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I can’t help but laugh. Unlike my sister, I make no effort to hide my words. “You don’t even know half of it. I’m afraid I might be stuck with this particular asshole.”
I can see the question in Tess’ eyes, but then Paxton reaches us and takes up a position next to me, arms crossed over his chest defensively. The guy still doesn’t have a freaking shirt on, and even I can admit he looks pretty intimidating standing there with his muscles on display.
It’s not the muscles that Tess gapes at though. I glance away uncomfortably, too nervous to see her reaction. “Is that… Holy shit.”
“Yeah.” Paxton smirks, running his hand over his mark, in a move I know he intends to ensure there’s no mistaking what they’re talking about.
I bite back the urge to tell my baby sister to stop cursing like a sailor. Dominic has obviously been rubbing off on her because she isn’t a quiet little girl anymore. Not that I’m complaining. He’s made her stronger—the way a mate should.
I swallow down jealousy over their connection. I have no right to be jealous; I had that connection with Jimmy too. It isn’t Tess’ fault the fates decided to send me a thorn in my side as a replacement.
Peter comes out to join us—just like we planned—the book of birth records that I promised Poppy in his hands. “Are we ready?” he asks.
“Ready for what?” Paxton looks between all of us like someone’s going to fill him in, but no one does. Peter brushes past Paxton’s elbow and heads toward Dominic and the car. Tess grabs my arm and drags me along. We make it all of two steps before Paxton grabs me around the waist and yanks me away from Tess. “Someone tell me what the hell is going on.”
I knew the chances of us leaving without having to answer to Paxton were low. Funny how he didn’t really want to be involved but also doesn’t want to be left out either.
I step out of his grasp and turn to face him. “I’m bringing the Glass family to the Anchorage Lake Pack for protection. The twins, Kate and Kaya, live closest to here, and they’re going to be arriving soon. Peter and I are going down to meet them.” Paxton opens his mouth to protest, but I cut him off. “Don’t worry, no one expects you to be involved.”
I try to move toward the car again. Peter is climbing into the backseat already, but Dominic and Tess keep their eyes on me. This time, Paxton doesn’t need to grab me to stop me in my path.
“This is bullshit, Tasha,” he spits at my back. “It’s my family, and it should have been my choice.”
I whirl on him, waving my finger in his face because I’m so irrationally mad at him right now, manners are out the window. “Your choice would have been to leave your siblings scattered, even if it means leaving them to die. Maybe you’re fine with that possibility on your conscience, but I answer to something bigger than the two of us. My whole job is to listen to my instincts, and my instincts are telling me that our world isn’t currently safe for rogues.
“Do you really think anyone who knows anything about shifters would expect a lone rogue—or even a small group of them—to successfully take a wolf out from a pack, or from the Luna Sovereign house, without raising major red flags? Someone’s manipulating the rogues into a state of chaos, Paxton, and I’m not going to stand around and let your family become a casualty of that.”
I stop speaking long enough to catch my breath, but not long enough for him to get a word in. I cut him off as he opens his mouth to speak, his brow furrowed.
“No one asked you to come with us.” I pause and fix him with a pointed stare. “I know how much you prefer to be alone.”
This time, he says nothing as I move to the car, sliding into the backseat next to Peter. He stands and watches as Tess and Dominic silently join us, and the sound of the engine rumbling is the only thing that breaks up the silence as Dominic turns the car around to head down the road leading back to Anchorage Lake Pack territory.
I turn my head to watch out the back window as we leave Paxton behind. My wolf is whining so insistently inside of me that I clasp a hand over my mouth to make sure the sound doesn’t slip out. Her pain is so immense that I have no choice but to feel every agonizing bit of it too.
Tess holds her hand out to me from between the front seats as I turn back to face the front. “You’re doing the right thing, Tasha,” she reassures me.
I know she’s right, but it doesn’t negate the pain that floods my chest when the quiet is broken by a solitary howl filling the air.
* * *
“Poppy is finally here with Tobias and McKenna.” Tess leans in the doorway of the kitchen, her eyes following me as I pull my fifth batch of muffins out of the oven.
I hum an acknowledgement that I’ve heard her but don’t comment. I’m not second-guessing the choice to bring Paxton’s siblings here, but I am struggling with a serious case of overthinking. I keep beating myself up mentally that maybe I could have tried harder to get him on board. But since I can’t change the past, I’m burying myself in baking in a way that I haven’t had the privilege of doing in a while.
I forgot how amazing this oven is. Unlike the small one at the Sovereign Pack that always seems to run too hot, their double ovens are a baker’s dream. It’s a real shame Tess never picked up an interest in baking. Though I guess as Luna here, she has more important things to do all day anyway.
“Hey, I didn’t realize you’ve been working full-time with Dominic on construction stuff.” My sister might not be keen on joining me in the kitchen, but I overheard Dominic raving about her skills in the office earlier to Peter.
Tess blushes. “Dominic doesn’t love that I learned most of what I know from Callum, but he’s made a real place for me at the office. It’s helped with the pack too, them seeing me work the pack business.”
“I’m really happy for you both,” I tell her honestly. I’ll never forget the mess she was in when she showed up to stay with me after he rejected her, but he’s done nothing but prove himself worthy ever since. Their second chance together has turned out beautifully.
It’s hard to not compare our situations.
“Tasha, you have to stop.” Tess storms further into the kitchen and unceremoniously turns the oven off.
I frown at her. “I need that on.”
