Chapter five
915 Words
Savanna slipped into her husband’s workroom, closing the door behind her. Elijah sat behind the heavy oak desk, phone pressed to his ear, voice low and commanding. Even in casual conversation with some minor businessman, he radiated authority. He motioned for her to sit. When she lowered herself into the chair, he gave her that familiar wink—the same one he’d used on her for over thirty years. Even now, he was still utterly hers.
She smiled despite herself, pressing a finger to her lips in a “shhh.” He chuckled and ended the call.
“We have news?” His dark eyes gleamed, curious.
“Yes,” Savanna said softly. But her smile faltered, a shadow of worry creeping in. “Though I am not convinced we are on the right path, Elijah.”
“What exactly troubles you?” He reached across the desk, taking her hand.
“This girl went through hell and back,” she whispered. “Isolated by her parents so no wolf would dare claim her, all because of her bloodline. And now we push her straight into Alfie’s hands?”
Elijah’s brow furrowed. “Is that so?”
“I love my son. You know I love all of them. But Alfie…” She shook her head, jaw tight. “He is too much. Too stubborn. Too self-centered. Even a stable girl would struggle with him. Casey? With what she’s endured?”
“As an Alpha should be,” Elijah replied calmly, but his tone carried the steel of conviction.
“Or as an Alpha heir who’s never been denied anything in his life,” Savanna snapped. “She needs patience. Understanding. If she cracks in public—if the Alpha’s wife breaks—what then? What happens to this pack?”
“You’ll prepare her.” Elijah stood, pouring himself a glass of whisky. He swirled the amber liquid, smiling faintly. “And Alfie won’t be Alpha for years. I’m not ready to die yet, my love.”
Savanna growled low in her throat, a sound only he ever heard. He laughed, unfazed. He knew her loyalty, her fire. She hated even the hint of him speaking of death.
“You promised him, didn’t you?” she accused.
He didn’t answer at once. That was enough.
“Elijah.” Her voice dropped, sharp as a blade. “Tell me you didn’t promise Casey to Alfie.”
His shoulders sagged. “I did.”
The glass trembled in her hand before she slammed it down on the desk. “You fool. Do you even realize what you’ve done?!”
“She agreed?” he asked quietly.
Savanna’s lips pressed into a hard line. “Yes.”
Elijah nodded once, satisfied. “Good.”
She glared at him, fury blazing in her eyes. “You look at me as if I’m the one making mistakes. But you—” she rose to her feet “—you are so desperate to secure this marriage that you can’t see the storm you’re unleashing. Instead of mending what’s broken between your sons, you chain a traumatized girl to Alfie. If she’s miserable, Elijah, I will hold you responsible.”
“Why should she be miserable?”
“Because we’re not doing this for her. We’re doing it for us. For what we gain.”
Savanna turned toward the door, fury in every line of her body. Elijah caught her hand before she could leave. His grip was strong, but when she met his gaze, something inside him softened. He pulled her close, kissed her forehead.
“I don’t know why you’re so troubled, my love,” he murmured.
“Because we are mates,” she whispered, pulling back to look into his eyes. “You and I—what we have is real. It is bond, trust, fire. Alfie doesn’t know what that means. He doesn’t have a mate. He doesn’t know how to meet her needs, how to steady her. He only knows how to take.”
“You raised him well,” Elijah countered.
“I raised an Alpha heir,” she corrected sharply. “Riley—he was raised well. Alfie was raised to rule. There is a difference.”
“You’re saying Alfie is unfit?” Elijah challenged.
“I’m saying he’s perfect for the position. But Casey isn’t a position. She’s a girl who needs patience, tenderness. If he isn’t her mate, he will break her.”
Elijah hesitated, then muttered, “I think Alfie may be in love with her.”
The color drained from her face. “You promised him Casey.”
He didn’t deny it this time. “I gave him my word. The word of an Alpha.”
Her growl shook the walls. She tore her hand from his grip and stormed to the door, faster than wolves half her age. Before she left, she turned back, eyes blazing.
“Did you ever consider that one of them—him or her—might have a mate?”
“Elfie doesn’t,” Elijah said with a shrug. Then he stilled. “Wait. Does she?”
Savanna’s voice was low, dangerous. “Angely says she might. She met him in wolf form. Nothing certain yet. But you tell me, Elijah—look me in the eye and answer me truthfully—are you ready to steal her one chance at happiness?”
The silence that followed was heavier than any vow.
- Writer
