"Sloane, stop!" Talon’s commanding tone cut through the chaos as he tore the shovel from my hands.
"How could you, Talon?" I screamed, shoving him away and falling to my knees, clawing at the freshly packed earth with my bare hands.
“Stop her! Oh my, my poor son,” Lily gave signal to the two pack’s scout with them earlier.
Before I could even think of a retort, they grabbed me, and pinned me down.
"Apologize, Sloane," Talon commanded, his voice low and dangerous.
"Never!"
Lily desecrated my mother's grave just to bury her dog, and the thought of it made me want to rip her apart.
"Talon, you’ve always said she’s a good girl. But I think she’s only pretending to be sweet in front of you. You saw how unhinged she was just now. If you actually marry her, you’ll be the laughingstock of everyone in the pack."
"Who would dare laugh at me and my woman?" Talon’ response clearly irked Lily, but she didn’t let it show—deception was her specialty.
Talon then turned to me, his expression hard. "Slone, I can’t believe you’re acting out over a grave. I expected better from you. Just apologize to Lily, and maybe I’ll consider forgiving you."
"What if I won’t?"
I clenched my jaw, refusing to back down.
Talon’s eyes darkened as he stepped closer, towering over me like a wolf about to strike. "Don’t forget, Sloane, your mother still needed my pack’s ancient healing remedies. I told you, there’s one last treatment that could cure her heart condition, and I’ve arranged for her to have it next week."
I froze. My mother had always adored Talon and treated him like the son she never had. She knew he’d be a good wolfmate to his destined one. Talon respected my mother because she saved him and took care of him when the war between the packs was going. He promised to cure her, let her live longer, and be able to play with her grandpups.
Now, he was using that same promise to force me into submission.
"You’re threatening my mother’s life for Lily?" I spat with rage. I had always feared that Talon’s loyalty to Lily ran deeper than I realized but to this extent? It was beyond anything I could have imagined.
He shrugged, pulling out his phone as if my words meant nothing. "That’s right. So, what’s it going to be? An apology, or your mother’s life?"