Read The Road to Redemption for Free Online Page B

raised me to take over the pack and I have. It’s just
not official on paper.”
    Damien gave a
long low whistle. Female Alphas were rare and most often occurred
when the Alpha died and his mate took over. To encounter one, even
an acting one, this young was unheard of. “Samuel Harper. Samantha
Harper.” He nodded. “The similarity of your names helped you keep
this under wraps.”
    “A fortunate
twist of fate. Being his namesake has allowed me and my pack to
stay off the radar. If anyone found out a ‘female’ was in charge
we’d be deluged with takeover attempts or wanna-be Alphas trying to
weasel their way in through mating with me.” She returned to the
desk, picked up a piece of paper and after glancing at it, threw it
down again. “And we were managing perfectly well until Kane
Sinclair started to poke his nose into our affairs.”
    “And my being
the pack Beta is supposed to impress him?” Damien quirked a brow,
wanting confirmation of what he’d begun to suspect.
    She nodded.
“You’ll lend an air of ‘male authority’ to the image the pack
administration presents if the chauvinistic old goats at Lycan Link
start to investigate us.”
    “Which brings
me back to my original question. Why not use someone from your own
pack?”
    A faint
beeping sound interrupted and Sam glanced at her watch. “Sorry.
I’ll explain later. I have a meeting I need to attend.” Damien was
sure he detected a hint of relief in her voice, but let it pass.
She crossed the room swiftly and he stepped aside so he was no
longer blocking the door.
    “You can
finish exploring the house and the neighbourhood while I’m gone.
Stay away from the north wing on the second floor – those are my
grandfather’s quarters. He’s not well and needs his rest.”
    “I
understand.” He placed a hand on her arm to stop her. “Does the
rest of the pack know why I’m here?”
    “They do. I
don’t have to shield my pack mates from the truth.” She shrugged
his hand off her arm. “You’ll find we’re a strong, resilient
bunch.”
    “I’m sure you
are,” he murmured softly as he watched her leave. “But are you up
to facing Kane?”
     
    The doorbell
jingled merrily overhead as Sam entered Marcello’s Antiques and
Collectibles. Its cheery sound was in stark contrast to the grim
look on her face. She was supposed to meet with Mr. Marcello at ten
o’clock and she was late. She hated being late. It spoke of
carelessness and a disregard for schedules and order.
    For a moment,
she paused just inside the shop allowing her eyes to adjust to the
dim lighting. The place was packed with collectibles and it
wouldn’t do to go blundering about. While her eyes grew accustomed
to the darker venue, she took in the familiar scents of wood,
leather, dust and age. After the bustling noise of the street, it
was almost shocking how calm the atmosphere was; the quiet, steady
ticking of a clock, the sound of a kettle simmering somewhere in
the back. It was like stepping back in time, and she felt the
tension begin to ease from her shoulders.
    She’d lied to
Damien when she claimed to know nothing of antiques; her
grandfather and Mr. Marcello had been friends for years. She’d
spent a great deal of time here as a child studying the cases of
old jewellery and trinkets, trailing her fingers over ornately
carved furniture while the two men had shared a glass of cognac.
While she might not be an expert, she could usually tell if a piece
was worthy of its price or not.
    The old
grandfather clock in the corner gave a whir and began to chime for
ten o’clock. It was always fifteen minutes slow which meant she was
fifteen minutes late.
    “Keep your eye
on the clock,” her grandfather had drilled into her. “Once time is
gone, you can never get it back again. An Alpha has too many
responsibilities to be allowed to waste time.”
    He was right.
The jobs were never ending, and the extra time she’d spent with
Dante—Damien—meant she’d likely be