“Fuck off,” she translated.

“Hey!” Dominic moaned at Ryan, following him back inside.

By the time the Phoenix wolves were done giving the shelter a makeover, dinner was being served. Due to the residents’ discomfort around packs, it was decided that the Phoenix wolves would eat outside with Dawn, Madisyn, and Makenna. They all settled on the benches near the children’s playground.

Once they had finished their meal, Dawn spoke. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done.”

“You really didn’t have to do this,” said Makenna.

“You’re uncomfortable with all the help,” Taryn observed.

Makenna shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate it. The shelter needs whatever help it can get. But a lot of the stuff you brought here is new.”

Dante nodded. “But like you said, this place needs whatever help it can get. On another note, you might want to know what we discovered about Remy.” He told them everything Rhett had uncovered and the rumors surrounding Remy.

By the time Dante was done, Dawn had paled considerably. “So it could be that what he really wants is access to the children?”

“As sick as it is, that makes more sense than anything else,” the Beta replied.

Stomach twisted with disgust, Makenna placed her half-empty plate at her feet. She’d picked up that something wasn’t quite right about Remy, but she hadn’t considered this. And now she felt true fear. If he got what he wanted, the children in the shelter would suffer. She wouldn’t be able to protect them because the first thing he’d do would be to get rid of Dawn, Madisyn, and Makenna. He wouldn’t want any obstacles.

Her wolf, who was just as protective by nature as Makenna, wanted to hunt him down and tear him apart. Makenna approved of the idea. Sick fuckers like him didn’t have the right to exist—it was really that simple. But getting onto his land, bypassing his wolves, and getting the opportunity to end his life . . . not so simple. That didn’t stop her from fantasizing about it.

As she looked up, her eyes collided with Ryan’s all-too-perceptive gaze. He knew what she was thinking. She wondered if he knew just how little it would bother her conscience to take Remy’s life, wondered how hard he’d judge her for it. She decided she didn’t want to know. “We can’t tell Zac about this. We can’t tell anybody in the shelter. Many of them are here to escape abusive environments. They’ll run if they find out this rumor about Remy.”

“I agree,” said Madisyn, cheeks flushed with anger. “They need to feel safe here.”

“Has Remy tried to bribe your mediator friend?” Dawn asked Taryn, her voice shaky.

Taryn shook her head. “But I strongly suspect that he will. It won’t work.”

“Do you think he’ll try to pick a fight at the meeting?” Madisyn asked.

Taryn snorted. “Not if he likes breathing. Ryan will be there.”

Makenna had to have heard wrong. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I’ll be at the mediation meeting,” Ryan rumbled.

Was he high? “You can’t go. You don’t work for the shelter.”

“No, I don’t,” he conceded, “but I can be there as part of Shaya’s security team.” Mediators always had bodyguards.

Jaime nodded. “That would work. Our pack and Shaya’s are closely allied with each other through a blood bond—we even share enforcers. It wouldn’t be considered strange for him to be there.”

Before Makenna could say that Ryan shouldn’t get so heavily involved, Dawn smiled at him and said, “Thank you, Ryan. I’ll feel better knowing that my girls and I will be safe in the event of a fight.”

Ryan gave a “you’re welcome” grunt in response.

Taryn glanced at her watch. “We should get back. My son is probably driving the others crazy, especially my mate.”

Dawn chuckled, though her eyes still glinted with worry. “You get back to your mate and pup.”

Ryan rose to his feet. “I want to see Zac first.”

“Of course you do. He’ll be glad to say good-bye.” Dawn once again expressed her thanks to the Phoenix wolves for their help as she and Madisyn then led them back into the shelter.

As he turned to go inside, Ryan noticed that Makenna hadn’t moved from the bench. “Not coming to protect Dawn from us?” Her head whipped to face him. Oh yeah, he knew she didn’t fully trust them. He even understood it. His wolf didn’t like it, though; he wanted her trust, believed it was his due.

“Madisyn’s with her. That girl’s tougher than I am.”

He doubted that.

“Have a safe journey.”

The dismissive comment rubbed him up the wrong way. “You still haven’t told me your real name or how you ended up here.” Okay, those words came out snappier than he’d intended. There was his lack of tact again.

“Because it’s not your business, White Fang.”

Ryan stood in front of her, meeting her bold “I fucking dare you to push me” gaze that for some perverse reason, caused his body to tighten. “I’m making it my business.”

Bristling, she cocked a brow. “Oh, is that fucking so?”

It was fucking so. “No pack has the right to cast out a pup. They should pay for it.”

Her suspicions were right, reflected Makenna. Protecting and defending were imprinted in his bones. “They will. Karma will see to that.”