She answers my question before I have to ask. “She took your kidnapping personally. As she should have. Still, she won’t be on your bodyguard rotation again. Not anytime soon, anyway.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I ask. Before I was kidnapped, I had a handful of bodyguards following me around. Apparently, now I just have Andrea. I think I’d rather have Cynthia. She punched me in the face far less often.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist. She took herself off. Since I’m with you full time and don’t have double duty as an enforcer, it’s a better fit, anyway. You get into a lot of trouble, so it’s a win-win for me. Keeps me active.”
“I didn’t ask how much you were enjoying it. Why would she take my getting kidnapped personally? She wasn’t even there, it was in no way her fault.”
Andrea pauses, stepping in front of me. “Exactly. She wasn’t there. She shouldn’t have left your side.”
“The witches would have knocked her out, same as they did Kellen. It wasn’t her fault.”
Andrea shrugs, then keeps walking. “We’ll never know. But you were her primary, she should have prioritized you.”
“Over Joey? An injured, spelled child? Absolutely fucking not. And if that’s the policy Grayson has in place, then I’m going to rip him a new—”
“No, not over Joey. Kellen could have taken him. You were obviously the target, Joey was bait. She was the stronger alpha and higher-ranking enforcer. She let her emotions for Joey and soft spot for you color her strategy. Kellen should have grabbed the kid and ran. She should have stayed with you.”
I disagree, but Andrea is so fucking militant, I don’t think we’ll see eye to eye on this. I’ll argue with Grayson about it later,though, because the priority most definitely should have been the child.
As we make our way to the long dirt road near the heart, I look over toward the picnic table beside the gym. Orion is still there, with Eli and Kellen. It looks like they’re discussing something important, so I don’t interrupt.
“Let’s go before he tries to follow,” I say.
Andrea raises one eyebrow, shrugs, and heads toward the cafeteria, which is just across the road and down a ways.
“Hiding from your mate?”
I shake my head. “A girl can only have so many bodyguards.”
Andrea snorts but keeps walking. Her spine is so straight it’s a wonder she isn’t a robot. She’s pretty, but not soft. Her skin has a golden tan from all the summer sun. She has a sharp, square jawline, highlighting her long neck. Though she carries a militant air of authority, I’d say there was something refined to Andrea’s beauty.
“Can I ask you something?”
She hums in response. Her eyes scan our surroundings, looking for trouble. There isn’t any, but I can tell I still make her a little uncomfortable, so I’m not sure why she signed up for this. Requested it, even.
I debate how to phrase my question, then go with blunt, since I think she’d appreciate that more. “Does it bother you I’m with Grayson?”
A small tug pulls at her lips, but her posture doesn’t change. “No.”
“That’s it? No?”
She peers over at me, furrows her brow, then resumes scanning the road in front of her. “Did you want me to be pining over your mate?”
“No, of course not,” I blurt. “I think… I don’t know. You feel different now.”
“What do you mean by that?” She eyes me curiously.
Before I left, I could feel the emptiness inside her. A void, but it was edged with pain and anger. The void is still there, but the well isn’t so deep. And she no longer feels so angry.
When I don’t respond, Andrea lets out a harsh laugh. “Look. I overheard what Hilde said to you in the kitchens. Wolves live a long time. I’m too old to hold a grudge. And besides, it was never really about Grayson.”
“What was it about?”
“Power. I’m attracted to power. But he’s useless to me as a partner if he’s obsessed with you, so I’m no longer interested in him, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
I try not to snicker at her logic, but it’s hard. To each their own, I guess, and as long as she isn’t pining over him, it’s better for all of us. Still, I can’t help myself—she did put me in the hospital. I think I’ve earned the right to needle her a bit.
“Still, Andrea, you as a Luna? You wanted to separate everyone by their designations and make everyone get a background check before joining the clan.”
