The Traitor's Daughter

by Mary Goldberger

  “They don’t know anything even the rogue sightings have completely stopped,” Steve said in a hard voice.

  “So Grace was truly the target, and once they had her, they just stopped,” Susan said with a shake of her head.

  Ashley hit the table with her hand as she remarked, “Right now, we are helpless because the Rain Cloud Pack won’t help even if they knew who took her.”

  Amy said from the shelter of Steve’s arms, “They would believe this to be her deserved punishment for her father’s crimes.”

  “What crimes?” Ashley asked in a hard voice. “Just because some rogue leader knew his name does not make him a traitor. The leader could have learned his name from anyone, or…”

  “Could have been behind the slaughter of his whole pack?” Steve muttered as Ashley stopped suddenly, and all eyes turned to him except two pairs.

  Artur was wondering if Grace was ever going to contact him as his wolf said, the block is up but I think there is a reason for it.

  What reason would she have for putting up a block to keep her mate out? Artur asked although there was no anger in his tone. He just wanted to know that she was all right, and that she was going to be coming back to him.

  He was lost in his thoughts that he did not know Sandy had come into the room until Amy asked her harshly, “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Sandy laughed as she said, “I thought I would come see how Artur is doing.”

  She walked over to him leaning down to press a kiss to his cheek as she brushed her chest against his arm, and she said in a low throaty voice, “Artur, how are you doing? Have you heard from the she-wolf?”

  Artur’s head snapped up at her reference to his mate, and Sandy smiled unaware of the anger in Artur’s eyes.

  “I thought maybe you would be getting over her, but maybe it is still too soon for you,” she said softly closing her eyes on a soft sigh before they flashed back open. “Maybe you need a little more time, but that is okay. I can wait as long as you need me to because I want you Artur. Remember that, Artur baby.”

  She leaned forward and latched her lips to Artur’s in a deep passionate, the ones she used to seduce a man to do whatever she wanted, and she smiled as she felt Artur move. She backed away from Artur cutting the kiss noticing the dark eyes, and she smiled as she touched a finger to her lips.

  “That was mostly definitely worth the wait,” she muttered giving him a seductive smile before lightly trace her lips with her tongue. “Maybe next time we can move onto something more enjoyable. Goodbye, for now, Artur.”

  She blew him a kiss, and she turned to the others sending Amy a wicked smile that held glee and triumph as she walked out.

  “That…that…” Amy stuttered before she turned to Artur with hard eyes only to watch with astonishment with the others as Artur took a clenched fist and wiped it across his mouth.

  Sandy had misread Artur’s every action because when he had moved, he was about to push her away as his wolf screamed at him allowing another she-wolf to kiss him beside their mate.

  His eyes were hard with anger, and his body was tense with rage as he stood up slowly from the chair.

  “Steve,” he said in a voice so unlike his own that everyone in the room shuddered with fear.

  “For now, Sandy is not allowed in this house,” Steve said Alpha authority through every word, but his eyes were wary as they stayed on his friend.

  Artur nodded his head before he forced himself to unclench his fists and allowed his body to sink back into the chair.

  “Damn, Artur,” muttered Kale as he collapsed into another chair Ashley literally falling into his lap.

  “I hope I never piss you off like that,” Susan stated as she and Ace settled in another chair while Amy and Steve took up another.

  A ghost of a smile crossed Artur’s face although his eyes were still dim with worry and fear as he said quietly, “That woman is pushing all the wrong buttons.”

  “Maybe she is doing it on purpose,” suggested Ashley only to have the men shake their heads at her.

  “No, unfortunately,” Ace said.

  “Why is that not possible?” Susan asked him.

  “It is possible, but Sandy is not thinking about it like that,” Kale said, and the women looked at him in confusion.

  “You heard her, she wants Artur and she always gets what she wants,” Steve reminded them. “As Grace said herself, Sandy is attracted to that power Artur has when he is angry or upset, but unlike Grace, Sandy actually fears it even though she is telling herself that she wants.”

