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Her smile was mild, as if we were businesspeople discussing a transaction. “Both.” She leaned in. “The man you’ve gotten your fangs into is a wolf. An animal. You need to grow up and face the truth. Maybe Connor likes you. Hell, maybe he loves you. Doesn’t matter. The Pack will never accept you. You should step aside. Do you even care what you’re doing to the Pack? What that will do to Connor?”
It was a question I didn’t like, but it also wasn’t the first time Connor and I had discussed it. “Doesn’t that help your cause?” I asked. “Increase the odds the Pack rejects him as Apex?”
“It’s useful in one scenario,” she said with a sly smile. “But I’m also considering taking the more direct route. Taking him for myself.”
Monster and I became enraged at the same moment. “Lay a finger on him,” I said, and felt my eyes silver, “and you will feel my wrath.”
She snorted. “As if there’s any chance he’d pick a vampire over the Pack. He just hasn’t met the right shifter yet.”
I gave her a flat stare. “And you think you’re that one? A shifter who’s trying to break the Pack apart instead of focusing on getting the Apex back? On getting his mother back? Do you think he’s going to thank you for that?”
It was her turn to look furious.
“Spoiled little vampire,” she said, stalking toward me, her eyes flashing gold like a wolf in the night. “Too used to getting what you want. We’re going to change that. And you’ll never interfere with the Pack again.”
She turned and left, leaving her last words floating in the air.
“Fucking shifters,” I said loud enough that the admin poked her head around the doorway.
“Everything okay?”
No, I thought. No, it really wasn’t. But it wasn’t her fault, so I gave her a nod. “Fine, thanks.”
I needed air. I waited until Breonna was gone, then walked outside to a spot beneath some trees—where I couldn’t be seen by anyone else—and breathed. I needed darkness and cool air and the sounds of creatures scurrying in darkness, a reminder that drama and treachery weren’t the only parts of life.
***
When I was calmer, I went back inside. Gwen was already gone, and Roger was back in his office. Theo and Petra were at workstations and swiveled around at my entrance.
“What’s the story?” Theo asked.
“Basically, she told me to drop Connor so she could have him, which is her backup plan in case the interlopers don’t win the Pack the old-fashioned way.” And I was going to have to warn Connor about the nonsense, which just infuriated me more.
“What the hell?” Petra said. “Do they not have enough going on? That’s such an asshole move.”
Theo leaned forward. “Want me to have Gwen pull her over for bad plates or something?”
“No,” I said with a smile. “But I appreciate the gesture. You’re the best coworkers a girl could have.” I sat down at my workstation, shoulders slumped. “Sometimes it feels like we’re pieces on a chessboard. People using us to get to our parents. To get revenge on our parents. To take the place of our parents.”
Petra made a sound of agreement, and I looked at her. “Did you have drama, too?” I asked.
“Well, sure. I love my parents, but they both have magic. Therewere plenty of expectations about what I should be able to do. And how much control I should have.”
“ ‘Should’ can do a lot of damage,” I said, thinking of what Breonna had said.You should step aside.
“So,” Theo said, “are all kids of powerful parents or grandparents just destined to have supernatural drama?”
“You mean, did our parents screw us up?” I asked with a smile. “Or did we do it to ourselves?”
Petra snorted. “Objection. I’m not screwed up. I’m just... a Sup.”
Theo snorted. “That sums it up pretty well. So let’s get back to work and prove them all wrong. Who wants what?”
“I’ve got Armin,” Petra said.
“I’ll dig into this ward pattern idea,” Theo said. “Maybe there’s some thread that links them all.”
“I’ll continue the eternal search for the sigil,” I said. And turned back to my screen.
