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Sam’s eyes narrowed into slits as he watched my defiance toward him, questioning his leadership in front of other pack members. His lips curled in disgust, and he leaned close to my face—close enough I could feel his hot breath blow against my nose and cheeks. “We are having the funerals tomorrow. If you have an issue with that, you’re free to leave the warehouse. Dolosus Maga.”
Everyone around me gasped, and Griffin lunged forward, ready to swing at Sam. I had no idea what he’d said, but apparently, it was bad.
“The fuck did you just say to her?” Griffin shouted from behind Ember and Liam’s arms that held him back.
Sam held a triumphant smile, filled with arrogance. “You heard me.”
Griffin pushed past Ember, standing mere centimeters away from Sam, ready to pound into his flesh at any given moment. Everyone around us tensed, and the room grew so quiet, you could hear a pin drop on the carpet.
In a low, threatening tone, Griffin grumbled, “You don’t speak to her like that. Do it again, and I will tear out your insides and put them on display for your whole pack to see.”
Sam wasn’t intimidated. If anything, it fueled him further. “I’d like to see you try.” He turned away from Griffin and took a few steps outside of our small circle. “Just like your pack, you’re a ravenous beast. You don’t deserve to be here at the warehouse with the real wolves. Go back home to your mutts, little doggy, and let the big wolves handle your girlfriend.”
Griffin punched him in the face, the action so quick and with such force, I heard a crack from Sam’s now crooked nose. Blood poured down his face, and he snarled at Griffin with large fangs.
“Get him out of here. You’re not welcome at our warehouse, mutt. Go back to your pack. It’s your fault they came here to begin with, and we don’t need any more trouble from you, Langston.”
Griffin had been ripped away from Sam by two other wolves. He thrashed in their grasps, waving his fists in the air, clawing at Sam. He growled and snarled, but after a moment, he relented.
“Just wait until Cassian wakes up and hears about how his precious beta runs his pack.” Griffin turned away, muttering, “I’m out of here.” He stalked out of the warehouse and to his motorcycle outside.
“Good. You were never wanted here, mutt,” Sam shouted, crying out in the middle as a few other pack members set his broken nose with a loud crunch.
I shot Sam a scolding glare. “We aren’t finished here,” I said before I ran after Griffin, calling for him to slow down, though he didn’t listen. His large stride took him further away at a quick pace that was difficult to keep up with. I worried I might not catch up before he left.
“Griffin, stop!”
He finally listened, turning around to face me now that we were outside alone. “What, Emily? What do you want?”
“I want you to chill out for a minute. Don’t leave, please.” He opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off. “Look, I don’t know what Sam called me back there, but it’s alright—”
“No, it’s not alright! Dolosus Maga is an ancient slur among the wolves. It means deceitful witch. It’s a term that wolves use for witches they think aren’t even worthy of licking the scum off their shoes. Like the ‘n-word’ of the human world,” he said, putting it in terms I could understand.
I felt my eyes grow wide, tearing up from the sharp air that battered against them in the breeze. Was I shocked that Sam would use such foul language? Absolutely. I knew he wasn’t my number one fan, but to use a word filled with such hate and vileness… I figured Cassian’s second-in-command would be better than that. I’d had no idea he held that much contempt for me.
“Okay, so Sam’s a bigot,” I reasoned, shrugging. “But please, stay.”
Griffin slumped his shoulders, sighing hard. “I can’t. They want me gone. As much as I would love to piss off Sam, to stay would be disrespectful to the others. Besides, he’s right. It’s my fault Kellan attacked. My fault Grace and the others are dead and Cassian’s in a coma…”
He turned his head, but I grabbed his face and forced him to look at me, heat pooling in my palms at the touch. “It is not your fault. You had nothing to do with the attack, and you have been nothing but helpful since. You’ve kept guard and done everything Sam’s asked you to do, even when the other wolves treated you like garbage. To hell with all of them. Let me grab my bag, and I’ll leave with you,” I said, turning to run back to the warehouse.
Griffin grabbed my arm, stopping me mid-step. “No. You need to stay here. Watch over Cassian, he needs someone to have his back right now. Especially with Mr. Power Hungry taking control.” He gestured toward the warehouse with his thumb.
I argued that I should leave with him—that they clearly didn’t want me there, either, and I’d overstayed my welcome—but it didn’t matter because he’d already made his mind up, and I was staying.
“Just call me when Cass wakes up,” he said, putting on his helmet. “I’ll see you later.”
He didn’t even wait for me to say bye or hug him—nothing. Nope, he just peeled out of there; the rumble of his motorcycle fading as he disappeared down the road.
Great.
Now, both my mates were gone, leaving only Ember and me to deal with the chaos.
But I would get them back—both of them. They’re my mates, and I’ll be damned if I let them leave me.
