I didn’t have mixed feelings about seeing Slade. No, I felt very strongly that he was the last person I wanted to see. But I’d promised Georgia we’d talk to Michael, so I didn’t have a choice.

When we arrived, Michael and Slade stood at the bar, talking over a couple of beers. Across the bar, I spotted Giguhl and Pussy Willow near the stage. Judging from their stiff postures and jerky movements, they were arguing about something and didn’t notice our arrival. Seeing my minion helped me relax a fraction. If this conversation didn’t go well, it was nice to know he’d have my back.

“Oh, gods,” Georgia groaned. “I don’t know if I can do this. I thought Mac would be here.”

I grabbed her hand. “Michael’s probably keeping her out of the public so she won’t do anything dumb.” I turned to Georgia and made her look at me. “Remember why we’re here. Keep a hold of yourself and we’ll get through this, okay?”

Michael had his back to us and hadn’t seen us come in yet. However, Slade and Rex, Michael’s Beta, spotted us immediately. If the Beta had a reaction to seeing us, he didn’t show it except for a slight tensing around his eyes. Rex knew me so he wouldn’t stop me from approaching the Alpha, but one look from Michael and the Beta wouldn’t hesitate to intervene. Which might happen the instant Michael got an eyeful of the vampire by my side.

“How are we going to play this?” Georgia whispered to me as we made our way over.

“Michael doesn’t like games. Our best bet is a direct approach,” I said. “Direct but diplomatic.”

“Okay,” she breathed out. “Here goes nothing.”

I tapped the Alpha on the shoulder. “Michael?”

He turned then, his eyebrows raised. But when he saw Georgia and me standing there, those same brows slammed down. “Oh, it’s you,” he said, his voice dripping scorn. “Back to cause more trouble?”

“Don’t be like that, Mike. We just want a couple of moments of your time.”

“Well, you can’t have them. I have nothing more to say to you.” He started to turn around and dismiss us altogether. I slammed a hand on the bar in front of him. The club went silent as the patrons perked up at the first sign of confrontation.

“I’m not asking you to talk,” I said. “Just to listen.”

“What makes you think I want to hear anything you’d have to say?” he countered.

“Maybe you should move this conversation to my office,” Slade said, his voice tense.

Michael threw back his beer and shook his head. “Thank you for the offer, but we won’t be needing it.” He slammed his beer down and turned to glare at me. “Listen, Sabina, I know we’ve got some history. You probably thought our friendship might soften me toward your pleas on behalf of your vampire friend there. But this isn’t about friendship. It’s pack business.”

“I understand that,” I said. “But—”

His casual tone disappeared. “I said no,” he snapped. “Now, if you have other business to discuss, say your piece. Otherwise, I’ll bid you a good night and ask you to be on your way.”

That did it. I understood Michael was Alpha and all, but no one dismissed me like that. Especially someone who was being a stubborn ass. I stepped forward and, keeping my voice low, said, “Will you stop being such a blind fool for a moment and think about what you’re doing?”

Georgia groaned. “So much for diplomatic.”

I ignored her and stared down the were. I knew I was taking a big risk challenging him publicly, but if I let him walk away, Mac’s fate was sealed. “I respect the hell out of you, Michael. Usually. But you’re letting your pride get in the way here. Mac doesn’t want to mate with anyone but Georgia.”

The Alpha moved toward me. I held my ground. He’d never raise a hand to me. He knew I had the skills to back up my talk and wouldn’t hesitate to take him down. Besides, he might be the Alpha of his pack, but I was a member of the highest-ranking mage and vampire families and had a badass demon for a sidekick.

“You listen to me, now,” Michael said, his tone hard and low. “Our ways may seem unfair to you, but there is a good reason we arrange mates for our females. Werewolf numbers are small compared to the other races. To ensure the health and future of our kind, we must be careful to avoid inbreeding, which is why matings are arranged between packs. Doing so keeps the bloodlines clean and also strengthens the race as a whole.” He crossed his arms and looked me dead in the eye. “What kind of example would I be setting if I allowed my own kin to mate with a vampire? You of all beings should also be aware that interracial mixing is against the Black Covenant.”

The dig against my own tarnished lineage hit home. I gritted my teeth and struggled to maintain my calm. “I’m sympathetic to your reasons. But forcing Mac into a mating scenario with a male she doesn’t want is as good as selling her into slavery. On top of that, you know damned well she doesn’t want to lie with men, period.”

