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I hadn’t told him anything about the case simply because I wasn’t sure I could trust him not to tell my father. Damon was my guard, but he was my father’s man. He was a Longbow wolf through and through.
“Eli,” he prompted, his gruff voice betraying his lack of patience.
“How do you even know who she is?” I asked instead of answering.
Damon rolled his dark eyes and folded his arms over his broad chest. “Because you were coordinating some of Remus’ wolves to tail her, and I’m not an idiot?” he replied, raising a brow. “Don’t insult me, Eli.”
I huffed but couldn’t argue the point. Obviously, I hadn’t sent my own man after her when I had been concerned she was trying to cause trouble for Remus’ family, but it was probably foolish of me to think none of them would speak to Damon — or vice versa. When I didn’t say anything else, Damon grumbled again. “Your father ordered me to investigate her. He was worried she was snooping around Remus.”
Damnit. I had started that, hadn’t I?
“She’s not a threat,” I stated, shaking my head. “I’ve already looked into her.”
Damon returned to staring at me, amusement written across his worn face. “You should have shared that information, you know.”
I shrugged.
My guard sighed heavily. “I couldn’t get any information on her. You should be careful with her, Eli. Even if she doesn’t seem dangerous…”
“She’s not,” I snapped, my patience quickly running out.
“Eli,” he rumbled, looking at me like I was being particularly dense. “You are the sole heir to an incredibly wealthy pack — and your father has made no secret of Longbow’s power, even here in America. Even if you aren’t interested in finding your fated mate,which is fine, you need to be careful who you associate with. Some women just want —”
“Damon!” I snapped, surprised and offended he’d even bring that up with me. He’d never commented on who I spent my time with before;what the hell has changed?Over the past few years, I’d made a habit of specifically picking women who either pissed me off or were sure would piss my father off. Iris, meanwhile, had far better manners than any of them and clearly a much more pleasant personality. “I have had a very pleasant conversation with her,” I growled, feeling the need to defend Iris when she wasn’t here to defend herself. “And for the record, she hasn’t asked once about my money, my father’s money, or even so much as put a move on me.” The same certainly couldn’t be said for Hannah — she had her mitts all over me — so why wasn’t Damon asking about her? Because her family was wealthy? Because her father was a new client? “I assure you, myvirtueis entirely intact.”
Damon eyed me for several long moments before he snorted, shaking his head. “Your virtue, huh?”
I rolled my eyes as he chuckled. “What’s left of it, anyway,” I amended, looking back at Damon. “What I do with my personal time is none of your business.”
“When you start sneaking off to see the same person, it becomes my business.”
How the hell— Whatever. It doesn’t matter.My irritation spiked quickly; my wolf rumbled his warning, ears flattening against his skull. “I needed and appreciated your protection when I was a boy, Damon, but I am a grown man, and I have been for a while now.” More than that, I am an alpha. A powerful alpha. “I do not need to be watched over like I’m still a toddler, and I definitely do not need my every move reported back to my father.” I took a deep breath, trying to keep the anger out of my voice. “I appreciate your service, Damon, but I won’t be needing it any longer. I’m sure my father will have another assignment for you in no time.”
Though Damon seemedto accept my decision without a word otherwise, it took me several moments to get my emotions back under control. It was unclear if the man was just humoring me or allowing me to make my own choices. But I was done with being treated like a child, and I damn well couldn’t go marching back into the party huffing and puffing like a toddler who didn’t get his way. Once I had settled my temper, I went back inside to look for Iris — but she wasn’t where I left her.
Finding her didn’t take long since a group of men surrounded her. My wolf surged to the surface; I expected his rage at seeing it, but the only thing he expressed was an extreme concern. I frowned, quickening my pace when I realized Iris looked pale. Like she was having trouble breathing. One of the men was leaning towards her with furrowed brows.
“Hey, miss? You okay?” he was saying.
I shoved my way past him, ignoring his little growl. It died in his throat as soon as I turned to glare, wrapping my arm around Iris. “Let’s go get some air,” I said loudly, baring my teeth at anyone who dared step foot in our path as I escorted her toward the front door. The back door was closer, but I knew that the loud music and dancing happening in the backyard wouldn’t help.
Once we got outside, I eased Iris to the lawn, helping her sit down on the grass. Fortunately, there was no one out front, and the cars lining the street protected her from the view of anyone passing by. She didn’t say anything but pulled her knees a little closer, ducking her head as she wheezed.
“Iris?” I asked. I wasn’t going to ask her if she was okay — obviously, she wasn’t, but… “Iris, what’s wrong?” I had no idea. My wolf whined uneasily, pressing his ears forward before flicking them back, the worry as heavy in his chest as it was mine.
I reached forward and put a hand on her knee, but she didn’t even seem to register it. “Iris,” I prompted again. My stomach felt like a bottomless pit. “Iris. Iris, can you hear me?”
She kept breathing raspy and stared forward vacantly.
Shit.
Not knowing what else to do, I reached forward carefully, tucking one finger under her chin. As I gently lifted her gaze to meet mine, I let a hint of red color my eyes. “Iris,” I rumbled as gently as possible, “look at me.”
She blinked rapidly a few times before her gaze focused. I gave her a small smile as she seemed to recognize me, the hand on her knee squeezing gently. “That’s a good girl,” I murmured, trying to send her as many warm, comforting thoughts as I could. “I need you to just focus on me, okay?”
She still didn’t seem to be able to answer, but Iris gave the tiniest nod. I smiled again. “Just mirror my breathing, okay?”
Iris didn’t answer, but as I inhaled, she inhaled. I held, she held. I exhaled, she exhaled. Someone had taught me square breathing when I was much younger, and at the moment, I was incredibly grateful. After a few cycles of breaths, Iris gave herself a little shake. I leaned back and closed my eyes, willing the red out of my vision.
