Damion scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You're kidding me, right?" he asked and raised an eyebrow. "My mate's right, you're a dick," he said, and my "father" raised an eyebrow in question. "Did you really expect a little girl to go with two men that she didn't know?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.

Vincent shrugged. "If she wanted her family alive," he replied.

"You would have killed them anyway," Mike said, and the other Alpha shrugged.

"Perhaps," he replied. He sneered and kept his eyes on me, and my mouth went dry. "Or perhaps they'd still be alive today if she had taken the initiative to go with them." He was right; I should have taken the initiative to go with them and save my family's life.

I should have left with them and not run away.

But what if they would have been killed sooner? A voice in the back of my mind asked. He could have done that. It isn't your fault.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I let it out. I sent a silent prayer to the Moon Goddess, praying that I would not get my group hurt with what I wanted to do. "No," I said and opened my eyes to stare at him. My face was blank, and I made sure that he couldn't tell what I was feeling. "You wouldn't have let them stay alive if I had gone with you, so don't do the mental mind tricks with me."

Vincent raised an eyebrow and kept his face neutral. "What do you mean?" he asked, and his voice did not hide the emotions he was feeling. "What do you mean about the mind tricks?"

I shifted in my seat and cleared my throat. "You are trying to manipulate my group and me," I said. "You already know that I have the 'what ifs' in my head, and you are using it against me."

Vincent scowled. "I-"

"You are, and you know you are," I said, interrupting him. "Quit the bull shit. You are not fooling my group or me. I will not allow it."

Vincent closed his mouth.

"You aren't going to get them back, nor are you going to see them. I won't allow it, and I don't appreciate you trying to act like the Alpha of this pack when you are not."

"Not yet," Vincent said, and I rolled my eyes and scowled. "You don't know who I know or what I can do. Howev-"

"Well, you don't know who I know," I said, interrupting him and folding my arms around my chest. I scowled and narrowed my eyes at him because I did not like that he was waltzing in here and trying to take over my pack.

I had no idea why the men around me weren't reacting, and a part of me wondered if they thought that it was true.

Did they think that it was my fault that my parents were dead?

Damon squeezed my side a bit, and I hesitantly opened the link between the two of us. 'I know it isn't your fault that your parents are dead,' he soothed. 'And we are following your lead. This deals with you more than us.'

'But he threatened the Alphaship of the pack,' I reminded him, and Damion's grip on me grew tighter.

'I know,' he said, and his voice grew hard. 'I do not like that he did that one bit, but I know better than to do something that would upset you since you are in my arms.' He paused. 'I think that my job right now is to make sure that you don't hurt yourself,' he teased, and I held back an eye roll.

Subtly I nodded and relaxed. "Well?" I asked and raised an eyebrow.

Vincent raised his eyebrow. "Well?" he asked, mimicking me. "What?"

"Is there anything else we need to discuss or are you done?" I asked. "You aren't going to see your family, and that is final. You aren't going to be the Alpha of this pack, so you shouldn't try to take over the position unless you want to deal with the Council and have them be in your business."

Vincent leaned back in his seat and raised his eyebrow further. "And who will get the Council in my business?" he asked and folded his arms across his chest. He tried to stare me down, but I kept cool and collected, making sure he didn't know how nervous he made me feel.

"We will," Damion said. "They would surely love to know what you have been up to or are planning."

Vincent shifted, and a small look of fear flashed through his eyes before he was able to chase it away. "And what have I been planning?" he asked, his voice cold and hard. "Surely you two have thought of that."

"We have," I confirmed. I glanced at my mate, silently asking if I could say what I wanted to say, and he subtly nodded, indicating that it would be fine if I did.

I took a deep breath and let it out before I looked at him, still making sure that he couldn't tell I was nervous of him. "You are trying to take over this pack," I replied. "That is what you are trying to do. You want to become the most powerful pack in America and don't want any packs to stand in your way."

A look of nervousness flashed across Vincent's face before his features became schooled once more. He leaned back in his seat and folded his hands across his lap. "I do?" he asked and didn't raise an eyebrow like I thought he would.

I nodded and shifted ever so slightly. I had no idea what he would do when I asked this next question and knew that I could risk getting attacked by this male in front of me, even though there was a desk blocking his way.

My mate tightened his grip on me, and I knew that he was more aware of Vincent than he was letting on. His whole body was still relaxed, but I knew that he would pull me away from danger if my "father" decided to do something to me.

He would protect me with his life, something that I hated yet loved.

"Tell me," I said and leaned forward until I rested my forearms on my knees and clasped my hands together. I studied him and stayed silent, waiting for him to crack under the pressure that I was setting up for him. My whole body was shaking slightly, but instead of the fear that it had been shaking, it was shaking from excitement and energy while I waited for him to do something to my mate or to me.

Vincent raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat. "Tell you what?" he asked before he cleared his throat again. There was a twinge of nervousness in his voice, and I had to bite back a smirk because I knew that he was slowly learning that I was more powerful than I thought I was.

"Why did the Rogues attack your pack?" I asked and cocked my head while I studied him. "Did you forget to pay them like you should? Or is there another, more dangerous reason why?"

Vincent didn't respond and cleared his throat. He stood, and the guards stood as well. "We're done here," he said, and I knew that I might have found the reason why he actually came here and not stay and fight for his land. "Thank you for your time."

I stood, and my mate stood behind me. "No," I said and smiled, a plan forming in my mind. I made sure that my mate wouldn't be able to tell what my plan was because I knew that he would be annoyed with me if he did. "Thank you for your time."

And without another word, Vincent turned around and walked out of the room.