Chapter 340: Renato's mate
But, one thing was sure: the three in the central square weren\'t part of it. Not anymore.
«What... What was that?» Ale muttered, still looking in the direction Samantha left.
A part of his brain was considering how she had hurried to Renato, probably willing to be back before he noticed she was gone. It would have made him laugh if he wasn\'t more shocked by the events.
Why were they all listening to her like that? She said something, and everyone accepted. He also accepted: she was right! But why? How?
His cheeks turned red at the scene of Samantha\'s cold eyes saying those cruel words. Renato had found himself such a woman!
«See?» Amanda said, next to him. «Isn\'t my sister-in-law awesome?»
«Yes.» He nodded.
But then, he returned rational. He shouldn\'t drool after her... Renato might misunderstand, and that would have brought trouble. He wasn\'t attracted to that woman; he just found her... cool? As cool as to follow her around as he did with the higher-up during his teenage years.
«But, how could she solve it so fast? She came here, said two words, and everything was over.»
«It might be her talent. She\'s a manager, after all. Dealing with people is her job.»
«A manager?»
Amanda nodded.
«Hey, don\'t you know who she is?» she added.
«Samantha, Renato\'s woman.»
«That\'s so laughable,» Amanda said. «I\'d rather say Renato is her man. She\'s so cool, right?»
«Yes, she\'s cool. But you\'re so stern with your brother. Don\'t say something like this in front of him.»
«Oh, you don\'t know who she is,» Amanda said again. She chuckled. For once, she had more information than the others. «Do you want to know?»
«Yeah? She\'s...»
«She\'s Samantha Murphy. From Norwich.»
«Murphy? A manager... She\'s...»
«Yes, Ale,» Amanda repeated.
«The Ice Manager? That was... Her? Samantha?»
«Yes. She is the Ice Manager. Now, are you still surprised that she solved it in two words? How much do you want her to sweat for such an easy problem?»
She then left, dragging Lucretia along.
«Let\'s go home, Lu,» she said.
Since Lucretia nodded, the girls disappeared. Only Ale, a couple of guards, and the three cast-out wolves remained.
They observed each other in silence, waiting for anyone to move.
«You should go,» Ale said. «This is not your place anymore. You hurt one of us.»
And that one was Renato\'s sister, of all wolves! They were crazy to think they had a chance to survive it. Moreover, the Ice Manager seemed to have a liking for that girl, which meant that messing with her was double stupid.
«You should go,» he repeated. Not just for the pack\'s peace but also for their own safety. Two strong wolves were angry with them.
«And that woman gets to decide? Where does she come from?»
«She\'s Re... Ehm, Renato\'s mate. Now, are you leaving on your own, or we shall accompany you?»
Well, if Samantha Murphy was there, only one reason came to mind. She was Renato\'s mate. A simple lover wouldn\'t abandon their job and life like that, not in a time of war.
And they were linked; it was pretty obvious. What else would have made the Ice Manager walk back in such a hurry and with a heart filled with worry? She was afraid of Renato\'s reaction: it was evident.
Eh, the boss was so lucky! Not just that he found his true mate, but she was also such a beautiful and capable woman. She was able to deal with an Alpha-less pack. And she didn\'t seem to mind that they were enemies.
«Isn\'t she cool?» Ale said, crossing his arms, proud.
What luck the boss had. Really!
«What\'s wrong with you?» one of the guards inquired. They didn\'t know all he knew, so his excitement felt a little too over the top.
That woman was cool, sure. And she was right. But was there any need to repeat it like that? Also, they had to escort the outcasts to the border before they had time to cause more trouble.
«Are you people crazy?»
«Crazy?» Ale said, returning to the present. «I feel as if I\'ve healed from a long period of craziness, actually.»
Armando\'s father moved forward, intending to hit Ale. He was fast and strong, just a little less than Renato. Even though older, he had to live for years in the shadow of that annoying brat. Now that the pack was dissolving, he had a chance to fight his way up to the top!
However, his attack never reached the target. Ale dodged, pivoting on his left foot and kicking him with the right leg. He hit him with enough strength to send him flying back, even though not enough to make him fall to the ground.
The wolf stood there, his eyes wide. How was it possible? A weakling like Ale, attacking back? Something must have been wrong... So wrong.
Even Ale was surprised. He had moved by instinct, and he was going to escort them out thanks to the other guards. They would have worked in a team; that was the plan.
Being able to deal, even though just for a single attack, with a powerful wolf wasn\'t something he imagined possible.
Oh, but it made sense!
«You\'re an outcast,» he realised. «Part of our power comes from the pack. And, as much as we\'re weak now, we\'re still connected while you\'re out. You\'re a stray wolf from now on.»
He closed his mouth before saying his next thought. It was too early for that, and it would have implied a lot of weird things... But it seemed like it was the case!
Those wolves had been exiled.