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That evening, we share dinner together in the kitchen before hanging out in the office for another hour or so. Then, around seven, I’m kicked out of the den.
That’s a snarky way of saying that Ryker scheduled a meeting for his inner council. When I accuse him of giving me the boot, I’m totally teasing. Trust me. I don’t mind that he’s busy, and I’m quick to refuse when he says I’m more than welcome to stick around.
No, thanks. Ryker’s council business is strictly Alpha territory. If I wanted to know what the meet’s about, I’m sure I could have asked, but—like my memories of the den—I’m still a bit bitter when it comes to the council. There are seven members aside from Ryker, and my mate personally vetted all of them after what happened with Shane. They’re trustworthy and loyal. I just think most of them are dicks.
I mean, you gotta be a dick to pull a hood over a poisoned shifter’s head, carry her like she’s a sack of potatoes, then throw her to an alpha suffering from the moon fever, right?
Dicks, all seven of them—
Hey. Wait a second.
My four guards make up more than half of the seven members. And if Ryker called an emergency meeting in the den for the whole council…
From what he told me, he expects the meeting to go for a couple of hours at least. What are the odds that he excused all four of my guards from such a sudden council meeting so that they could be my baby-sitters again?
Not great. Not great at all.
Ha!
When I leave him in the den, I know Ryker is expecting me to head toward our side of the cabin—and I do. I make a quick pitstop inside to grab my keys before I pop back outsider and start jogging toward to where I keep my baby.
Taking a run along the outskirts of Mountainside territory was pushing it for my mate. If I told him that what I really wanted to do was stop by and visit my friends in Muncie, he’d have a freaking conniption.
So I’m just not going to tell him. And if I can make it back before the meeting is done, he’ll never have to know.
Hey. Sounds like a plan to me.
* * *
I’m barelyto the path that leads down the mountain when I sense a very familiar wolf on my tail. I want to beat my head against my headrest.
I’m caught. And while my Jeep is fast, I’ve learned not to underestimate a determined shifter. If he’s caught wind of me trying to leave, he’s going to chase after me no matter what it takes.
Freaking wonderful.
The way I see it, I’ve got two choices: I can floor it and hope that I manage to outrace a wolf, leaving Jace to slink back to Accalia with his tail between his legs, or I can lead him into Muncie and risk another reenactment of the Claws and Fangs war.
Roman, the leader of the vampire-run Cadre, reluctantly accepts that I’ve made the Fang City my home. And, sure, my welcome might be strained considering how I left the state of my relationship with Aleks, but I live there. I have a life there.
Jace doesn’t.
And if he goes without me…
Huffing out a breath, I slam on my brakes. I don’t kill my lights, leaving myself a sitting target in the middle of the dirt trail.
I cross my arms in front of my chest, tapping my nails against my bicep. I give him to the count of five.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four—
A twig snaps. The air shifts, slamming me with the scent I’ve gotten to know so well. The brindled wolf is snuffling softly as Jace moves out of the shadows of the trees, hanging his head as he pads toward the side of my jeep.
I’m caught, but so is the head of my guard.
