Page 77 of Red

Tingles skim over my skin. That might be the first real compliment he’s ever given me.

“Thank you.” One corner of my mouth lifts as I back away, and Nikki stands to go talk to him.

I climb up the stairs, but don’t make it far.

“Great work, Aloka,” says Mitus.

Kiya hangs on to her mate’s arm. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. I can’t believe you went there with all the guns.”

“I questioned it a lot when I got there, don’t worry.” I say lightly.

“How’d you convince them to let you enter in the first place?” she asks.

My shoulder bumps Kiya’s, making as much space as possible for Otis to pass us on his way down the stairs. “I blended in well. I went shopping in the city for human gear and then showed up in the middle of the night hurt.”

“I never would have thought about showing up with human gear.” Kiya shakes her head in disbelief.

Jocko skips up behind me. “Go Aloka. You’re a little force to be reckoned with.”

I laugh. If only he knew. “Shouldn’t you be joining the after meeting?” I eye five members at the bottom, waiting for Stark to be done with Nikki. Not that I’m paying attention to them as she places her hand on his arm. I need to go for a run, a long one.

“Yes, just had to tell you myself. You might’ve saved us.” He claps his hand onto my shoulder.

“Well, thank you. Now go before Stark comes to get you.”

He takes the wooden steps down two at a time as Nikki drops her arms from being wrapped around Stark’s upright stance.

I leave the forum to get some water in the kitchen and get bombarded with more and more questions, from what the humans wear to what they like to eat. It requires more details I didn’t think about before, and I’ll be sure to tell Stark—or maybe Jocko and Kiya would be better. I have to create some space from him, somehow.

The questions slow as everyone separates into small groups in the main space and I go for a glass of water.

“Aloka, I’d like to speak with you for a moment.” Graden stands next to the fridge. For an Elder, you’d think he’d look old, yet if you hid the wrinkles around his eyes and hands, he’s as intimidating and nearly as muscular as Stark.

“I’d rather not.”

“Just a moment, I promise.”

“Okay.”

He leads me outside to the deck, and I lean against the railing. The grass is showing out in the yard now, though snow holds out in the shade of the trees.

He doesn’t hesitate to get close, his own arms braced on the railing beside me. We both stare into the woods.

“I respect why you had us leave the debriefing after what happened.”

“You mean where you did nothing while they tried to kill me?” I don’t hide my anger. Screw them for being spineless. My spine got split open, and they had no clue I could heal after it.

“Aloka, I sympathize that this part of our world is all new to you. Stark might be the most powerful wolf our generations have seen for some time, and he will not go down easy. Nevertheless, he’s no match for twelve Elders. They used you as a lesson for him and I apologize for that. I could not fight too hard, as they know I favor him already. I misread his connection to you, and it hurt him more than it would have if it were him who got the lashings.”

“Our connection isn’t anything. I don’t know what he had with Pratt, other than he respected him and is following his wishes. That’s all.” We’re stuck together because of my brother’s decision that he made without me.

“For someone so intelligent, you surprise me.”

“Excuse me?” My hip hits the railing when I turn to look at him.

He shakes his head. “Oh, nothing, dear. Please accept my apologies. I will do my best to keep you in the Elders’ good graces. Having said that, running off is not going to help any of us.”

“I got it. You and Stark are close?” I ask.