Tristan barks out a laugh. “I only flirt because it gets under his skin. It’s not as fun when he’s not here. Sure, you have safe passage, but I need you to come to Phoenix. There is much to discuss.”
“Sure, it’s on our way to Montana.” I shrug. “We’re in LA right now about to head out. It will be evening before we get there.”
“I’ll have a spread ready for you when you get here. I have shit to do. Thanks for the call but get here as soon as you can. Things are escalating.” He waves a hand, clearing the mist and disappearing.
“It’s never a dull moment talking to Tristan,” I say as I hop in the back seat of the SUV.
“He may be a pain in the ass, but he will help us. He owes us for all our help over the last few months.” Greyson starts the vehicle.
“I just wonder if we are asking too much of our allies when they are ass deep in their own conflict.” I buckle my seat belt.
“They will only send who they can spare and still have defenses for their people,” Greyson says.
“That’s true.”
A weight lifts off my chest as we pull onto the highway, but I turn to Kira. Her expression is blank but there are tears in her eyes. That shit with her mom hurt her more than she’s letting on and it guts me.
“You have us. You don’t need all those smelly shifters.” I bump my shoulder into hers.
“Hey,” Greyson shouts from the driver’s seat.
“She wasn’t talking about you, babe.” Raven shushes Greyson.
“I said what I said,” I sing.
Kira giggles. “Thanks, Beth. I needed the laugh. I forgot what it was like talking to my mother. My parents really aren’t bad people. They are just stuck in their ways, you know? Having a daughter who doesn’t have a wolf? That wasn’t something either of them had planned for their lives.”
“Yeah, well, treating you like this when it’s not your fault is not the way to be a good person. Your sister is a good person, though.” I lean my head against the window.
“She is,” Kira says.
The rest of the drive is relatively silent as we make our way to Tristan’s hotel in downtown Phoenix, but the vibe as we move through the city is much different than the last time we were here.
“What’s wrong with everyone?” I ask.
“I don’t know.” Greyson frowns. “The scent of fear is pungent here. What the hell has been going on?”
“We need to talk to Tristan. This isn’t right. Even the humans are acting off and it’s not because of the gods this time.” I stare out the window.
A car backfires with a loudbang, and several people hit the ground, covering their heads in terror.
“They’re scared out of their minds. How bad have the attacks gotten here?” I shake my head.
“The guy was from this pack; I wonder if that has something to do with it?” Raven leans forward in her seat.
“Tristan will tell us what we need to know for the future.” Greyson pulls into the circular drive in front of the posh hotel Tristan has taken over.
“You’re finally here. We have a lot to talk about.” Tristan waves a hand for us to follow him.
“What’s going on, Tristan? Why does everyone seem so terrified?” I ask.
“It’s not just appearances, Beth. They are terrified. The rogue king was from our pack.” He opens the door to a conference room.
“The rogue king?” I ask.
“That’s what he’s calling himself. Shifters don’t even have kings and just a couple months ago, he wasn’t even a beta,” Tristan growls.
“Have the attacks been crazy?” I ask.