Michael’s fists clenched into rocks. “You’re lucky you’re surrounded by beings who would protect you tonight, mixed blood. Otherwise that duel we fought four months ago would look like a play date compared to what I want to do to you right now.”

I raised my chin. “You mean the duel that you couldn’t win? Don’t flatter yourself, werepuppy. If we threw down now, I’d own your fucking pack by dawn.”

Michael’s growl made the hair on my neck prickle. Too late, I realized I’d gone too far challenging him in public. But I couldn’t help it. I sent a prayer of thanks to the Goddess that it wasn’t a full moon.

Beside the were, Slade tensed to intervene. From across the bar, Giguhl started in our direction, ready to get my back. A firm shake of my head told them both to stand down.

“Fucking werewolves,” I spat. “Using females like broodmares so your mighty patriarchy can continue uninterrupted. Well, guess what? One of these days, those females you use will rise up and take over your power. But then I guess that’s why you’re so set on selling Mac to the highest bidder. She dared to shun the potent werewolf cock.”

“Sabina.” Slade’s quiet warning sounded loud in the tense silence. “That’s enough.”

I slashed a hand through the air. “I’m done. Let’s go, Georgia.”

I marched off with my head held high. But I quickly realized that Georgia had not followed. When I turned back around, I saw the vampire standing in front of Michael like an Amazon.

“Georgia!” I called. “Come on.”

“No!” she said, her voice high and clear. “Not until I’ve said what I came here to say.”

I frowned. After my brilliant oration, I couldn’t imagine there was much she could say to salvage the discussion. Still, she had the right to speak her mind.

“Mr. Romulus, my name is Georgia Rousseau. For the last year, I have had the honor of loving your niece. I have never met a more loyal female in my life. But you have betrayed that loyalty.”

Michael crossed his arms. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you renounce your relationship to Mac last night?”

Georgia opened her arms to signal her vulnerability. I winced at the move, which would only been seen as weakness by the Alpha. “Last night I was hurt and angry. Mac promised me she’d already told you about us. So when you showed up and it was clear she’d lied, I was heartbroken. I thought that removing myself from her life would make Mac’s choice easier.” She lifted a shaking finger and pointed it at Michael’s chest. “But now I realize that instead of helping her, I doomed her to live under a tyrant. Sabina helped me realize that as a werewolf, Mac’s loyalty to her pack was as ingrained as her body’s reaction to the full moon. But you’ve taken advantage of that loyalty and turned it into something ugly.

“I love Mac. However, I am willing to step aside if she chooses to do as her Alpha wishes. But she deserves a real choice. Not this blackmail disguised as duty. You don’t want her to be with me? I can accept that. But let her choose her own were mate.”

Michael’s expression became harder, if possible. “I would never expect a vampire to understand the meaning of duty. You take what you want and damn the consequences for anyone else.”

“I understand something stronger than duty,” she said, her voice trembling with earnest conviction. “I understand love.”

Michael tossed back his head and laughed. “You’re a fool. Duty is love. Love is duty. What you’re talking about is lust. And I’m not about to let my niece throw her family away because she’s going through some sort of rebellious sexual experimentation phase.”

Michael crossed his arms and looked Georgia right in the eye. “Whether you like it or not, Mac and Logan are already legally mated. I was going to wait until the Lupercalia rites to consecrate their union, but I see now that waiting would be a mistake. Their union will be made sacred on the full moon two nights from now.” Georgia gasped and opened her mouth to argue, but Michael held up a hand. “I’ve tolerated your pleas because I believe in giving a person their say. But you’ve had it and that’s that. If you try to contact Mac, I will consider it an aggressive act and have my men take action against you. Am I clear?”

Georgia’s mouth opened and closed in shock, but she managed to nod.

Dismissing her, Michael slapped Slade on the shoulder. “Thanks for the beer, Slade, but if you’ll excuse me I’ve had quite enough socializing for one evening.” He motioned to his Beta. “Let’s go.”

He brushed past Georgia and walked toward me. My eyes narrowed into slits and I braced to deliver my last word. Instead, Michael made a preemptive strike. “You’re one hell of a fighter, Sabina, but you suck at matchmaking. Stay the hell out of my pack’s business.”

Michael and Rex stormed out of the bar, leaving the rest of us behind to wallow in their wakes.