“It’s two in the fucking morning, man,” he gripes.
“It’s Izzy,” I tell him.
And that’s all I need to say.
Emery doesn’t need any prodding after that. He throws on his jeans, grabs a shirt off the ground, and then hurries after me into the hall.
“What’s going on?” he demands, his eyes alert.
Quickly, I explain what's going on, trying to keep my answers as concise and impersonal as possible. The last thing I want to do is focus on Ashton’s betrayal. I have to believe he had a reason, or else…
Emery begins to shake his head rapidly. “Ashton wouldn’t… I mean, he wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t betray the shifters like that.”
“We just need to figure out why he wanted to meet with Izzy in the first place,” I say curtly.
“You don’t think it’s because he has nefarious intentions, do you?” Emery chuckles, though the sound lacks any genuine humor. “He’s an asshole, but he’s still Ashton. Our Ashton. He would never hurt Izzy.”
“I know that. Fuck, I know that. But…”
“You want to see her with your own two eyes and ensure she’s okay?” Em finishes for me.
“Yeah. I mean, if Ashton is working with Kain for whatever fucking reason, then we need to know why. He obviously has a reason.” I rake a shaky hand through my hair. “I refuse to believe that Ashton chose to betray us. Fucking refuse.”
“What the hell is going on out here?” The door to my parents’ bedroom opens, and Dad pokes his head out, squinting.
Behind him, my mother sits upright in bed, her lips pursed.
Emery and I exchange a look, one that makes words unnecessary. We used to do it all the time when we were kids, but not so much over the last few months.
I can tell we’re thinking the same thing.
Our father can’t know the truth. Not until we have more information. If he believes for even a second that Ashton betrayed the shifters…
Fuck, it’ll be bad. Very bad.
“Nothing, Dad.” Emery forces a smile on his face. “Go back to sleep.”
Dad volleys his gaze between the two of us suspiciously but relents with a sigh. “All right. You let me know if you need me, okay?”
With another pointed look aimed our way, he shuts the door to his bedroom once more.
Emery and I release a breath.
“Do you know where Ashton is meeting Izzy?” Emery asks, already moving to the front door.
I check my messages, unsurprised to see a new text from Grayson. “Ashton’s house, apparently.”
We race side by side to the car, and I slide into the passenger seat. My preferred seat in a vehicle, if I’m being completely honest.
“That’s good, right? Gregor’s going to be there.” Em shoves the key into the ignition.
“And do we even trust Gregor?” I ask, arching an eyebrow.
“Fuck, do we? I don’t even know anymore.”
The car sputters but doesn’t turn on. Emery’s eyebrows draw together, manifesting deep furrows in the center of his forehead.
“Why the fuck isn’t this working?” He tries again.
