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The alpha sat in his usual spot, his green gaze looking almost black as he watched me from his favorite shadowy corner. I did my best to ignore him and delivered my drinks. Thankfully, he wasn’t at one of my tables, something I had to guess he did on purpose.

But yeah, close enough, I wouldn’t miss his death glare.

Warrick was also here tonight. There were always hounds here keeping an eye on things, but Warrick didn’t come that often anymore. But I knew exactly why he was here when he finished talking to Jagger, his lieutenant, and headed across the room—straight for Draven.

Goddammit, Willow. I bet she made him come here tonight to talk to the other alpha, and there was no way of stopping the train wreck that was about to happen.

Warrick and Draven shook hands in greeting. I kept my eyes on the two alphas while trying to look like I was working. Warrick sat and started talking while Draven listened intently, their mutual respect obvious. Draven nodded, and then his head jerked back. It was slight, but I didn’t miss it. His gaze sliced to me, darker than before, and his nostrils flared.

Nope, he sure as hell wasn’t interested in helping me out, and after our little conversation the last time he was here, I had no intention of asking for it.

Warrick said something else and Draven dipped his chin. They shook hands again, and Draven stood and walked away. My knees actually weakened as he left, the brutal tension he brought with him draining from my body as he vacated the room.

Get it together. I gave myself a mental shake and headed back to the bar. I unloaded my empties, and when I turned back, Warrick was striding my way.

“What’s up?” I said, playing dumb when he stopped in front of me. If I told Warrick what the wolf had said to me, things would go south fast. My protective, hulking, brother-in-law would start a fight, and no one wanted that.

“Draven agreed to speak with you. He’s in the office,” he said, shocking the shit out of me.

“He agreed to talk to me?”

“Yeah.”

Okay, that I was not expecting.

“You’re right, you are ugly. Inside you are so rotten, so hideous, it can’t be concealed by your beautiful face, not from me.”

His hateful words filled my head. They’d been on repeat since he’d said them. My face heated, mortified all over again. Why the hell would he agree to that? “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m fucking sure. Now go talk to him. The sooner you get some backup, the sooner my mate stops worrying.” His gaze grew intense, but his eyes had grown soft-ish. “We all want you to get through this in one piece, yeah?”

That was as mushy as Warrick got with anyone who wasn’t my sister. “If Willow had anything to do with this, I can’t accept his help, anyway.”

“She didn’t, this is all me, and I didn’t ask him. You’ll do that.”

Shit. I didn’t want to talk to Draven again, I’d promised myself I wouldn’t. I sure as hell didn’t want to be alone in the same room with that prick, but I would endure it for my family. I’d hurt them enough when I’d brought Brody deeper into our lives, when I fell for his lies, then almost got us all killed. I’d do anything to protect them, no matter the cost to me. And it wasn’t like Warrick would take no for an answer, either. “Right. Fine. I’ll go talk to him.” Though I was sure it was a complete waste of time.

“Good,” Warrick said and gave me a gentle shove toward the office.

I straightened my spine and strode across the bar, then stopped outside the door. My heart was racing, and my palms felt clammy. I reached for the handle, then stopped. This seriously sucked.

Come on. Open the freaking door.

Dragging in another breath to steady my nerves, I rubbed my sweaty palms down my apron and reached for the door—

It opened before I could touch the handle. Draven filled the space in front of me, his expression blank.

Embarrassingly, I shrieked a little. “I was just…I…”

His lips flattened, and he stepped back, telling me without words I was wasting his precious time.

Shit. “Right, sorry,” I said stupidly and rushed in. This male seriously threw me off my game. Who are you kidding? You don’t have game. I ignored the snarky bitch in my head and turned to face him. “Thanks for agreeing to meet with me.”

He shut the door and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his wide chest. All the bravado I’d had the last time I spoke to him was gone, shattered by his cruel words. I don’t know why I cared. He didn’t know me. Whatever he thought he saw when he looked at me wasn’t something I could control. He didn’t know one thing about me.

And as much as I hated this, Willow was right, I was running out of time. A deal with the wolves would mean there was no chance the mother could accuse me of getting help from my family or coven. Witches and wolves had made these kinds of deals for centuries, and Draven didn’t have to personally help me, he could assign someone else in his pack, right?

I stayed on the other side of the office. “Okay, so…I don’t know what Warrick told you. You’re a wolf shifter, so I have to assume you have some knowledge of witches, covens, what a Keeper is?”