Donovan is thrashing around in my head so loudly that | can barely hear the conversation going on around me. The only reason


    he hasn''t forced the shift was Alpha Patrick''s warning that he’d send us out of the room. I’m not leaving Lily, not now that I’ve


    heard the entire story and know that Alpha Mahli touched what is mine.


    I''m disappointed that she didn’t trust me enough to tell me what was happening. | only feel slightly better knowing she waited for


    me to get home and came to me immediately, knowing | would help her.


    | turn to Patrick. “So, what do we do now? Lily is in danger, not only from this Alpha Mahli, but also from every other Alpha that


    finds out she is a Guardian.”


    He turns to Lily. “Lily, do you feel that your father will keep you safe and trust that he will take your feelings into consideration


    around taking a mate?”


    I can see Lily struggle. I’m sure she wants to say that she believes that he would keep her safe, but he’s given her trust in him


    quite a blow over the weekend.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    “No.” She says quietly. I’m still holding Lily’s hand and | gently tighten my fingers on hers. She looks up at me before looking


    back at Patrick. “I don’t know why, but he seems determined that | will take Alpha Mahli as a chosen mate.”


    “Lily, do you know what line of work Alpha Manhli is in?” Calvin asks her.


    She looks at him, shaking her head. “When | asked him, he said something like he’s in the business of luck and dreams. | have


    no idea what that means.”


    “He owns casinos, gambling rings, that sort of thing.” Calvin tells her.


    | watch as she frowns. “What business is my father doing with him then?” She asks. My little mate is intelligent, but naive.


    | see Anders frowning over his phone. He’s been texting someone while we were talking.


    “Your father has umted quite a gambling debt with Alpha Mahli.” Patrick


    tells her.


    Lily closes her eyes. “So, he is trying to sell me to that Alpha.” It’s a statement. Patrick just confirmed something she was already


    contemting.


    “It would seem so.” Patrick tells her.


    She scoffs, her voice going hard. “How much am | worth to my father?”


    “Our sources say he owes over a hundred thousand dors.” | can see the shock on her face. She had no idea her father was


    gambling, much less so heavily


    Actually.” Anders says. “On a hunch, | just checked with my source.” He looks at me before turning to Lily. “Your father’s debt


    doubled over the weekend. He now owes nearly $250,000.


    1 watch as a single tear rolls down her face “At least I’m worth a decent amount of money.” She says, her voice quivering.


    I''m in front of her in an instant, Donovan is howling in my head at our mate’s distress. “Hey. | know this is a terrible blow.” | say,


    wiping the tear from her cheek before pushing her hair behind her ear. “But you''re not alone. | meant what | said before. You''re


    sort of stuck with me for the rest of your life Lily bud. I’m not going anywhere and I’m not letting your father sell you to Alpha


    Mahli or anyone.” | say, before standing and looking at Alpha Patrick.


    “lm assuming you agree, Alpha.” | say, using his title. He needs to know that I’m deadly serious about this. | won''t tolerate


    having Lily at risk. She needs to be removed from her father’s care. As soon as he finds out she’s a Guardian, he’ll have her sold


    off and taken away.


    “| believe we''ve already discussed that | do not allow my pack members to be sold or mistreated, Guardian.” Patrick says,


    stressing the word Guardian. | know this is his way of telling me to stand down, that | need to tread lightly and stop challenging


    him.