  “You mean she is trying to make herself believe that she is not afraid of it,” Amy said slowly.

  Susan gasped as she started to see what they were saying, but before any of them could finish the thought aloud, another voice joined in.

  You are not entirely wrong, Amy. Sandy truly believes that she is attracted to Artur’s power, but in actuality she wants to control it because to have some control of it, she can say she has conquered her fear. Can you give me a better way to control such a strong person if not through sex, or seduction? In her eyes, Artur is a man that she can handle even if it is not true, she needs to believe it and she needs to believe that she can easily seduce him with her charms even when he is thinking about another. In her belief, I was merely a one-night stand; a plaything, but nothing compared to her, and I could never understand a man like Artur.

  Grace, Amy said in astonishment only to hear a weary chuckle. She is strong, Grace, stronger than I realized.

  I doubt it, and if she pulled one on you, it was because you unprepared for it so she surprised you, Grace responded back.

  There was silence in the room as all eyes went to Artur whose own eyes were wide open in astonishment and relief as Grace began to speak again.

  So on to something different, she said, and then they jumped in their seats at her next words. WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THAT, ARTUR JOHNSON? IF YOU LET HER KISS YOU LIKE THAT ONE MORE TIME THEN I AM GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS FIRST BEFORE I HEAD OVER TO KICK HERS.

  All eyes widened at Grace’s voice as she yelled at Artur who sat in his chair with blue-gold eyes gleaming with pride and passion.

  What took you so long to contact us, he growled his voice rough with his feelings.

  The drug took a little longer than my wolf and I both thought it would, Grace admitted her voice slightly still miffed. They heard her sigh before she continued; you are not going to like what I have to tell you next, Artur.

  If you are going to tell me that you do not want us coming to get you right now, you are damn right, Artur growled at her.

  I love you, Artur, Grace said without hesitation, but I need you to trust me and back me on this one. From what my wolf tells me, as she was waking up, she heard something about the one who took me. We confirmed it yesterday when his second-in-command came to see me.

  Confirmed what exactly, Artur asked although roughly because what he really wanted to do was go to where she was captive.

  The man who took me is the one who killed my parents, the one who asked for my father that had him labeled as a traitor, and I need to know why. I need to know what this man had to do with my father, Grace told him softly although they all heard it.

  Artur looked over at Steve and Amy who where the only two people who knew the truth about Grace’s parents. Grace had given him permission to tell Steve the truth and she knew that he would tell Amy although they had not talked about it because it did not change who Grace was.

  “She has a right to know,” Amy said softly giving him an understanding look.

  Artur looked at Steve who nodded his head in agreement, and Artur sighed heavily as he settled his hands on the top of the chair.

  I love you, Grace, he told her, and he could feel her surprise at his words. His eyes widened at his own stupidity as his wolf said, we have been so worried that we did not stop to sense her emotions.

  Grace, please be careful, he told her. Once you need us, just let us know and we will
be there.

  Thank you, Artur, Grace told him. Then she told him where she was located, or as well as her wolf and her could estimate, but she had him promise not to come until she called for him.

  Oh, also, Artur you might want to find out who told Alistair about me, Grace remarked.

  What do you mean, Grace? Susan asked her a slight frown crossing her face as they looked at each other.

  My visitor yesterday told me that someone informed them I was a weak she-wolf, but the only people who would know that is the Rain Cloud Pack, and you seven. I know it was none of you so that leaves the Rain Cloud Pack, Grace told them, and they could hear a touch of weariness in her voice.

  Artur frowned as he sensed her weariness, and he told her, Get some sleep. We will find out who it was that told the rogues about you.

  Okay, Grace responded back. Be careful, and Artur, I will see you soon. I love you.

  I love you, too, Grace, Artur said as he felt her slip into sleep.

