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I didn’t even get the chance to tell Aleks anything about who was out there, why they howled, or how they got into Muncie. I was just about to when he drops that bomb on me
“Wait. You know about Stefan?”
“Roman does,” corrects Aleks. “He suspected that one of our kind was working with one of yours. There have been rumors of a vampire being paid handsomely to do so, and that added to the border breaches had Roman on high alert. After the howl, he sent the patrol to search for the wolf. I’m sure you know why.”
He’s right. Idoknow. It wouldn’t matter if a shifter has permission to living amongst the vampires. Roman insists that we keep our supernatural status under wraps. He might look the other way for some reckless shifting, but making the unaware humans believe wild wolves are loose in the city? Yeah. Not Shane’s smartest idea.
“It was easy to track him to Stefan. The sunset spotter that let him in earlier recognized the fang. He’s already been taken in, his fate decided.” Aleks waits a beat. “Roman sentenced him to death for putting his greed over the safety of our community. By now, that fang your wolf wears will be ash. He won’t be welcomed into Muncie again.”
Wow. Looks like Dominic was a little wrong. When it came to a threat to his people, Roman could deliver justice as swiftly as any Alpha.
That doesn’t really bother me, though. If I could’ve gone after Shane earlier, if the fang hadn’t protected him, I would’ve done the same thing.
No. I’m more worried about how easy it was for Shane to work with a vampire to get to me.
Shifter packs are insular communities. We live together, hunt together, even trade together. We intermingle with the rest of the world only when we have to. Because of their diet, vampires coexist with humans better than shifters do. But when it comes down to the rivalry between our two kinds of supes, we hate each other. I don’t know the history of why we do, but ever since the last Claws and Fangs war two centuries ago, it’s just been a fact.
Then again, I guess it doesn’t matter who hates who. Money talks, right? Stefan sold his people out for a payday.
Well, that also explains how Shane made it through Muncie last time. Not to mention the wolf who I caught scent of outside of Charlie’s all those weeks ago. I didn’t recognize the scent, but if my bio-dad has found a way to make our noses useless, for all I know it washimwho’d been watching me that night.
Great going, Gem. Becausethat’s a thought I want to have right now.
“That’s one vamp, Aleks,” I tell him. My words are dull. Flat. I’ve lost most of my anger, the adrenaline leeching out, leaving me feeling utterly drained. “I found the wolf who paid off Stefan. He bragged about it, showed me the fang.”
“So Roman’s right. The other wolf came here for you, too.”
I never got to explain to Aleks who Shane was or what he wanted with me; first, because Aleks had left, then because it didn’t really have anything to do with him. It’s a shifter thing, and I doubted he could understand why a beta wolf would go to such lengths to force me into a mating even after he admitted that he doesn’t love me. His argument is that he doesn’thaveto love me. To get what he wants from me, he could be a loyal mate who might grow to love me in time.
Like, don’t do me any favors, right?
Aleks wouldn’t get it. If I told him about Shane, he’d automatically assume that he wanted to steal me away from Ryker because he’s in love with me—becauseAleksis.
Better to keep it in-pack than involve a vampire.
So, though it’s not quite the truth, it’s not exactly a lie when I tell him, “You could say that. He’s really after Ryker, but I’m just a pawn in his plan.”
Aleks huffs. “Of course it involves the Alpha, too. Let me guess: that still won’t have you seeing that I would be the better choice for you, will it?”
I wince. Not because he landed a blow with his words, or because I’d rather not hurt his feelings again, but because he said that right as Ryker appeared on the balcony. I can see my intended mate over his shoulder, and from the blank expression on his face, I know that Ryker was in time to hear Aleks’s question.
When I don’t answer, Aleks follows the direction of my gaze. He stares at Ryker just long enough to be rude without triggering a full-on Alpha challenge before turning back to face me.
“Gem? What is he doing here?”
I exhale roughly. “Shane’s his former Beta. I had to tell him that he was howling in Muncie.”
“I told you I would go to Roman and take care of it. Didn’t you trust me?”
I look up at Aleks, over his shoulder at Ryker, then back to my vampire roommate. “I trust you,” I make sure to tell him, “but you’re right. I’ll always choose Ryker. I called him because he needed to know, but I asked him to come see me because I needed him. I’m sorry.”
Aleks nods. One single, solemn nod. “I understand. In that case, I’ll leave you to him. If you don’t want my protection, there’s a whole city out there that does.”
Ouch.
* * *
Ryker doesn’t saya word until we’re out of earshot of the apartment.
