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Jace’s wolf eyes dart from me to the two halves of the vampire and back. The delta wolf gulps again, then nods. “You got it, Alpha.”
* * *
Our rideback to Muncie is a quiet one.
Less than an hour later, I finally pull up in front of the Alpha’s cabin. With a murmured “good night,” Jace slips out of the side of my Jeep. The sound of his sweatpants tearing to shreds is the last thing I hear before he bounds away. It’s obvious that, now that I’m home, he considers his duty done for the evening.
When I’m home, no one can touch me here.
After what happened in the Fang City, maybe he’ll finally realize that nothing and no one can touch me there, either.
Fat chance. After tonight’s events, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s more careful to keep watch over his Alpha’s unpredictable mate—especially because, knowing Ryker, he’ll put him up to it.
With a frustrated huff, I kill the engine of my Jeep. I’m not an idiot. Despite his agreement, I know that, as soon as he gets a chance, Jace will be reporting exactly what went down in Muncie to Ryker. The four guards might have sworn their loyalty to me in particular, but Ryker is the Alpha of our pack. How can we trust a packmate who keeps secrets from the Alpha?
Ugh.
I shove my keys in my pockets, giving my hands a cursory glance. Though I know it’s probably a fruitless gesture, I took a detour on the way up the mountain. Using my wolf’s snout as a guide, I followed her to a river of running water. Leaving my Jeep in the care of Jace, I washed the blood off my hands, using the curve of a single claw to dig out the dried blood buried beneath my human nails.
It won’t fool my mate, but I’d rather not walk into our shared cabin covered in blood if I can help it.
Peeking in my rearview mirror, I check my throat. I’d scrubbed the best I could at the riverside, but it was hard when I was still in the middle of healing. Now that the skin is fully knitted together, I see the splotches I missed.
Great. Just great.
Maybe I’ll get lucky. Maybe Ryker will still be in the den with the other council members and I can sneak past him before he sees what kind of state I’m in. I mean, it could happen, right?
Yeah. It doesn’t.
The second I let myself into the front door, Ryker is standing there with his arms crossed over his muscular chest. I can tell that I’m in for one hell of a lecture. Something about, “where the hell did you go?,” springs to mind.
I’m not looking forward to it.
Since I already know I’m in deep shit, I figure it couldn’t hurt to cut him off at the pass. “Okay. Don’t get mad, but—”
Oof. Probably not the best way to start the conversation.
“Don’t get mad?” His voice is deathly quiet. Uh-oh. “Barely an hour ago, my neck felt like it was on fire. I had to cut the pack meet short because I had a sudden feeling that you were in danger and I couldn’t concentrate. Now, you walk in here, covered in blood—”
“Most of it’s not mine,” I pipe up. “It’s the vampire who attacked me and Jace. But it’s okay. I won the fight.”
Hopefully that will help. I doubt it, though, especially since I’m reeling at what Ryker just said. An hour ago his neck was on fire… right around the time I let the vampire sink his fangs in my throat to lure him close. Ryker must’ve felt the shock of pain through our bond, and without knowing what was causing it, had probably thought the worst.
I cringe. Oops.
It’s obvious that my addition does not help him.
“You smell like vampire, Gemma.” His eyes flash, nostrils flaring as he searches past the overwhelming stink of iron and rust and meat that belongs to the vampire who killed me. “You smell like Filan.”
Uh-oh. With everything that happened after I left the apartment, I almost forgot about what we were doing in Muncie in the first place.
“Did you go see him?”
“Not exactly.” When Ryker stares at me, I throw my hands up. “I went to see if Aleks was at the apartment. I thought maybe someone should finally tell him what the hell my stupid birth father is up to since, Luna knows, you weren’t going to.”
Of course that pisses him off more. Forget that I look like I’ve gone a round or two with Dracula. I have Aleks’s scent on me. To my possessive mate, it’s the end of the freaking world.
“Ryker—”
