Chapter 319

I stepped back, my fingers aching, but my resolve hardening by the minute. Rowan stood, looking back toward the door. "How are you going to play this?"

I thought about it for a minute. "I’m going to play the fence."

He just tilted his head. "I’m going to act like I want to rebuild, but that you are refusing me. You won’t allow anyone to the pack lands because of rogues, so I have to figure out another choice, another path until you allow me back onto my pack lands."

"Why?"

"Because it will do two things. Give Vince some security that I hate you. He won’t trust me if we are close still. And I need him to trust me enough to allow me close."

Rowan nodded. "It’s one reason your father and I created space." I nodded. I figured it was a part of the truth, but it didn’t hurt any less. "The second thing?"

"It will give him something he secretly wants." I stretched my back out.

"What’s that?"

"A way to get more power without giving any up." I twisted my back until it popped. "If he thinks he can control me via Brandon, then that is what he will do. But if we are honest, Vince doesn’t want to step down for Brandon. He will, because in reality he will still be in charge, but he doesn’t want to. Brandon is an idiot. And if Vince has to pretend to follow his lead, it will chip away at him. But if Brandon could, say, become alpha of another pack…"

"Then Vince can stay alpha of Oakenfang," Rowan finished slowly. His eyes snapped to mine. "That’s…"

"That’s fucking insane," Toya finished, her voice held a dawning horror. "But that would hook Vince faster than anything else." I nodded because she was right. "If Vince could control two packs, and have your money at his fingertips, he would be very happy."

I nodded. "That’s exactly what I’m going to dangle in front of him."

Rowan rubbed his jaw. "You have to be smart about it." I wanted to roll my eyes, but he continued. "And I know you will be. But maybe…"

"Maybe what?" I took a drink.

Rowan waved his hands. "Vince doesn’t know how well-off your father’s pack was." Rowan was working through an idea, and Toya and I just smiled.

"No, he doesn’t," I added.

"He still doesn’t trust you." Rowan shot me a look, and I shook my head.

"He won’t, not fully." I shook my head.

"But if he thinks he can control you…" I pointed at him and nodded. "That’s your aim."

I nodded again. "Brandon was rejected by his mate, but he hasn’t really made it known."

"How do you know?" Rowan interrupted me.

I shot a look at Toya. She nodded. "Well, I know for a few reasons. First, Brandon told me yesterday when he asked me to give him a shot." Toya snorted.

Then she pointed at me. "Don’t let her fool you. She’s the one that rejected him." She cackled, and I smiled.

"Brandon is your mate?" Rowan’s voice was soft.

Chapter 319.1

I smiled, and I could feel how viscous it was. "Not anymore. He was never going to be my mate, not after everything."

Rowan furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

I tilted my head. Something was off. "I’ll explain it after everything is said and done."

He looked at me with wounded eyes. "You don’t trust me."

I sighed. "It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that…" I trailed off, looking at Toya for some help. Then I turned to him, biting my lips, trying to pick my words.

Toya sighed as she stood. "It’s exactly that she doesn’t trust you." I snapped my head to Toya, but she was staring at Rowan. "And you can’t blame her."

"What?" Rowan looked confused.

"Toya," I hissed.

"No. It’s about fucking time I said something."

"Watch your tone," Rowan growled.

Toya snarled. "No. You came into Amy’s life and made yourself important. You were both nauseatingly, glaringly in love with each other. But I respected you because you wanted to make sure your wolves were happy. But then Amy went into heat and you left her to burn," Toya snarled. "And I hated you for it. Despite that, I respected the love you had for your wolf." Toya stepped closer, her voice dropping low. "But then you fucking disappeared. You ripped out her heart, and you fucking ghosted her. And I was the one to pick up her pieces. You sent random gifts, sure, but did that do anything? Absolutely not."

"That’s not fair. We have a plan."

She scoffed. "Your fucking plan. Not her plan, not ours. You and her father made the plan, but you cut her off. You were supposed to help her learn to hack, but she found someone else for that. You turned your back. You left. And now you’re back and you have a fiancee?"