She hoped morning had already come to Robby, wherever he was. Death-sleep would not only put him asleep, but also his torturers. His body would heal while he slept. She hoped his mind would, too.
With a sigh, she sat up and began to dress. She had just finished zipping up her jeans when she heard booted feet at the cabin's front door.
"Phil!" Brynley shouted. The door shook. The bolt was still in place.
Vanda heard Phil's footsteps approach the door. She slipped on the western shirt and fastened the snaps.
The door creaked open.
"Phil!" Brynley's voice was full of excitement. "You're an Alpha! It's so amazing! How on earth did you do it?"
"Bryn, we need to talk."
"We are talking. You wouldn't believe how excited the guys are. We were talking about it all the way back to the cabin, and the only thing we can figure is that somehow you managed to go Alpha on your own. Is that true?"
"I wasn't alone, but I wasn't with a pack either."
Brynley squealed. "This is so freaking fantastic! No one's ever done that before. Dad is going to be so - "
"Don't tell him."
"What?"
"I mean it, Bryn. Don't tell him. It's none of his business."
"Of course it is! Phil, every Lycan in the territory is going to want you for the next Supreme Pack Master. I can see it now. Dad will throw you a giant party to welcome back the long lost prince."
Prince? There it was again. Vanda padded to the edge of the loft. Brynley was back in her jeans, tank top, and open plaid shirt, but Vanda noticed a few leaves in her hair and a bloodstain on the shirtsleeve, as if she'd wiped her mouth on it.
Brynley's gaze shifted to the loft and her eyes narrowed. "She's still here."
"Yes." Phil crossed his arms. "And you owe her an apology."
Brynley snorted. "For what? Being myself?"
"For purposely trying to scare her away," he replied.
Brynley scowled at him. "I was doing her a favor. She needed to know the truth about you."
"Yes, I did." Vanda was tired of being talked about like she wasn't in the room. She grabbed her bottle of blood and floated down to the ground floor. "Thank you for scaring the crap out of me."
"Any time." Brynley smiled grimly. "So why are you still here? Can't you get a job in Hollywood? I hear vampires are all the rage right now."
"She's under my protection," Phil said. "This is my house, and it will be a sanctuary to Vanda whenever she needs it."
With a huff, Brynley stomped to the kitchen. She grabbed a cup from a cabinet and poured a cup of coffee.
Vanda sat at the kitchen table and sipped from her bottle. Another wave of sleepiness swept through her.
Phil strode to the kitchen. "Who were those puppies with you last night?"
Puppies? They'd seemed plenty big to Vanda.
Brynley sipped her coffee. "They're friends."
"They're underage." Phil sat at the table next to Vanda. "They're supposed to be with their pack when they shift."
Brynley snorted. "Since when do you follow pack rules? The boys can't shift with their pack. They can't even live with their families. Or go to school. They've been banished. I'm sure you understand how that happens."
Vanda gave Phil a questioning look.
He shrugged. "I was banished at eighteen. After a year of near starvation, I found Connor, and he gave me a job and a place to live."
Vanda winced. That was when he'd worked at the townhouse and she'd tormented him. "How could you be banished? I mean, if you're really a prince, who would have the power to do that to you?"
His mouth thinned. "My father."
Brynley waved a dismissive hand. "He just wanted you to learn a lesson. He expected you to come back in a month or so."
"With my tail between my legs," Phil muttered. "What kind of Supreme Pack Master would I make if I was that big of a wimp?"
Brynley sighed. "I know it's hard to submit to Dad's every wish and command. That's the sort of thing that got these boys in trouble. They challenged their pack masters' authority. Then their masters appealed to Dad, the Supreme Master, and he kicked them out."
"Sounds like dear old Dad hasn't changed," Phil murmured.
"They're just teenagers," Brynley continued. "They had nowhere to go. I knew your cabin was empty, so I let them stay here."
Phil snorted. "They're your Lost Boys? Are you sure your name isn't Wendy?"
She made a face at him. "They're more a pain in the butt, actually. It takes half my monthly allowance to feed them. They're bottomless pits. And rowdy as hell."
"Wouldn't you be in big trouble with your father if he knew what you're doing?" Vanda asked.
Brynley's eyes narrowed. "Are you threatening to tell on me?"
"No. I just find it interesting," Vanda said. "It sounds to me like you're rebelling against your father just like Phil did."
Brynley scoffed. "Believe me, if Dad says jump, I ask how high. I...I just felt sorry for these boys. They have nowhere to go." Her eyes lit up. "But that's all changed now that Phil's back. Phil, they want you to be their pack master!"
He looked stunned. "I...can't do that."
"Of course you can," Brynley insisted. "You can't be an Alpha without a pack."
"I have other things to do. Important things. There could be a battle after sunset tonight."
"A vampire battle?" Brynley's eyes flashed with anger. "You're going to help them and ignore your own kind?"
"I'll do what I can to help the boys, but I can't be their master."
Brynley made a noise of frustration. "You haven't even bothered to meet them. They're so excited about you, Phil. You're the first sign of hope they've had in months."
He stood. "Where are they?"
"In the stable. Don't be surprised if they cheer for you when you walk in. You're their hero."
"Great." He gave Vanda a wry smile. "Just what I needed."
She smiled back. "You're my hero, too."
He leaned over and kissed her brow. "I'll be back soon." He strode out the front door.
Brynley refilled her coffee cup, then moved to the kitchen table and sat across from Vanda. "Alone at last. We need to talk."
CHAPTER 21
Well, you'll have to make it quick," Vanda said. "In about five minutes I'll be falling into my death-sleep."
Brynley nodded. "This battle Phil talked about, how bad will it be?"
Vanda was surprised. She'd expected Phil's sister to tell her to get lost. "We're at war. The Malcontents want to kill us."
"I've heard that vampires have the power of mind control. Is Phil under their influence, or does he really want to do this?"
Vanda tamped down her growing irritation. "Everyone I know in the Vampire World has the utmost respect and fondness for Phil. They would never control him. They consider him family."
"He has family here."
"His family here banished him."
Brynley took a sip of coffee. "Did he tell you about himself?"
"He told me how your ancestors became werewolves."
"Ancient history." Brynley waved a dismissive hand. "Did he tell you about his life here?"
Vanda was tempted to ask, What life? but she was too curious to brush Brynley off. "Is he really a prince?"
Brynley nodded. "A direct line from the old Welsh princes. Dad came from Wales about a hundred and eighty years ago and started his first ranch in Montana. Some of the clansmen followed him here. Over time the clan grew, and Dad became more and more powerful. He owns over fifty ranches now, spread over Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. The entire western territory - that's over sixty packs - swears allegiance to him as Supreme Pack Master. No one dares disobey him."
"Except Phil."
Brynley shrugged. "It's hard for someone like Phil to submit. Dad understands that. Believe me, he'll be so proud when he finds out that Phil acquired Alpha status without the aid of a pack. It's never been done before. Phil is truly amazing."
"I have to agree with that." Vanda yawned as sleepiness tugged at her.
"And since Phil's one of the most powerful werewolves in the country, it's obvious that he has an important future with us."
Vanda rubbed her brow. "You want him to come home."