Chapter 183

“He looked at the girls and back at me, you had food…so I brought drinks.”

“Holy shit,” Micca repeated as she grabbed Wendy’s hand. “Please tell me we aren’t hanging out with our fucking king.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

I dropped my head down and shook it. “Yes, Micca. We will hang out with him.” I gestured for him to come in, and he walked into the kitchen. He slid the beer into the fridge and fidgeted for a few minutes before coming back into the living room and handing me one beer.

“What have you covered?” He dropped onto the loveseat next to me, and the girls kind of stood around before I laughed.

I sealed the apartment and cracked the beer. “Sit down.” I pointed to the couch and chair surrounding my coffee table. Everyone sat except Micca. “What?” I looked up at her and she shook her head, staring between Rowan and me.

“Is it okay if I grab a beer?” Her voice was breathy and confused.

Rowan smiled. “Of course.”

She looked around. “I’m sorry, but if we are hanging out with the fucking king, the boogie man of our kind, I need a drink. Anyone else need one?” Everyone nodded, and she went to the fridge to grab four beers. She handed them out and settled on the couch next to Wendy.

Rowan looked at everyone and then twisted to face me. “The boogie man?”

I laughed. “Sort of. Most wolves haven’t met you, and being a Lycan, you are stronger, faster, and more powerful than all wolves.” He looked at me and raised his eyebrow. I just smirked. I wasn’t going to admit outright that his command didn’t work on me. “So most parents use you as a reason to stay in line.”

Wendy nodded. “My mom was worse. She actually knew you. I was terrified you were going to show up at my house when I was bad.” She cracked her beer and took a sip. “I’m still afraid of you, but you are a lot hotter than I had originally pictured.” She slapped her hand over her mouth. “Did I just say that out loud?” She looked at Hanna, who sat in the chair. Hanna grimaced and nodded.

Rowan roared with laughter. “Thank you…”

“Wendy,” I answered his question. I pointed to each woman. “Hanna, Wendy, Toya, and Micca.”

“Nice to meet you all.” He took a drink and shook off his laughter. “You are here because Amy trusts you, and I want her to have people in her corner.” He looked between Toya and me. “You both will have the hardest time.”

“Why?” Toya opened her drink.

“Because we have to act like we lost our family while being targeted.”

“Targeted?” She leaned over her knees.

Rowan and I both nodded. “We are targets. We are Alpha females who have been left with no ‘man’ in our lives,” I started.

“You are vulnerable without family.” Rowan put down his drink. “As hateful as it is, women are at a disadvantage in our world.” He steepled his fingers. “I have done my best to wipe out the old laws, but they are still enacted.”

“Who the hell does that?” Hanna shook her head in disgust.

“Vince,” I answered, and the rest recoiled.

“What?” Micca asked.

“When my mother left my father when I was a baby, she transferred to Vince’s pack. His first order was to enact the betrayal law.” I twirled my drink in my hands. “If you are wondering what the betrayal law is, I’ll tell you. If a female is betrayed by her goddess-given mate after they had mated, then the alpha of the pact can enact a law that states that if the woman is unable to find another male to marry her within a certain timeline—my mother’s was like two weeks—then she can become a slave. And if she has pups, they also become slaves to be used in any way the alpha sees fit, including sex.” I watched Rowan tense beside me. His hands were tight fists, and I could hear the soft crack of his jaw from clenching.

“You have to be fucking joking,” Toya snarled.

“Another obscure portion of the betrayal law is that any children that are grandfathered into the law, by the mother failing to find a new husband, that they will forever be a slave, unable to remove the status and unable to mate…ever.” I looked up and met everyone’s eyes. “I don’t assume everyone knows who I am, but I am sure you have heard of my mother. The luna that was betrayed by her mate only to marry another within ten days.” Everyone nodded.

“Everyone assumed she was cheating behind your father’s back and he found out and did the same.”

I nodded. “Now you know the truth.”