Fire And Ice

Chapter 79 - Welcome Carpet

Hailey's P. O. V

Tim and I stood at the edge of our territory, waiting.

The air was tense. Tim had done a good job of preparing all our members for our incoming visitors. He'd explained that they would most likely try to harm and sabotage us, but Ari's plan was for us to let them do as they pleased in order to lull them into a false sense of security and hopefully careless pride.

Standing here, waiting to meet my sister's former tormentors, I prickled. The thought of Ari downtrodden and abused made me want to go feral. I couldn't even imagine her like that, and I was going to meet two of the people responsible for keeping her in such a state for most of her life.

I wanted to tear into them on sight, but also huddle up with Ari in her office.

Unfortunately, I had a job to do.

Ari had called me to her office a few days ago, and I'd arrived to find her and Kaesha waiting for me.

After taking my seat, I'd asked what was going on.

"If I know anything about Brittany," Ari had said from across her desk, "It's that she loves two things: power, and taking what doesn't belong to her."

I'd nodded slowly, a growing pit in my stomach making me wonder where she was going with this.

She'd sighed, "There's no other way for me to say this, Hailey... If Brittany is one of the people sent, which I'm almost certain she will be, one of her sabotage tactics will undoubtedly be to seduce whoever is highest on our totem pole. Since they already know the Alpha is a woman, that means Timothy will be the target."

I bristled and my eyes narrowed, "Why are you telling me this, Ari?"

She gave me a sorry look, "The fact that he has a mate he's happy with will probably make him that much more attractive to her as a target."

"That doesn't matter, he'll never go for her!" I yelled, then caught myself.

She'd given me some seconds to compose myself before continuing, "I'm gonna need him to flirt with her a little, and I'm gonna need you to talk about how great he is while playing dumb."

"What?!"

Opelene growled.

She reached a hand across the table, "I'm sorry Hailey, I-"

I jumped from my seat, my heart racing and fists clenched, "How could you ask that of me, Ari? Of us? You know what we went through to be together and you know how much he hates them."

"I know."

"So why would-"

"He already agreed."

I blinked, "What?"

She sighed again and looked at me. There was less sympathy in her eyes now.

"I asked him if he would be willing to flirt with her as part of the plan, and he said yes. It won't even get to kissing, I promise. You have nothing to worry about. He hates the very idea of having to even be in the same room as her, but it's a necessary evil. We need her to think she's winning while we wait."

"I don't even want him to touch her." I snarled.

Kaesha spoke up, "That might not be possible."

I turned to her and she continued, "As you know, I was able to create a spell that bonds me to the mind link you guys have as a pack."

"Yeah?"