  He straightened and told the others, “I am going to take a shower, and then I am going over to the pack house. I have a certain Beta’s son to have a long conversation with that will not end to his liking.”

  He walked out of the room after his statement, and they all looked at each other before Steve called out, “Artur, we need to talk first.”

  “As long as you do not try to talk me out of kicking his ass if I learn what I think is true,” Artur called back.

  “What do you think is true?” Susan called back.

  Artur’s voice muttered under his breath, but they all still heard him as he said, “He was the one who told the rogues about Grace.”

  Chapter 18

  Artur walked into the Rain Cloud Pack house with scowl on his face as he looked around the room, and he went over to one of the unmated males who stood near the living room open.

  “Is Bryan here?” He asked in a hard voice.

  The man swallowed nervously as he shook his head answering, “No, Bryan has taken to doing night patrols although I think tonight he is on a date instead.”

  “He has been going on night patrols,” Susan asked looking at the others at the news before turning back to the male who seemed glad to be able to look away from Artur.

  “Yeah, for the last two or three weeks,” the male said with a slight smile at her earning him a growl from Ace.

  He swallowed again nervously as Amy asked, “Are you sure, Denny, that it was two or three weeks before the hunt?”

  The male frowned slightly as he remarked, “In fact, it was not too long after we came back from that hunt that he started doing patrols. He is going to be a good Beta when his father steps down, which from what I understand will be soon.”

  Steve commented on this statement, “Now that is interesting because Shane did not act like he wanted to give up the spot too soon.”

  “Beta Shane has been acting weird lately that Tomas believes he found his second mate, and is ready to spend it with her letting his son take over the responsibility of the Beta position,” he said.

  “Thank you,” Amy said with a smile as Artur grunted and walked out of the house.

  They were heading back to their pack house, and Susan was saying, “It is possible that he did tell them about Grace.”

  They were agreements as Artur stared out the window until his wolf snarled, there he is.

  Before anyone could stop him, Artur opened the door and threw himself out of the car rolling until he came to a stop by another car.

  “Artur,” he heard from the car as it skidded to a stop, but he was only interested in one person now as he wrenched open the door to the car.

  “What the hell…” Bryan began only to stop as he saw a pissed off Artur, and the woman in the back seat with him shivered in fear.

  “If I was you, I would go home now,” Artur told her in a hard voice, and she nodded her head as she scrambled out of the car.

  Artur backed up to allow her room to leave, and Bryan followed behind her as he said coldly, “What the hell do you want?”

  Artur did not answer right away as he watched the woman walk away only to be stopped by Amy and the others to make sure if she was okay before Amy called out, “We going to give her a lift home.”

  “Ace,” Steve said although he did not look from Artur and Bryan.

  “See you back at the pack house,” Ace called out as he headed back to the car, and slid behind the wheel as the others slid into the car.

  Bryan grabbed Artur by the arm and slammed him up against the car before he growled, “Who the hell do you think you are?”

  Artur eyes were on the car until it was out of eyesight, and he turned hard eyes to Bryan, and growled back, “The mate of the woman you gave up to the rogues, you bastard.”

  He pulled his hand bunching it into a fist before he slammed it into Bryan’s face sending him flying.

  “What?” Bryan said stunned at what Artur just told him.

  “I am Grace’s true mate,” Artur snarled as he hauled him. He shook him like a doll before he growled, “Where did they take her, Bryan?”

  Bryan was in shock before he said shaking his head, “No, it is not possible. She should not have another mate as I was the one who rejected her.”

  “Exactly,” Steve said with a harsh smile. “You rejected her and not the other way around. The rejected have a higher chance of finding their second mates first before the ones who rejected them.”

  “Not that it matters, but you and Grace were never true mates in the first place,” Artur told him pushing him up against the car. Then his eyes narrowed as his hand tightened on Bryan’s throat, “Where do they have Grace?”

