childish actions of a small minded man. Emma could tell Kian was trying to
remain hopeful that this would all work out in their favor without bloodshed. As for
her, she just wanted this over. Without having the power to shift she wouldn't be
much use if the pack didn't accept Kian as Alpha. They would be stupid not to
though, he was a good man, the best. He would be a far better Alpha than his
uncle ever was, but change was never easy. Some people always fought it,
swimming against the tides. The truth was on their side, but the loyalty to Russell
Decker ran deep.
Kian tried to convince her to wait inside, but everyone had agreed it set a
bad precedent. For Emma to be part of the pack, they had to let her stand with
them. He didn't like putting her in danger like that, but he knew they were right. If
he didn't think she was strong enough to belong then nobody else would either.
Determined to be strong Emma tucked her fear deep inside.
Emma shoved her feet into snow boots, but didn't bother putting a coat on.
Her jeans and purple sweater would be warm enough. She had always run a little
warmer, and since their mated bond was strong now, the residual energy from
Kian's wolf provided her with even more warmth. Joining Kian and the others on
the back porch Emma could hear the vehicles approaching. There were alot ofthem, but they didn't seem to be racing in. She took that as a good sign. As the
first people came around the back Kian stepped forward, and slightly in front of
Emma. Ever the protective mate.
When everyone was gathered in the back yard Cathy Wyles stepped
forward, "I received a phone call from a law office just after you asked me to set
up a pack meeting. I was told you three of you are the sole owners of Decker
Construction, and that you Kian hold the deed to your uncle's house."
"That's bullshit!" Kole said. Kian held a hand up to silence him.
Cathy's mate Gerald Wyles said, "What did you do son?"
Kian said "My Uncle, the former Alpha of the Big Woods Pack is a coward. He
ran away weeks ago. He made it look like I stole the business, and his house. He
is manipulating everyone because I learned the truth of who he is." At the uproar
from the crowd Kian paused, waiting for them to quiet. "He ran because evidence
came to light that he murdered a pack member, and her mate."
"Lies!" Cathy shouted.
"You can't know he did that!" Someone else said.
Looking over at Lex Kian said, "he can." Lex stepped forward, "Emma recieved a
phone call telling her that her parents were murdered and warning her that she
was going to be the next target. Kian asked me to look into the threat. I traced
the call to northern Georgia, where Emma lived when her father disappeared. A
few years after his disappearance some male remains were found matching her fathers discription just over the boarder into South Carolina. Using the
information in Patrick Lowe's file, I found the accident report from his wife's death
a decade prior. Beth Lowe's car was forced off a road in Vermont into some
trees. Coroners report stated she died on impact. Beth Lowe was MaryBeth
Kolter. My father's younger sister, and Emma's mother."
Kayla stepped forward, "see! She has every right to be a pack member. She
comes from this pack!"
"I liked MaryBeth, I can see that Emma looks like her, but why would Russ have
hunted her down? She broke no laws leaving with her rogue." Cathy growled at
them. "He wasn't even the alpha back then. Your grandfather was."
"Because my uncle thought himself in love with MaryBeth, and if he couldn't be
the one to have her, then nobody would. She was not his mate, did not feel the
same for him. Patrick Lowe was her true mate. She wrote letter's to her family of
how happy they were, and how wonderful it was to be mated." Kian said. He
knew the pack didn't believe him.
"Your mate started all this! It's all her fault!" An old man said angrily.
"How? Russ would have done those things years before Emma showed up in
town. It sounds like Kian is telling the truth." Jase, a pack member who worked
the construction crew said coming to their defense.
"These four standing here have already pledged fealty to me as their alpha." Kian
growled. "This is my pack now.""Russ isn't here to defend himself from these claims. They ran him off because
Kian couldn't fight him in a true alpha challenge. Her showing up caused this"
The old man pointed at Emma. "It was all in the past, long forgotten. Your pack?
Funny you should mention that. The alpha called me to tell me that you three had
worked the law to steal the business out from under him, because he didn't want
to make your girl a member of your pack you all chased him out of town. That he
barely escaped with his life. I didn't want to believe that of you boy, but he said
you had shown your true colors, and I think he was right." A snarling gray wolf
ripped out of the old man.
Kian let out a yell that ended in a howl. This was it. There would be no
more talking. Everyone was shifting now. Lex's big brown wolf, and Kole's dark
gray and silver wolf flanked Kian's golden wolf on either side. Even Kayla shifted
and ran into the action. Emma watched the pack tear into each other. A solid
black wolf ripped a smaller tan one off Kian. Not everyone believed in Russ it
seemed. It looked like 5 against 15 now, the odds still stacked against them.
Pissed off that there was nothing she could do to help she noticed a mottled gray
wolf slipping away from the action heading this way. As soon as the wolves eyes
locked on hers she knew it was coming to end her. Emma looked for Kian one
last time.
Instead she saw Kayla's cream wolf racing towards her. Hoping Kayla
made it before the other wolf Emma backed against the house. Kayla barrelled
into the gray wolves side, knocking it off
