your reasons aren’t completely altruistic.”

“I do want something in return. I never want to be controlled again. I’m tired of playing puppet while someone devious pulls my strings.” She braced her elbows on the table. “I want the pack. I want to be alpha.”

To emphasize her point, the music in the bar went quiet for a few seconds. Unplanned, but still, it put everything in focus.

Cael looked at Vesh. His frown was deep enough to cause permanent grooves in his face. He’d already sworn allegiance to Ravendale. He’d given up any right to claim Ozarka as his own. And as far as Isabesh, she would be part of Ravendale whether she wanted to or not. Or at least until she made up for her betrayal. Vesh had already agreed to that part.

Cael stared at Trager, who looked supremely annoyed. He didn’t have any claim to Ozarka and didn’t want to lead anyway. He barely wanted to be part of a pack, and Cael had a feeling it was only because his mate had come to love the wolves so much.

Haze, Cael’s second, was absent from the conversation, but he wasn’t ready to lead a pack. He still had anger issues to work through.