Feral by Nicole Luiken
Author:Nicole Luiken
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction
Publisher: Great Plains Publications
Published: 2019-12-05T22:54:41+00:00
chapter
15
Chloe’s heart thudded unpleasantly when she got close to the house. Her mother’s car was in the driveway. It was only eleven o’clock. Her mom ought to still be at work.
“Stay outside,” she ordered Marcus. He was in wolf form and had been since they left the town limits.
Her mother was waiting for her in the kitchen. “Mom?”
“Oh, Chloe,” her mother said, her eyes hollow and sad. “What have you done?”
Chloe kept silent.
“What on earth possessed you to defy the Alpha so blatantly?” her mother asked, despair heavy in her voice. “She specifically said Marcus wasn’t ready to be out in public. By taking him to school, you risked exposing our kind.”
Chloe’s chin came up. “Our secret’s safe. We only stayed for a little while and Marcus did really good.”
Her mother’s lips flattened. “No remorse, Chloe? You’re not five years old. The fact that nothing went wrong this time doesn’t excuse taking the chance in the first place.”
“Marcus’s life was at stake!” Chloe defended herself, not only against her mother’s word, but against the pinch of guilt. “You heard Olivia. She only gave Marcus one week to improve—which is up in two days. I couldn’t allow her to rule him a feral.”
Her mother sighed. “The Alpha said she’d reassess the matter in a week, not that she’d kill Marcus if he didn’t show improvement. And he has shown improvement. Your father and I can testify to that.”
“But what if they said that wasn’t enough? You didn’t see Nathan’s face when he found out Marcus was marking his territory.” Chloe trembled. Tears started in her eyes, and her hands clenched into fists. “I couldn’t take the risk that they’d execute him.”
“You should have talked to me about your worries,” her mother said. “I could have gone to Olivia and Nathan and asked for an extension. But this? Going behind the Alpha’s back and disobeying her order? You’ve Challenged her authority, Chloe, for the second time in a month. She has no choice now but to smack you down hard, otherwise she’ll look weak.”
Chloe’s stomach sank, but she didn’t back down. “I’ll gladly take whatever punishment she dishes out to save Marcus.”
“But, darling, don’t you see? Your actions may have jeopardized Marcus’s chances.”
The words hit like a body blow. Panic bloomed like a bruise. “But all the teachers have seen Marcus now. They know he’s alive. She can’t disappear him.”
Her mother shook her head as if mortally tired. “It will be more difficult, but if they tell everyone Marcus had to move to live with a relative, do you really think anyone will question it?”
“You’d do that?” Chloe whispered. “You’d let her murder Marcus and lie?”
Her mom’s eyes widened, and her hand clutched her throat. A new necklace rested there: a purple crystal on a silver chain. “I—Your father and I will do everything in our power to protect Marcus.”
But if the Alphas overruled them, she’d swallow it. For the good of the Pack. Because she wouldn’t have a choice. The Alpha must be obeyed.
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