Chapter 43

Jennifer's POV

"I would have killed him! They should have let me. I'm the Alpha." Jacob screamed as the doctors tended his wounds. His broad shoulders where uncharacteristically hunched. His lip was torn from his nose down to his blood-stained teeth. For the first time in our marriage, I even thought he looked a little hideous, but he only needed to heal.

"The elders surely won't deliberate against you," I reassured.

He slammed his fist into the table, and it splintered the wood. He practically had daggers coming at me out of his eyes, and I grew quiet. My mate was in a terrible rage after he lost the match. I hung in the background, not wanting to risk that his aggression be pointed at me. I made sure he received the Clan Clark blood required to heal and regain his strength, but there was a lot on my mind.

"Someone is providing him blood, or he shouldn't have been able to beat me. Who is it?" Jacob growled at me as if he blamed me for not knowing already.

"I will know it soon, my love," I said softly to calm him.

"Your worthless if you don't know. Don't talk to me till you do," he snarled. He was flinching as the doctor stitched up his lip, the rage in his red eyes indicated that this doctor might not live to see another day.

I bowed to him, unphased by his threats because I would know soon. With our secret, he needed me as much as I needed him. I backed out of the room to leave him for now.

I agreed that someone must be providing blood to Ryan, and I had installed spies around his room at the stadium. First, that young she-wolf, Stephanie, had gone in one time, she had brought him something and left without it. I knew her, and it was not her, but she might have brought him blood unknowingly or not on account of someone else. Next, a red-headed she-wolf had brought him another parcel.

It seemed unlikely that the red-head was of Clan Clark. She didn't quite have the correct smell, but there was a whiff of someone else she carried with her. Whomever she served was likely the blood provider to Ryan.

I had one of my servants follow the red-head back in the stands, and from where I sat, they pointed out a she-wolf with long straight black hair. Distantly, I did not recognize her. No one could confirm who she could be, but she seemed like a possible candidate.

There were not many distant relations of Clan Clark that lived outside Crowalt, but I couldn't say they didn't exist. I supposed that occasionally a worthless Clan Clark wolf moved away and mated. Perhaps he or she could have a daughter that had randomly been blessed with pure blood from the Moon Goddess. Had Ryan had the good fortune to find a distant Clan Clark relative that could provide him the blood to appease the curse and strengthen his talents?

I would have to find that out. If there was a she-wolf with pure blood that could be serving the real Alexanders, she should be registered, and offered to an Alexander as his mate per the pact. But I couldn't help but think this unregistered she-wolf would be perfect to serve my Alpha.

One of my maids knocked on my door, and entered.

"What did you find out?" I asked, eagerly.

"I'm still not sure of her name, but the she-wolf in question is the goddaughter of Clan Harris." The maid looked at my tapping feet as she spoke.

"Well, and what else? Where can I find her?" I said impatiently.

She cleared her throat, "Dylan Harris is throwing a party in celebration of a new trade agreement tomorrow night. It's likely she will attend."

"Oh yes, I had received an invite for that." I leaned back in my chair, stroking my blonde wavy hair thoughtfully. I would have to attend and figure out more about this she-wolf.

I did love a good party, and while I hadn't been that interested to begin with, any opportunity to dress up and show off delighted me. As the Luna, I was always honored. I would face this girl first-hand, and see what she's all about. If she was any relation to Clan Clark, I could invoke some problems for her.

It might be a little problematic if she was the goddaughter of Clan Harris. They had begun providing some of the best Blood Bane herb we'd seen in a generation. It was making it easier to harvest Clan Clark blood for Jacob. I was also less worried he'd heal his lip quickly because he was taking this quality herb too.

I might have to tread a little carefully in that case to not offend Clan Harris too badly, but it would also be fun to humiliate her. I was looking forward to it.

I left my room, treaded down the stairs to the basement where we kept our current, she-wolf blood provider. I didn't always feel great about violating my family, but it had given me Jacob. I was his Luna, like I'd always wanted, and all he asked of me was to ensure he had quality blood.

In the end, it was a blessing to not have the purest blood. My body was perfect and unscarred. I was his lover and Luna, but still beautiful.

I peered into the room where my young cousin, Diana, was sleeping. Scars dappled her body from harvesting blood for Jacob. The smell of wolfs bane made it uncomfortable to linger nearby for too long. She was not chained; she did not fight like my sister had. She was no threat to me since she had offered herself willingly like a good girl. She only stayed down here when she was recovering, but was free otherwise.

Even if this was violating the pact between Clan Clark and Clan Alexanders, it was in the name of the Alpha. It was a great secret that we kept to bond us in marriage. Without this, I doubted Jacob would care for me at all.

But I couldn't think like that because I would always be his Luna, and I would always find him the best blood at whatever cost. I loved him. I needed him. Who else could he love but me who would sacrifice her own twin for him? I was his most devoted, and he knew it. He had to value me like I deserved.

My Alpha would have two blood providers because he was the most special of the Alexanders. He deserved to be the most powerful. I would give him that. And I was hot on the trail of a new candidate blood provider. Jacob would love to hear he'd robbed Ryan of his. All I needed now was to confirm her identity, and figure out how to secure her.

It would be a fantastic anniversary surprise. He had to keep loving me as long as I kept this up.