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Violet had to play the words back twice to grasp the casual indifference with which he saidlikely destruction, as if he weren’t talking about murder. It was only her goals, her unyielding need to see Lila and to get to the truth about Kane so she and Mikel were no longer haunted, that gave her the strength to hold her tongue and simply say, “Yes.”
“And you’re aware that leaving the community is a privilege, not a right, and it may be revoked at any time, and that any actions performed outside deemed harmful or destructive to the Bluff by the elder council and the alpha are punishable to the highest degree?”
That turned her stomach.
“Yes.”
He pointed a remote to the wall behind him and clicked a button. Red had prepared her for this. Violet took a deep breath.
“Cloak your eyes, please.”
She found that mental place she’d carved out. Red said hers was a field near the house she’d grown up in, the smell of her granny’s apple pie, and Daniella’s face after their mating day.
Violet’s was just Mikel, the strong steady energy that lived around him that had made her feel grounded, protected, and stable for the first time since she lost her mom. It was the care with which he touched her, the softness, all the humor and the little things, and his stupid reading glasses. She clung to all that, breathed slowly, and let the images on the projector wash over her but never get inside.
Sex—men, women—wolves, then fire and thunder, then fighting, wolves tearing each other apart, then people. A gunshot rang out and made her jump, but Violet held tight to her mental anchor ofMikeland the color the sunlight painted their bedsheets in the morning when he held her and stroked long lines over her skin with his work-rough hands. Across the desk, the man watched her unflinchingly.
Finally, the projector clicked off.
“All right, Ms. Davis, you’re all set. Here’s your new phone.”
It was absolutely surreal to watch him open the top drawer of the desk and produce the latest Apple iPhone, still in the box. He noted the serial number in the computer and slid it over to her.
“It will only call numbers within the community. Internet access is limited. No social media or messaging services, no apps. You can search for videos or information but not comment or interact. Passive usage, if you will. Do you have any questions?”
“Am I approved to leave?”
“Yes, I already input your information into the system. When you reach a checkpoint, the attendant will be able to find you on the list. Mr. Davis will get a courtesy call sometime today to inform him that you’ve passed your test and have been given leaving privileges and a phone, and you’re good to go.”
“Perfect.” She managed to smile at him, but inside she was grimacing and cursing.
They stood, and Violet followed him politely back down the halls, deciding that maybe the universe would be kind, and Mikel wouldn’t get the call until she was back, or at least until she was on the road.
“You have a good day, ma’am,” the official bid her. Then, Violet was crossing the lobby and stepping back out into the cool, early January sun.
Striding down the street with the van keys in hand should have felt like freedom—she should have been excited that seeing her sister was just hours away—yet she couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in her gut.
Shewascoming back, Violet reminded herself, glancing both ways and moving quickly across the street. She owed it to Mikel and Red not to leave them in a bunch of trouble, and she liked her life here, a smaller part of her rationalized. She liked her life with Mikel.
“Hey, that your van?” a man called out from behind her, and her brain snapped to more immediate concerns. He was sandy haired and blue eyed, a smile on his face she thought was supposed to be reassuring.
“Yeah, why?” she snapped. She didn’t have the time or mental energy to deal with overly interested guys.
“You’re missing a windshield wiper. Might want to grab one in the next few days. Big storm coming this weekend.”
Violet blinked at him. That was not what she’d expected.
“Uh, yeah, thanks.”
“No problem. Hey, you’re new to town, right? Mikel’s girl?”
Part of her preened at beingMikel’s girl, and part of her still wanted to snap and snarl over it and insist she was herownperson. “Yeah,” she agreed because she didn’t have the time to get into it.
“Cool. All right, well, don’t forget those wipers.” He raised a hand in farewell, passed by her and the van, and continued walking.
Thankful to be done with him, Violet climbed up into the cab and realized with a start how long it had been since she’d actually driven. The engine rumbled to life, and she made quick work of pulling the seat forward and tilting the rearview mirror down. She’d also never driven anything of this size.
The thought of Lila and answers spurred her to put it in drive, creep carefully out into traffic, and proceed down Main. Her mind raced the entire short drive to the exit, her new phone still sitting in its box on the seat beside her.
