His whole life he’d felt like hewasn’t worth anything unless he was winning a battle.
But now he had Trinity. Now he and hispack were carving out a new life for themselves. A betterlife.
A life without war.
If he could help it,anyway.
Wrath exhaled sharply and slid fromMytan’s back, dropping to one knee. He cast a sharp glance at hismales and they followed suit, despite the clearly confused looks ontheir faces. Lowering his head, Wrath said, “Veltris, I’m sorry forall that my pack and I have done. It wasn’t only the blood lust. Iwas angry at being an outcast, and I took it out on every purebredpack I could find. I held you accountable for the actions of yourelders, and that wasn’t fair. I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t make upfor anything, especially abducting your mate, but I do offer myapologies now. Let us forge a new era of peace between our people.I swear on my life that I will no longer come against your pack—orany others—that don’t come against us first. If you’ll let Trinitygo, we’ll leave in peace.”
Veltris scowled. “You expect me tobelieve you? I think the moment you get your mate back, you’ll comeagainst us.”
“I won’t, I swear.” Asidefrom telling Trinity that he loved her, Wrath had never spoken atruer statement in his entire life. He’d never raise a claw inanger again.
Trinity mouthed the words, “I loveyou,” as fresh tears tracked down her cheeks. Wrath mouthed themback.
Gemma stepped between them. She lookedat Veltris and then Wrath. “I hated you. I feared you. But youdidn’t hurt me. If I’d waited for Veltris to rescue me, I wouldn’thave gotten so injured and exhausted. But I’m not a shrinkingviolet or a damsel in distress, and you and your pack were farkinder to me than Veltris was to your mate. She was drugged andman-handled, and then chained up in a cell and threatened. I thinkmy mate is just as culpable as you in this war between purebredsand Blood Wolves, but it needs to end. Today. No more abductions.No more territory wars. No more macho bullshit.”
“Gemma,” Veltris said, hisvoice low. “Stand down.”
Veltris jerked his head at a few malesat his side, and they advanced on Gemma.
“Your males touch me, andI’ll run to the Blood Wolves for protection,” she said. “I’m notfucking around, Veltris. This has to end. Let Trinity go. She’s notfrom here, but more than that, she’s Wrath’s true mate. Think howmuch you hated when I was taken! You’ve done the same thing toWrath.”
She took a warning step away from hermate and toward Wrath, and Veltris put his free hand up with agrowl. “You can’t expect me to simply trust him.”
“If you don’t trust him,”Gemma said, “then trust Trinity. She told me something about mypast that I never told anyone, even you. I believe she’s tellingthe truth, and just knowing that a witch brought her here—forWrath—to stop the bloodshed and constant fighting... Veltris, youhave to let her go. Otherwise, you’re inviting the witch to comeagainst us for ruining her plans for peace.”
Wrath stared at Gemma and then turnedhis attention back to Trinity for a moment before he looked atVeltris. “I’m sorry I brought us here. I never should’ve abductedyour mate. When you took Trinity, it was like someone chopped offmy arm.”
Veltris’s grip on Trinity’s throatrelaxed, and she coughed and wheezed. He looked down at her andthen at his mate. “There’s never been peace between purebreds andBlood Wolves.”
“We can have peace now,”Wrath said. He slowly rose to his feet. His beast wanted him torush to Trinity’s aid and slash Veltris into pieces for touchingher, but he kept a tight rein on that part of him. There would beno retaliation.
The males around Wrath rose to theirfeet and drew close to him. “Wrath’s right,” Cael said. “Ourparents were killed for having us, for having relationships, whenthere shouldn’t be anything wrong with following your heart. Youcan’t control who your true mate is any more than you can controlthe rising of the sun. Wrath swears he’s done with fighting, and Ican promise you that the rest of us are done with it, too. We wantto build, not destroy.”
Gemma walked to Veltris and tugged onhis wrist until he let go of Trinity fully. Trinity fell to herhands with another coughing fit.
Mytan growled and stalked over to her.The purebreds backed up with snarls and warning growls, but Mytanwasn’t scared in the least. He bent low and snuffled at her, andthen she wrapped an arm around his neck, and he helped her tostand.
“She tamed him,” one ofVeltris’s males said with awe in his voice.
“No,” Wrath said, meetingher and Mytan. He swung Trinity up into his arms. “She createdhim.” Wrath wanted to race home with Trinity and have Magnus healher, but he stayed put. He wouldn’t leave until he was certain thatthe purebreds wouldn’t come after them.
Veltris put his arm around Gemma andlooked down at her with warmth. “Get your mate home,” he said.“We’ll meet tomorrow morning at the witch’s house. I want to hearfrom her lips what she did to bring your mate here. If she confirmswhat you’ve said here today, then I’ll broker peace between ourgroups, and I’ll send word to the other alphas that we’re alliesand no longer enemies. But trust me when I say that if you’ve liedto me to free your mate and gain the upper hand against us, I willslaughter you all. I haven’t forgiven you for what you did to mymate.”
Gemma rolled her eyes. “I forgive you,Wrath.”
“Thank you,” Wrath said.“Until tomorrow.”
The Blood Wolves turned and headedinto the woods toward home. Trick and Dare were at Wrath’s back,and he was relieved for their support. He didn’t like giving hisback to anyone, particularly their enemies, but if he’d beenaggressive in leaving, they might not
