AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Mrs Dawes,’ I called over the rising noise level. ‘Could you provide breakfast for everyone? Noah, perhaps you could do a pastry run.’
Noah jumped to his feet. ‘I’m on it.’
The pack separated into its natural friendship groups. Archie and Thea were sitting off by one of the window seats, and I made a beeline towards them.
Chapter 27
‘Isittoonoisy?’I asked Jess as we walked over, worried she wouldn’t be able to use her lie detector skills with all the hullabaloo.
‘That’s not how it works.’ She grinned. ‘We’re good.’
‘Hey, Archie, Thea,’ I said. ‘Thea, this is my friend, Jess.’
‘Nice to meet you.’ Thea gave Jess a wobbly smile.
Archie gave her a wider one. ‘Hey, Jinx, it’s good to see you.’ Before she could react, he pulled her into a big hug.
‘I’m sorry about your dad,’ I heard her whisper.
He nodded, his face against hers. ‘Me too.’
They stepped back and we all pretended not to notice Archie swipe at his eyes. I wanted to offer comfort or a tissue, but I didn’t think his machismo would take it. For all we’re in the modern world, the old adage ‘boys don’t cry’ is still in toxic circulation.
‘So,’ Jess turned to Thea brightly, acting for all the world as if she wanted to change the subject, despite her hand lingering on Archie’s arm. ‘I hear you want to join Lucy’s pack.’
‘Yes. I’m looking forward to being somewhere other than Devon.’
‘Sure,’ Jess joked. ‘All those beautiful beaches and afternoon teas get old.’
‘Not those, but violent, controlling alphas certainly lose their appeal,’ Thea said drily, with the first hint of backbone I’d seen. She was watching Jess’s hand on Archie.
Jess noticed and let her hand fall away. ‘I’m sorry to hear that. I thought your brother was the alpha?’
Thea reddened. She’d lied and told me Beckett was her cousin; now she’d been found out. She swallowed hard. ‘He is,’ she admitted. She looked at me. ‘I’m sorry I said he was my cousin. I didn’t think you’d let me in if you knew I was his sister.’
‘He’s your brother, and he’s controlling and violent to you?’ Jess sounded shocked.
‘To everyone. It’s not personal; it’s just his way. Our parents weren’t enlightened werewolves, they were very traditional.’ She said it without recrimination.
‘Why do you really want to join us?’ I asked.
‘A lot of reasons. By all accounts you’re not controlling and violent to your wolves, so that’s a big plus.’
I decided to change tack. ‘When everyone thought I’d been taken, you didn’t shift – why not?’
She winced and slid a reluctant glance at Archie before pushing back her shoulders and lifting her chin. ‘I can’t shift anymore.’
I’d liked Thea since I met her, but I couldn’t help wondering for a second if she was the witch who’d been stealing magic to help her shift. It made sense. I looked down at her nails. The only clue I had, courtesy of the children, was that the witch had turquoise-painted nails. Relief washed over me at the sight of Thea’s nails: they were bitten to the quick with not a trace of polish. The elusive witchy bitch wasn’t Thea.
I needed to find that witch, whoever she was, so that I knew this episode was completely over. She was on my shit list. I was going to track her down and end the threat to the pack one way or another.
‘What?’ Archie blurted, eyes wide in horror. ‘You can’t shift? I’ve never heard of that happening.’
‘My wolf refuses to come.’ Thea shrugged like it was no big deal, but she wasn’t fooling anyone.
‘Can you feel her at all?’ I asked, trying to hide my own horror. I couldn’t imagine Esme not riding shotgun.
‘Yes, she’s there. She just won’t come out.’
