The Road to Redemption (39 page)

A tear crept
down her cheek. Both she and Kane seemed to have forgotten that
promise. She wanted to have her own life, her own career; Kane was
just as bad, with visions of grandeur guiding his decisions. Maybe
she should cut back her hours at the Grey Goose. Not sell
out��someday the children would be older and she’d want an
outlet—but a few less hours each week. Mr. Mancini had run the
place for years and the staff were more than capable.

It might help
if Kane was willing do his part, too. Would she be able to convince
him?

She wandered
into the sitting room and found herself drawn to a statue they’d
received as a bonding gift. Sitting on the floor in front of the
table, she studied it. It was an intricate carving of a wolf
guarding his mate. The artist had somehow managed to make the wolf
appear both fierce and loving at the same time.

Gently, she
ran her fingers over the polished surface. As always she was
mesmerized by the fine details, the fluidity and passion the piece
managed to evoke. She gave a small smile as she recalled how things
used to be between them. Kane had been so loving and protective,
strong yet vulnerable as he’d shared his hopes for their future,
his desire for a family… “Beautiful, strong, loving.” She whispered
to the inanimate creature. “You’re the Kane I fell in love
with.”

“Really? And
all along I thought it was me.”

“Kane!” Elise
looked up surprised to see her mate leaning against the doorjamb.
His face was drawn but otherwise expressionless. There were dark
shadows under his eyes and stubble covered his chin. “I…I wasn’t
sure if…when…to expect you.”

Kane pushed
off from the door and walked into the room. Sitting on the sofa, he
nodded towards the statue. “Do you talk to it often?”

She felt her
face flush. “No. I mean, sometimes. I guess it used to remind me of
you.”

He picked it
up, studied it, then looked over at her. “Used to? But not any
longer?”

She shrugged
and looked away.

Carefully he
set the carving back down and rubbed his hands over his face before
studying her with weary eyes. “Are you going to leave me?”

“I…” Her
throat tightened, pain stabbed through her chest straight to her
heart. She didn’t know what to say. Did he want her to go? Had her
petty complaining driven an insurmountable wedge between them? A
panicked feeling filled her and she blinked to hold back the tears
that welled in her eyes. A future without him was unthinkable. She
clenched her hands tightly in her lap to stop them from
shaking.

Kane stared
across the room. A muscle worked in his jaw and when he finally
spoke his words were measured, determined. “I know the noble thing
would be to let you go without a fight, but I won’t do it.” He
swung his gaze towards her; the intense expression in his amber
eyes made her gasp. “I love you, Elise. I love you and our children
and I want to make this work for us.”

“Kane…” She
rose to her knees and stretched out her hand towards him, but he
kept speaking.

“I know our
mating wasn’t of your choosing.” He stared down at his clasped
hands, his voice low. “You were forced into it but I think, despite
that fact, something special has happened between us. That first
night I vowed to myself that I’d make you happy.” He turned his
head and looked at her, a definite sheen in his eyes. “Somewhere
along the way, I’ve forgotten that. Grown complacent. It’s all my
fault.” His mouth twisted bitterly.

She placed her
hand on his leg, looked up into his tired yet beloved face. “Kane,
I’m sorry...”

He paled and
she felt the muscles of his thigh tense beneath her palm. “That’s
it? You can’t forgive me?” The devastation in his face nearly broke
her heart and the tears she’d been holding back spilled down her
cheeks.

“No!” She rose
to kneel before him. “That’s not what I meant. I’m sorry for the
way I’ve been acting. You’re the Alpha, I have to accept that—”

Kane pressed a
finger to her mouth. “No. You should never have to settle for being
second best. My mate should be my first priority.” He cupped her
face, his thumbs wiping away the tears. “I’m sorry. I never wanted
to hurt you, to make you cry.” Drawing her closer, he pressed a
tender kiss to her forehead. “We need to work this out together, to
sit down and plan as a team. If both of us compromise for the good
of the family, then both of us will win as well.”

