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Keen knew who he was. He was more interested in the other male.
 And Malcolm Porter, Second-in-Command to the Southeast Itan.
Malcolm tilted his head in acknowledgment. Keen didn t bother returning the gesture. He hadn t
recalled meeting the male during the Southeast Itan s visit almost seven months ago, but the clan had
been in an uproar.
Every opponent in the room was part of a puzzle and he was anxious to fit the pieces together. It
wasn t until they were aligned in a pretty row that he d realize the shit storm that d erupted around
them.
 Any reason Terrence didn t want to tag along? He kept his tone smooth and free of emotion
beyond passing curiosity.
Ever since he d spoken with the Southeast Itan months ago, he d been on a first-name basis with
the powerful male. They d eventually moved from speaking about the laws broken by Mia s
grandfather to their favorite sports teams and the antics of his growing and adult children. They
weren t close friends, but they weren t strangers either. Terrence appreciated Keen s computer talents
and knowledge while Keen appreciated talking with a man who took the time to know him as a
worthy bear, not as an Abrams brother.
Malcolm bristled.  How dare you speak of ?
Quinn placed a hand on the older man s arm, cutting off his posturing.  Unfortunately, Itan Jensen
is otherwise occupied. We are here in his place.
 Uh-huh. Keen crossed his arms over his chest, uncaring if his aggressive stance annoyed the
opposing males.  What s this about?
Van approached him from his right and he looked to his brother. When Van opened his mouth as if
to speak, he cut him off.  Oh, you re not talking right now. And depending on what happens next, you
may never will.
He d make sure of it. He d lived with disinterest, survived the agony of his punishment only to be
thrust back into the world of apathy. Now that he d found something to live for, he refused to
acknowledge anyone who threatened his new peace.
 So, who s first?
Quinn stepped forward, the Second-in-Command at his back. Typical old male. Useless.
 When you were fourteen& 
Screw it. Keen would finish the story. Give a nice summary for everyone in the room. His father
knew most of it, but he doubted many others did.  I fell in love with Jessa Clark, but she didn t want
me. She wanted to be fucked by you. When I found you two together, I beat the ever living shit out of
you and hurt her in the process. I thought you were dead. You weren t. I was punished and have lived
with the guilt and remorse every day. Oh, and you were an asshole then. It seems like you still are
now. He looked around the room, letting his gaze linger on the other males, shifting his attention from
the Second-in-Command as he still cowered, to Reid and his she-bitch, then Van s still pale face.
 Anyone got anything else they wanna know?
Ty leaned in.  You were fourteen.
 Yup.
 He was what seventeen then?
Keen nodded.  Not long after his birthday. A few months maybe.
 So, he had the beginnings of an adult s bulk and two years of training? And you kicked his ass?
The disbelief was easily heard in his brother s voice and Keen s bear didn t care for it at all.
Letting the bear rush forward, he increased in size, his teeth sliding free in a flash as fur rippled
over his skin. He knew his abilities and knew how they compared to the others in the room. He was
faster, larger, stronger& He just didn t want to do anything with all that power.
Keen stared at Ty.  Yes.
Quinn coughed, bringing everyone s attention back to him.  Your father and mine argued about
your punishment and it was ultimately placed before my grandfather as he was the Southeast Keeper
at that time.
Keen wasn t sure how that d all gone down, but it seemed he was about to find out.
 Grandfather heard testimony, including Jessa s, and it was decided that, as a young male, you d
assumed more emotion was attached to your friendship than what truly existed and felt you were
defending a mate. Your strength notwithstanding, he determined you were a child in need of
retraining.
A child shouldn t have to endure daily beatings that merely enraged his animal rather than trained
it.
 The thing about it is, Jessa has had& a change of heart.
Keen froze, tumbling the words through his mind.  What do you mean?
 She has admitted that you two planned to assault me, kill me, because you were jealous of what I
had.
He snorted, he couldn t help it. It was too funny for words.  What did you have that I didn t?
Quinn s voice was filled with ice, his eyes holding nothing but malice and hate.  A loving
family.
The words speared his heart and he sucked in a harsh breath. The pain dug into him, the truth
making it ache even more, and he fought to appear unaffected. Anger flowed from his father, the scent
tinged with regret while pure confusion floated from Ty s direction. Of course his brother wouldn t
understand.
 No objection? An evil smile played around Quinn s lips.
 We didn t plan anything. Jessa may have been&  He hesitated. The words  a slut popped to his
mouth, but he swallowed them back.  & free with her favors, but I doubt she d fuck you just to lure
you to your death.
The Keeper shrugged.  And yet she admitted she did.
 And what punishment did she suffer for her part?
 Oh, her cooperation was rewarded with a suspended sentence. You, however, won t get so
lucky. He clucked his tongue.  You should have shown more control. Now you ll have to pay for
that.
Keen kept his gaze centered on the too cocky Keeper while rolling through the laws of the clan. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]