Forged in Fire (Forgotten Series, #2)

Chapter Twenty-Two

I patted the nearest shifter on the back as I stepped over the bench. I had decided to have lunch with those that had trained. They had done well in their sparring and they were making improvements. Nothing drastic but with enough practice they would improve greatly. I waved at Benji as I headed towards the dinning hall door. Michael and Kiel followed me closely. They were agitated and I didn't blame them, they didn't particularly like being in the dinning hall during meals. It made them feel uncomfortable to be stuck in a building with so many others.

I snapped my fingers and pointed to the trees. I didn't even need to let them know my order, the gesture was enough. I wanted them to run a quick patrol to burn off their agitation before they came back to the house. It was easier on them to leave me alone now that there were no threats on the territory, they felt more comfortable leaving my side.

I force my thoughts towards my duties. I had pushed them away to train with my pack but now I needed to complete them. The situation with Alpha Marti needed to be completed. It made my mood sour slightly. He had been brimming with demands, wanting to take what he believed to be his due for our possession of the daughter he despised. He hadn't even tried to hide it from me after I had told him she would be staying with Fortis, after Michael had sent me Shey's order.

Mike, I want to keep her.

There had been an order to her tone and her demeanour. She had made up her mind and it was what she was demanding. I wondered if she had known Michael would have sent the information to me, letting me know of her demand. Even if she didn't, I would have done everything to make sure she got what she wished. I was on her side with Ainsley. I didn't want the small child-like female to leave with her father anymore than Shey had.

I had made it clear to Alpha Alex Marti that his daughter would not be leaving Fortis. He had fought very little against it but seemed more agitated at my unwillingness to comprise with him on his terms. He had wanted our full backing and support in feuds and wars. He wanted us to take over training his pack and wished for a payment for Ainsley's stay.

Yes, the bastard had wanted me to pay him for his daughter. He wanted to sell her to me as if she were an object, an animal that could be bought and paid for. If I hadn't been so appalled I would have simply given him the half a millions dollars to get him to shut his mouth, leave my territory, and never return but I had been so pissed off at his arrogance I had nearly allowed my wolf to take care of him for me. I also knew that if I did that then Ainsley would be given back to the family that allowed the mistreatment or maybe even perpetrated it as well.

For her sake I held myself back. Besides my little cat was trying to trust the bond and I refused to throw that out and let myself get beheaded for removing his and punting it for a field goal. Despite the evidence of the abuse, Alpha Marti leaned more towards the Old Ways and they followed a different set of traditions. I sneered at the thought. Old Ways needed to be eradicated.

I pushed open the door to the house and slipped inside. I could faintly smell Shey and Ainsley in the hallway towards the kitchen but I ignored it as I moved towards foyer. I needed to get everything ready to induct Ainsley into the pack. It would be a short ceremony that was normally done in front of the pack. One would be brought in by the Alpha and then the pack would welcome them as they helped the shifter through the painful transition of changing packs. Mental pack bonds snapping one by one to be replaced with searing new ones.

I didn't want to put her through it but I knew how it was how it needed to be. It was the main condition for her stay. Her father wanted no connection to the female who shared his features, blood, and his dead mate's hair. I would supply some backing to his pack, ally myself with Fors but I had the right to bow out of skirmishes and feuds and in return I gained custody of his youngest daughter. That was all I was willing to give him and even then it had grated on me to have anything to do with him.