24

Evander POV
Nope, no not happening. My mind was seething at what my sister was suggesting. I did not want Dominic involved with this pack in any way, shape, or form one bit. I was not having this. Especially when it had to do with Aurora. I was trying to contain myself while glaring daggers at her. Aurora leaned back into the croc of my shoulder and my body couldn't help but relax at the feeling. It was enough to give Whinnie the moment she needed to get her thoughts together to state her case.

“Evander, I know it isn’t going to be your preferred plan, but look at it this way. You know he can do the job and keep it under wraps ensuring it's untraceable. He's kept the secret of our disappearance so far I don’t see what he would gain by exposing us or Aurora. He doesn't know her or where she comes from or what her abilities are. I'm not suggesting we lie to him flat out. I understand that under ‘special’ circumstances we need to leave a lot of information out. I can start by just asking him to do it for a new mate to the pack who needs to cut ties with the previous life. I'll only tell him she's your mate if I have to and nothing about the extras. You know he can be nosey and dig, but if nobody knows about her specialness, then there's nothing for him to find. Maybe she's a witch, but there's nothing else he could dig up. Correct? She said looking at Blake and then Aurora.

“Our aunt is the only one alive who knows, and she kept the secret for years. Unless he can trace back our parents there’s nothing on paper. She would be shunned if she let it out, knowing she let me get away.” Aurora stated. They can't know where I’m at. If I stay here. It has to look like I vanished and the trust never existed. Those that knew it existed shouldn’t be able to find a trail. I have the only documentation with me. When Blake disappeared, I made sure I could vanish if I needed to when the day I had a chance came. I never had the intention of remaining with the coven. I just had no way of getting out undetected until now. The last thing I want for you and your people is a coven of witches coming for me. If the possibility of trouble exists, I will leave no matter what the goddess wishes. I will not under any circumstances risk these people’s lives or the secrecy of your pack” Aurora looked me in the eye, with an aura that declared finality. She was waiting for me to say something. How could they gang up on me like this with no prior deliberation? These two ladies together were trouble.

“While I don't disagree, Dominic has the aptitude to do what we need. Do we really want to risk him snooping around in the pack business? I mean, you know he's going to want to know why, and even if he doesn't ask, he has the technical ability to dig into whose account it is and why whatever sum of money needs to be hidden. Simply because he's nosey and wants to make sure he's not missing out on anything. That being said, if he finds out that I am mated to The Mother goddess incarnate, we could have an extremely significant problem.”

“Evander!” Whinnie scolded. “Do you really think your baby brother would try to steal or harm your mate?” “No, but he sure isn't against blackmail.” I countered. She paused, not being able to deny that. “So Alpha what's it gonna be?” Aurora asked, leaning away from me, and looking up at my face. “We don't do this. We risk me staying here and a coven coming down on us and I leave so that doesn't happen. Or we do this and navigate your little brother throwing his weight around. I thought you were the Alpha of Alphas. Are you not able to handle your little brother?” I eyed her, my instincts missing her touch and my mind ticking off each of her points as true. As Alpha, I couldn't risk the pack and her conscious couldn't do that either. While she also emasculated me openly. I didn't bother looking at the other two in the room. I could imagine them watching intently, like the best scene out of a suspense movie. Popcorn partway to their gaping mouths. The unfortunate truth was, I hated being ‘that Alpha’ and though my brother could use being docked down a few pegs, I didn't want the conflict that came with having to be the one to do it. I honestly wondered if my birth was a mistake sometimes because I was not the typical Alpha. But for ‘her’,’ I’d be any part of myself I needed to be. I’d probably find some new pieces of me I didn't know I had.

“Fine,” I finally spat. “But I'm not happy about it and he only gets information that is necessary. Once he knows you are a witch and my mate, he's going to start wondering because he already knows we have one witch in the pack and he knows the same things the rest of us know about all the ‘tellings’ He's going to think we are hiding something big and you know how power ravenous and greedy he is. He will not accept that we are simply aiding rouges. And I don't even know how to describe what we are doing yet, so all of this is staying among us for now. It's apparent, it will come out eventually, but what's most important to me is the well-being of my future Luna and mate, so I'm going to say this once.” My gaze turned to my sister, my voice cutting like ice. “That mother fucker steps wrong. He may not be alive long enough to enjoy his greed.” Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. “Whinnie, if it comes to it as my Beta, you will hand him my threat if he must know that this account belongs to my future Luna. If I have to place the threat in person, I will.”

They were not used to seeing me dig into my Alpha role like this. I didn't get angry easily or use my ability to make people cower beneath me. The truth was I didn't hate my brother, but I knew just how ostentatious he could be if given the opportunity to be. That is not what we needed. For the time being, it served him that we were out of the way if he thought Aurora could offer him, something he would be insufferable and go to any means necessary to get what he could out of us. Keeping him in the dark was best. But it wasn't worth the risk of losing my mate over me not throwing my weight around when necessary.

“So," Whinnie said. "Tomorrow we leave early we have to travel by horse part of the way. I assume you can asked looking at Aurora. Blake chuckled. “Aurora could ride a wild Mustang I think I know just which wayward filly she needs to make the example out of.” Aurora, bit her lip, still awkward with praise. “Is that so?” I said, smirking at her. She's just full of surprises. “I don't think that's wise she threw Elijah the other day,” I countered. Aurora was looking at Blake with a smug smirk. “Challenge accepted Big brother."