Nathan suddenly chuckled, a bitter, jagged sound. "Ha! Who are you trying to impress with this act of devotion? If she is so precious to your pack, why couldn't you yield the Fletcher alliance?"
Theo’s voice was absolute. "I kept my Alpha-word. I promised I would not cooperate with Kyler, and I have not."
Nathan looked baffled. "Impossible! If you withdrew from the hunt, why did the Fletcher family still reject my blood-oath?"
Theo’s sharp gaze searched the room for any whisper of Thea’s scent. "I held my side of the bargain. Why the Fletchers refuse to run with a cur like you is your own failure. Now, honor your word. Let Thea return to her true pack."
Nathan hesitated, then gave the maid a stern, silent command.
The maid entered the room, her scent sharp with a final, desperate warn
