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That gives me more hope than I expect.
“Thank you for giving me this.”
At least I have a few allies here.
There’s a hint of sympathy in her expression, and part of me hates that it’s directed at me. I don’t need or want pity.
I force an easy smile, hiding the turbulent pain swirling within me. Turning the handle, I slip into the hallway that leads to the living room. I can hear the low hum of voices, but no one is screaming or crying, so I allow myself to relax a little.
All that disappears the moment I step inside. Every available seat is filled with one of the girls or one of my pack. Abel is leaning against the wall in his favorite spot, while Hester is standing, looking out of the window that overlooks the front of the house.
Cade takes me in without a word, and his expression is so closed off that I consider unmuting our pack link just to get a feel of what he’s thinking.
He keeps his eyes on me until I’m eventually forced to look away from the weight of his stare. He’s not above using those alpha vibes on me, though my wolf is less receptive to that these days.
I zero in on the dining chair in the middle of the room. The kid we captured is strapped to it, thick ropes tied around his torso, wrists, and ankles. His dark head is lowered nearly to his chest, and the faint smell of burning tells me there is more at work here than physical restraints. I wonder if the magic holding him will work.
Other than the bindings, he doesn’t seem to have been touched, though there is dirt and blood on his clothes. I suspect the latter belongs to me, and my side, though healed, throbs in response.
“We were just about to wake him,” Halle says, standing and placing her hand on my arm.
I’m not sure if it’s a comforting gesture or an appeasing one, but I don’t shrug her off.
Consider this my olive branch.
“Will it hurt?”
She shifts her shoulders. “Honestly, I don’t know, but we’ll try to be as gentle as we can.”
“Is your little homicidal bird back in her cage?” This question comes from Sawyer, who is glaring at me as if I have personally offended him. I don’t know why he’s being such an ass.
“Fuck you, Sawyer,” I growl. “She’s not homicidal.”
“She has a habit of waking up from her zombie state just long enough to end lives. What else would you call it?”
I shake my head, resisting the urge to wrap my fingers around his neck. “She’s none of your concern.”
“Oh, I think she’s everyone’s concern. I don’t want to have my brain fried because she’s feeling a little confused.”
“Stop it,” Halle snaps at him before turning to me and softening her tone. “Will Dove be okay? One of us can wait with her.”
“No.” She’s safer alone than with anyone other than me, but I don’t say that out loud. “She’ll be fine in our cabin.”
Sawyer’s brow climbs up his forehead as he crosses his arms over his chest. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to leave her alone, considering the power she can wield?”
I don’t, but what’s the alternative? I don’t know what seeing this boy would do to her. He tried to kill me, and although Dove is out most of the time, whenever she senses I’m in danger, she reacts. And she might try to get revenge for what he did to me.
I ignore Sawyer, refusing to acknowledge his concerns. I don’t need his permission when it comes to Dove. She’s mine to protect, and that is exactly what I’m doing.
“Jackson,” he presses when I don’t answer.
“Dove isn’t your business.” I let the warning bleed into my words, though part of me hopes he doesn’t back down. Punching Sawyer in his self-righteous, smug mouth would go a long way toward alleviating some of the tension inside me.
“Right, the maniac witch living on our property, who just so happens to be out of control, is no one’s business but yours?” He smiles, his dimples prominent, but there is no mirth behind it.
“She’s not a maniac, and she’s also part wolf. That makes her one of us.” I step up to him, irritation rippling through me, and he stands from his place on the couch. He’s a few inches taller than I am, bulkier too, but I’m not letting that stop me. “And no, she isn’t your business.”
Sawyer’s nose is inches from mine, and I watch as his mouth twists into a snarl. I meet his threat with my own, unwilling to back down, even if he was someone I once trusted with my life.