  “I…do…not…know,” Bryan choked out as Steve pulled Artur away from him.

  “Steve…” Artur growled as he tried to get back to Bryan, but Steve only shook his head.

  “He cannot answer questions if he is unconscious,” Steve told him bluntly, and Artur growled but stopped moving.

  They looked at Bryan who was getting back his breath, and he said harshly, “With Grace gone, then my chances increase of finding my second mate. I should have found her already, but no women interest me longer than a few days even Sandy who is very inventive in bed and beautiful as hell.”

  He looked up at them with enraged eyes and shouted, “She ruined my life when she was picked as my mate.”

  Artur merely grunted at him as Kale said coldly, “You ruined your own life the day you decided to take another as your mate knowing that she was not it. Even though you rejected Grace, you messed up your own life when you decided to punish her even more by taking her friend.”

  Bryan paled as he asked, “What are you talking about?”

  Artur grunted, “Dumb ass” before he said more clearly, “What they are telling you is that when you claimed Amy as your mate you messed up. You created a mate bond that should not have happened.”

  “Werewolves do it all the time,” Bryan argued with a look of derision on his face.

  “True they do,” Steve said, “but those werewolves did not convince the other person that she was his mate even though she did not feel the mate bond. Those other claims were between werewolves who knew that they were not true mates, but chose to accept each other anyway. You did not give Amy an option, but kept pushing until she did what you wanted not knowing until she met me that you and her were never mates.”

  Bryan merely snorted before he started laughing aloud, “So what? It was nothing but a game and worked to my advantage.”

  Bryan shrugged his shoulders as he told them, “Once Grace is gone then I will finally get what I am owed.”

  “If Grace dies,” Artur promised him, “then you better ran because you will be next.”

  Bryan swallowed nervously as he said, “I am not worried about you, Artur.”

  “You should be,” growled Artur lowly crouching down blue-gold eyes almost dark blue in their anger.

  Bryan tried to laugh it off, but his laughter died in his throat as Stev
e told him, “Get out of here, Bryan.”

  Bryan got into his car and drove off quickly as Artur watched the car drive away spitting up mud and rocks.

  “Artur,” Steve asked as Kale looked at him, and Artur turned looking at Steve with an apology.

  “I am sorry, Steve, but if something should happen to Grace,” he started not able to finish that sentence.

  “We will find her,” Kale told him putting a hand on his shoulder.

  “Let’s go home,” Steve said with a sigh, and with a nod, they all shifted into their wolves heading back to the pack house.

  Once home, the women were upset to learn Bryan’s reasons for what he had done.

  “What made him think that if Grace is dead he will get another mate?” Amy snarled, and they all shook their head at the question.

  “Probably his father,” Steve said as he sat down on the couch pulling her down with him. “We normally learn about mates through our parents, and I never heard Bryan mention his mother.”

  “Bryan’s mother disappeared a long time ago,” remarked Amy. “Bryan was only a toddler at the time when she left so he barely remembers her.”

  Everyone nodded their heads at her answer although Artur felt something nagging at him, but shook it off as tiredness began to descend over him.

  “Artur, go get some sleep before you are no good to anyone especially Grace,” Steve told him sternly.

  Artur nodded his head as he stood up and headed up the stairs to his room still able to smell the light perfume that Grace wore, which he noticed she did unconsciously.

  He stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed wrapping his arms tight around the pillow that Grace slept on a few nights before as sleep claimed.

  In her ‘cage’, Grace shifted in her sleep as the wind blew around heavily again, before it nudged Grace awake, he is here, Grace.

  Grace’s eyes flew open as the door suddenly was unlocked and opened creakily, and as Grace’s eyes flew up to meet the man as he chuckled, “Did I wake you, Grace?”

  Grace did not answer as she narrowed her eyes, but that did not stop the man from talking. “My name is Alistair, and I thought we should meet before your death tomorrow.”