Mira: Her Alpha, Her Ruin Chapter 29: No More Secrets

(SHILOH)

I knew that nothing was happening here, but just like when we were in that cave, the idea of Finn and Mira made sense to and drove mad.

Unless I fucked Mira good, and soon, I very well could go mad.

"You have got to get a grip," Mira muttered as she stood. Finn just flashed a smile and stood as well. "Where do you want my bodyguard to be? Miles away?"

Yes.

My gaze moved down to the hand flexing by her side. There was a crumpled note in. My note.

"What are you doing here?" Mira asked as she shoved the note in her pocket. "Besides apparently spying on your spy."

"Oh, he’s not my spy. Yet. But I do need a word with him." I glanced around the apartnt. I’d done all the clean-up work myself. It was only the second ti I’d stepped into her apartnt.

Both tis, I’d hated every second of it. This was not where she belonged. She fucking belonged with .

"Thank you," Mira said softly. "For the new paint job." I raised an eyebrow. "Does it hurt to thank ?"

"Oh, fuck off. I guess I’ll be downstairs while you talk to Finn."

"But," Finn started as she turned and disappeared down the steps. "I’m supposed to be guarding her."

"Rhiannon and Amaya are downstairs. They’ll protect her."

Relaxing, Finn nodded. "What do you need, boss?"

Boss. Finn was mine. I knew that deep down in my bones. He might be my newest wolf, but he would not betray . With Mira gone, my senses cleared, and I relaxed as well.

"I received an official call this morning. In five days’ ti, all the alphas of TK will convene here with their witches. What happened to Irene has happened to others, although they were not as lucky. Maeve Frost knows you’re here. She’ll want to see you."

Finn stiffened. "Think she’ll try to execute ?"

"No. You’re under my protection. She wouldn’t dare, but Maeve likes to play head gas, and she doesn’t like that you’re mine. I could send you away, at least until they’re gone."

"No, I won’t run."

I didn’t think he would, but I had to extend the offer. "Mira will be in even more danger while they are here."

"I’ll guard her, if you want."

I cut him a dark look. "She needs friends. I appreciate you being one of them."

Finn couldn’t help but grin. "It doesn’t matter if it’s or another man. Or woman. You’re going to feel this way until you fix things with her. I know your role in Ashenveil was an act, but you are mated. Not many shifters turn their backs on their wolves."

"My relationship with Mira is none of your business," I growled.

"I’d say it is, because if you mated with her the way that you should, your pack wouldn’t be trying to kill her."

"They know she’s mine."

"Do they?" Finn crossed his arms. "Because I know that when an alpha chooses a mate, really chooses her, they beco a partner. Another layer of protection of the pack, and a pack would never endanger that."

"Downstairs," I said softly. "Guard her."

With a nod, he turned and stopped. "Maeve Frost. Did she ever take a mate?"

"You’re the ssenger. Don’t you know?" "I never ran ssages to Indigo Peak."

"Makes sense. Maeve’s mated status has been debated for a long ti. Most say she was mated before becoming an alpha but he died. Others said she mated and hid the bond sohow, from even her pack. Others think she probably executed her mate."

Finn snorted. "Probably the latter." I was inclined to agree.

I spent the day prepping for the alpha’s eting and directing the guards. The council dogged my every move, and I was late to dinner.

I half expected to find the table empty, but there Mira sat, drumming her fingers on the table with one hand and reading a book with another.

"I brought tacos," I said, hating the hesitation in my voice. In jeans and a T- shirt, she didn’t look like she was playing gas.

"Great. I’m starving." Putting the book down, she straightened.

She’d set the table and put out a couple of beers. Cautiously, I sat the bag down. "What are you reading?"

"A romance novel," she said with a dry laugh. "Amaya’s little joke. Turns out it is enjoyable, though."

I wasn’t about to touch that one with a ten-foot pole. "I gather you know that they’re coming."

"Just a few days. Yeah, I hate waiting, so at least it’s not a few weeks."

I sat down and she just stared at . "If you pass the bag over, I can just serve myself."

"Shit. Sorry. Tired." Opening the bag, I doled out the tacos. "How is The Iron Root coming?"

"I’ve ordered new furniture and worked on the nu. And I placed an ad for employnt."

"Don’t bother with that. I’ll assign so people to work for you."

"No." Eyes wide, Mira shook her head. "No, way. I don’t want a bunch of people forced to work for . They want to work for , or The Iron Root doesn’t open."

"You could have told that before you spent the money to buy new furniture," I said grumpily.

She chuckled. "Worried about the bottom line? I thought this was the richest pack in the mountains?"

"It is, because I’m worried about the bottom line."

"Fair enough. I an it, though, about the staff. I don’t want them if they don’t want to work for , and I understand that might an The Iron Root doesn’t re-open. If that’s the case, I’ll turn it over to soone else. If I’m ever going to be safe here, really safe and accepted, then I’m going to have to stand on my own."

Stand on her own. Slowly, I relaxed. She’d decided to stay. "All right."

"I want transparency about when the alphas co. You don’t hide anything from ."

"Or you from ." I lean on the table and study her. "Your father and Irving were friends. Tell what you know."

Mira paled a little and picked up her taco. She took a few bites and chewed while she collected her thoughts. "All right. I was a child the first ti that I t Irving . I don’t think he was an alpha then because he was around far too much. Uncle Irving , he forced to call him until I got older. Then he told to do away with the childish title. That’s when I realized he was a disgusting pervert."

"Did he touch you?" I growled.

"No. My father wouldn’t allow it. I told you, he wanted pure," she laughed darkly.

"Anyway, that information doesn’t help you. How long has Irving been an alpha?"

"Eight years."

"That sounds about right. That was when my father promised to him, and unlike Zen, I think my father ant it. It was one of the reasons I ran to Ashenveil s."

"Did Irving kill anyone? Does he have a red wolf?"

Frowning, she shook her head. "No, he’s grey, but I know who you’re talking about."

"The red wolf? You know who that is?!" I nearly rose out of my seat. "Why didn’t you tell ?"

Mira sipped from her beer and stared at . "You didn’t ask."

"That’s the wolf that took Cora. You know that, right? You’re still keeping so many secrets."

"Maybe, but not this ti. I didn’t tell you about the red wolf because I don’t know who he is. He never spoke to , and I don’t know his na, but I have seen his wolf. Red like a fox and massive."

"How long did he hunt and kill for your father?" Mira shrugged. "For as long as I can rember."

"And in all that ti, you never learned his na? Never spoke a single word to him?"

Her hand shook. "No. He was the only wolf who scared more than my father did."