“I’d already
decided to cut back on my hours at the Grey Goose.” She sat beside
him on the sofa, leaning against the solid warmth of his body and
he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“And I’m
telling High Council to take my name off the list of possible
candidates.”

“But Kane,
that’s such an important position!”

“If it’s meant
to be, the job will be offered to me at some point in the future.
The prestige of being the youngest Alpha ever appointed isn’t worth
risking our happiness.” Kane stroked her cheek, his touch
tender.

She turned her
face and pressed a kiss to his hand, a feeling of peace filling her
heart. This was the man she’d fallen in love with. “What about the
Chicago takeover?”

“What do you
think?”

“You’re
actually asking my opinion?” She raised her brows.

He chuckled.
“Yes, I really want to hear what you think, not just what I want to
hear.”

“Well, I’ll
tell you...” She wrinkled her nose “after you’ve had a shower. Did
you sleep in those clothes?”

“Yeah. I spent
the night in the car. A bit gamey, am I?”

“More than a
bit.”

He stood and
pulled her up. “Do you want to help me?”

She laughed.
“As I recall shower sex was one of your favourite things when we
were first mated.”

“It still is.”
He scooped her into his arms and then stared down at her, seeming
to drink in her features. “I really do love you, Elise.”

Her heart felt
as if it were swelling with happiness as she looked up at him. “And
I really do love you, Kane Sinclair.”

Chapter 32

The rain had finally
let up by the time Sam arrived at the clearing she’d chosen. It was
a nature preserve on the outskirts of the city, seldom visited by
humans. Long grass covered most of the makeshift roadway that led
into the area, overgrown trees and shrubs flanked either side,
their branches stretching out, making passage difficult. It was a
location her pack frequently used for their monthly runs and, over
the years, she’d become well acquainted with the terrain. Home turf
advantage was always a plus during a fight. She knew where the land
swelled, where slight dips in the soil were hidden by foliage. Her
chances of being taken unawares by a sudden change in footing were
a lot less than her opponent’s.

Was the choice
of location unfair? Nothing in the rules prohibited it, but her
wolf’s sense of fair play was kicking in. She shook her head. This
was a fight for survival; ethics be damned.

Shoving her
hands in her pockets, she began to circle the area. The ground
squished underfoot, soggy from the intense rain of the past
twenty-four hours. Sam shivered as the cool breeze rattled the
overhead branches and drops of water rained down leaving damp spots
on her shirt.

The storm
front that had moved through had caused the temperature to drop
dramatically from the unseasonable highs of the previous weeks, and
thick clouds still blocked the sun. It was a dreary sort of day,
the kind that reminded you that summer was gone and the cold
bleakness of winter was just around the corner.

Perfect for my
mood, Sam thought dourly.

She swung her
arms back and forth, then bounced on her toes. Nervous energy
filled her. Maybe she shouldn’t have arrived so early, yet she
hadn’t been able to handle staying at the pack house any longer.
Tension had been running high with everyone wanting to come and her
insisting they didn’t.

“It’s my right
to see who will be the successor,” her grandfather had insisted.
“And it damned well better be you!” She hadn’t voiced an opinion,
still too angry over his revelations to speak to him.

“This big of
an outing could do him in.” Florence had protested.

“And why the
hell would it matter if I lived or died?” He’d retorted. “According
to Lycan Link, my existence is already in question!”

Hiram had
walked up to her and given her a hug. “We know you’ll do your best.
But no matter what the outcome, we’ll still love you.”

She’d given a
quick nod, emotion choking her throat. Hiram, Flo, her
grandfather…at one time they’d all belonged to an organization that
hated her, would have killed her simply because her eyes were the
wrong colour. Yet when she looked at Hiram’s greying hair and lined
face she didn’t see the hatred. Just an old man that she’d loved
all her life. Maybe he hadn’t known. Maybe he truly regretted the
past.

Chris had
stood quietly in the background and seemed about ready to cry, yet
had manfully held back his tears. He’d been so excited when he’d
first learned of the challenge, but had grown progressively quieter
as the time drew nearer. Most likely realizing it wasn’t all glory,
she thought, eyeing him from across the room.

