“Adler lets people see what they want to see.” I lean forward onto my forearms. “And although he can be a real fucking pain in my ass, he has a good heart. What happened between him and Sabs might have been an accident, but he’s loyal.” I hold his gaze. “He’ll do absolutely anything to make her happy, and he won’t let her down. You two actually have that in common.”
“I guess,” Drax mumbles, hanging his head.
“Maybe you should focus on that instead of hating him.” I rap my knuckles on the tabletop. That’s probably enough feelings talk for one day. “We should—” I’m cut off by my buzzing phone, Luca’s name flashing on the screen.
Before I even say hello, I’m met with a semi-garbled rundown. Something about a confrontation… Sabs’s brother… A post online.
“Slow down,” I instruct him, bristling. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
Drax straightens in his seat, watching as I listen to Luca, who sounds unusually rattled.
“Fine.” I blow out a long breath after he’s done explaining. “We’ll be there.”
“What is it?” Drax asks as soon as I hang up.
“The Silverwood Pack found out that Sabs and Adler have bonded.” I rub my forehead, a headache brewing. “Sabs’s brother crashed the end of Adler’s practice.”
“Laz rarely loses his temper.” Drax scrubs his stubbled chin. “But he is very protective over her. They all are.”
“That’s why it’s a good thing that we have you around.” The chair screeches across the tiles as I stand. “Let’s go.”
“What…” Drax doesn’t move. “I don’t understand?”
“Laz wants to meet all of Sabs’s new pack at their beach house.” I scoop up my keys. “I assume you know the way?”
Drax gulps. For a second, I think he’s going to object, wanting to keep his designation a secret for a little longer, but then his jaw sets in a hard line of determination. “This is what packs do.” He’s talking more to himself than to me. “Let’s roll.”
TWENTY-ONE
Sabs
I can’t believe he did that!” I am fuming as I violently swipe through my social media feed, seeing my and Adler’s faces splashed everywhere. EvenThe Valley Voicementioned us in one of their stories. Kady texted to check that it was okay. I told her that there was no point in withholding the information as everyone already knows. “He had no right to come storming in like that!”
Out of all my brothers, I’m closest to Laz. We’re nearest in age, and he’s always been happy to break the rules with me, letting me get away with more than Beckett and Forest ever did. Beckett is the absolute worst. He’s been so uptight since he began working his flashy corporate job. He acts like he’s forgotten how to have fun, so threatening to tell him was a low blow.
Adler clasps and unclasps his hands as we get closer. “How bad is this gonna be?”
Luca takes the turn into Bonded Beach. “They asked us to come to their place. It can’t be all bad, right?” He’s trying to sound optimistic, even though his voice wavers a little.
“Damn cheer skaters,” I gripe in frustration. “If they focused on their fancy twirls instead of obsessing over Adler, I would’ve been able to tell Laz myself.”
“I guess I’m easy to obsess over,” Adler simpers. Like me, it seems he turns to humor when he’s nervous.
“Let’s hope your new brothers-in-law think that too,” Luca retorts as we drive. “And Orin and Drax are on their way. They shouldn’t be long.”
“Having Damon’s boss around is bound to help.” What I don’t say is that it will only ensure Damon doesn’t resort to violence and risk losing his job. I flick my fiery hair over my shoulder. “Besides, who really cares what the Silverwood’s think anyway? This is my life!”
It’s a lie. I very much care about what they think, but I don’t want to add to the pressure the guys are already facing.
“I care what they think,” Adler mumbles. “If I found out that someone accidentally bit Izzie, I’d act first and ask questions later.”
“There.” I point as the Silverwood’s house comes into view. “You can pull up anywhere here.”
As soon as I step out of the car, Faye is running down the steps to greet me. Her eyes are a bit red around the edges.
“I’m so sorry,” she cries, throwing herself into my arms. “They saw the post, and then I couldn’t lie when they asked if I knew anything, so?—”
“Hey, it’s okay.” I pat her back. “I was going to tell everyone today anyway. Don’t beat yourself up about it.”
