Stunned, Katalina had no idea what to say. This was the first real conversation she’d had with him. The first time she actually felt as if she was listening to her father, and she had no idea what to say.
Bass saved her from having to speak. “It’s my job to protect Katalina. I will deal with my father.”
“Okay, so you have a plan?” Jackson asked.
“Yes, I’m going to talk to my father. See if I can reason with him.”
Katalina thought Jackson’s eyes might bulge out of his head. He linked his hands behind his neck, staring at Bass as if he’d gone mad. Bass had his mask in place, looking cool and collected, as if nothing fazed him.
“Talk? And you think he’ll listen?”
“Not at all. I think he’ll see my mating to Katalina as the ultimate betrayal and finally have an excuse to kill me.”
Jackson actually laughed. He turned toward the house and then back around. “Wonderful,” he muttered. “Well, correct me if I’m wrong, but your plan sucks.”
Katalina tugged the hand she held. “Bass I’m sure your father will listen. Look at Jackson. He’s come around.”
Bass looked her straight in the eyes. “My father is nothing like Jackson. He will want to kill me, but I’m going to kill him.”
“Bass!” Katalina gasped.
“What are you, like twenty?” Jackson asked.
“Nineteen.”
“Right, nineteen and you’ve got the strength to take on an alpha and lead a pack like Dark Shadow?”
“I never said it was an easy plan, but there are a lot of members in Dark Shadow who follow my father through fear not loyalty.”
“Shit! This is the craziest half-assed plan I’ve ever heard.”
“When I lead Dark Shadow, Katalina will be safe, and so will you.”
“I’m not denying that, but let me ask you something, Sebastian. Are you ready to kill you own father? Mentally and physically?”
“He’s not killing anyone! This is crazy. I can’t listen to this. How can the two of you stand there talking so casually about killing someone? Your own freaking dad, Bass.” Katalina stormed off, ripping her hand from Bass’s. She slammed the door as she stomped in, rattling the side of the house.
“Kat!” Bass called after her.
“Leave her,” Jackson said, taking hold of his arm. “You need to answer me, boy. You truly want me to accept you. I need to hear you say it.”
Bass pulled out of Jackson’s hold and faced him head on. He let the wolf inside of him to the surface, allowed his true self to come forward.
“I have been preparing for this day all my life. I have never gotten along with him and I have always seen the world differently to him. I always knew there’d be a day when he’d pushed me too far, when I couldn’t stand by and watch his cruelty anymore. And as to my physical strength, I’m not sure. I thought I’d have more time, but my times up. I don’t have a choice anymore.”
“Does he know how strong you are?”
“I’m not stupid, Jackson. I’ve always stayed under the radar. I’ve never fought for dominance or a higher ranking within the pack. But neither is my father stupid. He’s had me training from the moment I could walk, always pushed me so I could defend myself against River Run, but I don’t think he knows the full extent of my power; otherwise, I’d have been dead a long time ago.”
The back door swung open. Cage’s head popped out. “Everything all right? Kat’s trying to knock the house down.”
“Yeah,” Jackson answered. “Has the fire crew left yet?”
“Dad’s just gone out to see them off. What we doing with them?” Cage nodded toward the truck with the dead Dark Shadows in the back.
“Return them,” Bass interrupted.
Cage took a step forward, his hands in fists. The door shut with a click behind him. “What makes you think you have a say in this?” he ground out.
“All right, Cage, I’ve not got the energy for this,” Jackson said, taking a step, positioning himself in front of Bass and blocking Cage’s view.
This only enraged Cage more. “So it’s like that now, is it? You trust him enough to put your back to him!”
“Two of those men died by his hands, Cage. If he’d wanted me dead, all he’d have needed to do was stand by and watch.”
Cage glared for a moment longer before storming into the house. The walls rattled behind him.
“Gonna need a new house at this rate,” Jackson muttered. “Why should I return them? They came here to kill me.”
“It’s not their fault. All they did was follow orders. Disobeying my father is a death sentence. There are no second chances. You follow or you die. Two of those men have mates and children. Let them bury their loved ones on home land.”