Her pack. The
young, the old, the good, the bad. They were her family and she
loved them, flaws and all. I’ve got to win, she said to herself.
They’re depending on me.

The arguing
about who should go to watch the challenge had continued to swirl
around her until she’d thrown up her hands in despair and left them
to decide on their own.

Now she stood
in the clearing wishing for a distraction so she wouldn’t keep
seeing the faces of her pack mates in her mind. The weight of
responsibility weighed heavier on her than ever before. She rubbed
the back of her neck, thinking of the words tattooed there. Duty
and strength; she knew she had those; hopefully the elusive third
quality was a part of her already and would carry her through even
if she didn’t know what it was.

Her cell phone
rang and she thankfully answered.

“Sam? It’s
Tina.”

“Hey, Tina.”
She smiled, relaxing at the sound of her friend’s voice.
Conversations with Tina were always good for a laugh and that’s
what she needed right now.

“The
douchebag—your Beta—was in here a few minutes ago.”

“Damien?” Sam
stiffened as thoughts of his betrayal came flooding back once
more.

“Yeah. I
doused him with a pitcher of ice water.”

Sam snorted,
enjoying the mental image that came to mind. “Thanks.”

“You’re
welcome. Next time he’d better treat you right.”

“There won’t
be a next time. He’s left the pack.”

“Really? Oh.
Well it’s likely for the best. Once a prick, always a prick.”

“In more ways
than you know.” She scowled thinking of how Damien had been spying
on her pack all along.

“So, what are
you up to?”

Sam looked
around the clearing. “Nothing. Waiting for a fight.”

“A fight?”

“It’s a long
story. The leadership of the pack is up for grabs and I’m hoping to
hang on.”

“Holy shit!
Where are you? I’ll be there as soon as I can!”

“No. There’s
nothing you can do.”

“I’ve been
practising my hexes again and I can try them out on your
opponent.”

“Tina, I
really don’t—”

“Don’t worry,
I’ve picked up your location with my cell phone’s tracking app.
Hold off the fight until I get there.”

Tina
disconnected before Sam could issue another protest.

Great, she
thought as she put her phone back in her pocket. Just what she
needed, another observer. And the few times Tina had tried a hex,
they’d gone horribly wrong.

The sound of
an approaching vehicle caught her attention. Her pack or had
Sinclair arrived? She widened her stance and squared her shoulders,
watching as a jeep pulled into place at the edge of the
clearing.

A man got out,
not someone she recognized though. The observer, perhaps? Lycan
Link sent a neutral observer to challenges to ensure the rules of
fair play were followed. Flaring her nostrils she caught his scent;
strong, self-assured. He stood by his vehicle surveying the area
slowly before finally looking at her and giving a nod.

She returned
it and they began to walk towards each other.

“Samantha
Harper?” His voice was deep, his face ruggedly handsome. In other
circumstances she might have admired his impressive physique. Not
today though.

“I’m Sam
Harper. And you are…?”

“Reno Smith.
Lycan Link has appointed me as the observer.”

“Reno Smith?”
She frowned. “I don’t recall your name from the OPATA website.”
She’d spent considerable time going over every drop down menu and
page the site had, learning all she could about the department.

“The tropical
storm has caused several flight delays and the official designate
won’t be able to make it. Since I was in the area on personal
business, they asked if I would mind stepping in. Provided that’s
suitable to you, of course. Otherwise, we’ll have to
reschedule.”

“I’ve no
complaints and I doubt Sinclair will either.”

“Good.” He
turned to scan the area again. “This appears to be an excellent
location. Remote.” He quirked a brow her way. “No chance of humans
wandering in?”

“No. There are
two entrances to this area,” she pointed them both out, “but
neither are maintained or used anymore. This place is officially
closed. Government funding cutbacks occasionally have their
advantages.”

Sam spent the
next few minutes walking the circumference of the clearing with
him, explaining their relative position with respect to the human
population. It calmed her nerves considerably and she wondered if
he’d done it on purpose or not.