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“I’m… I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “I’m with Paxton. Why? What do you know?”
Dominic is the one who answers. “After you disappeared weeks ago, we realized we had walked into a trap. Someone paid Warner Overstreet to attack our pack. He brought the whole North Summit Pack down with him, but Tevin wasn’t with them. According to Tess’ friend, Tevin had already been gone for months. We haven’t been able to find him.
“Warner mentioned some rogues approached him with an offer to pay him for taking us out. The details beyond that weren’t clear, and none of the North Summit Pack wolves that survived knew anything about it.”
If I thought my head was spinning before, it’s nothing compared to now.
“I don’t like any of this.” I can hear Tess’ voice waver in a way I haven’t heard since she showed up at my doorstep at eighteen, heartbroken. It makes the pain in my chest multiply tenfold. “Tasha, you need to come stay with us. I don’t care if you ran away from being Luna Sovereign. You’re not safe out there around rogues.”
She isn’t telling me anything new. I haven’t trusted rogues since the moment a group of them killed my mate.
Paxton’s not just any rogue.My wolf isn’t as keen on Tess’ plan as I am.Tess and I are safer apart…for now.My wolf seems to know something I don’t, but whatever it is, she clearly doesn’t intend to share.
My wolf pulls back when I try to press for more. It feels like a betrayal by my own wolf, but one I can’t afford to dwell on at the moment while the situation around me feels incredibly unstable.
A strangled sound of frustration bursts out of me as I really consider my present circumstances. “I don’t think I can come there, Tess. Something isn’t right. A lot of somethings aren’t right. Until we know more, I think I might actually be safer where I am.”
I’m pretty sure with Zeke out of the picture, no one else will know where I am. It doesn’t seem like Paxton is a frequent visitor to Leah’s house. I don’t think anyone is looking for us here, otherwise he would have taken me somewhere else.
“What? Tasha, you’re not making any sense. If this is about Paxton—“
“It’s not.” I don’t think so. Everything is feeling a little fuzzy at the moment. “Call me if you learn anything new, and I’ll do the same.”
She starts to protest more, but I hang up the phone before she can try to change my mind. Tevin and I dedicated so much of our lives to protecting Tess because she was the baby. I’m not going to risk putting her in more danger now.
Whoever is willing to pay for us, I’m not interested in making it easy by putting us all in one place. No. First, I need answers. Starting with where the hell my brother has gone.
8
Paxton
She has no idea I’m watching her. She’s too distracted, too lost in her own thoughts to notice me hovering in the doorway, staring at her like the creep she claims me to be.
Taking care of Zeke took no time at all. She did quite the number on him with that odd power of hers. I desperately want to ask her about it, but she seemed shaken up by the whole thing. Even now, her face is pale, and she wrings her hands together. I’m not sure she even understands that power herself, considering the worried way her eyebrows are knit downward as she stares blankly in front of her.
Her sister has it too. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
I didn’t expect it, but someone out there must already know. According to Zeke, there are people willing to pay good money to get their hands on the Jarreaus. I overheard what Dominic said about their brother vanishing. It makes me wonder if he knows more than his sisters. I can only hope he’s somewhere safe.
I have an idea of the weight of Tasha’s grief already; I’m not sure she can survive losing anyone else.
“Tasha?”
She turns slowly to face me, not at all startled. Maybe she knew I was watching her after all. Her face flickers between relief, curiosity, and fear. I know she’s wondering what happened with Zeke. I’m not sure if I should tell her.
I’ve never had to consider someone else’s feelings before.
I open my mouth to tell her Zeke is dead, but something else entirely bursts out of me. “I’ll never leave you alone with anyone else ever again.”
She blinks once and then scowls at me. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I’m alone with people all the time and manage not to get attacked. In fact, I was never in danger at all until you came along. The Sovereign Pack is the safest place for me if someone’s really after my family.”
“If I could get to you there, then so could anyone else.” I keep my voice level and hope she believes that lie. I’m not sure anyone else would be quite as motivated to get to her as I was.
I took risks that no amount of money would be worth. If any of the Sovereign Pack saw me step foot on their land, it would be certain death. And I did it anyway. For her.
Anyone after a Jarreau would probably try their luck with Dominic before they’d test the Sovereign Pack.
Tasha sets the phone down so she can wrap both arms tightly around herself. These past several weeks have scared her, and I’m so desperate to comfort her that I take a step forward.
