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My gaze snapped to his, eyes widening. I was pretty sure my mouth popped open in shock. Jamison was a hard nut to crack on a good day. It was almost impossible to read him and he was one of my most protective Alphas.
I knew he wouldn't tolerate anyone disrespecting me—accidentally or otherwise—but I was surprised by how fiercely he defended me when another Alpha tried to leave me out of a conversation that he himself wished to avoid.
He wanted to shelter me from the raw, gritty details that were sure to stress me out. It was his way of protecting me, and I understood it, even though I disagreed.
That he’d truly heard what I’d said the other day and taken it to heart warmed my own. Right now, in this moment, he was proving he’d not only listened, but recognized where I was coming from and why it was important to me.
I was a gaping mess as he continued, “And since these matters directly affect her, we believe she has every right to be a part of the decisions made going forward.”
Be still my heart…
“I commend you for your progressive thinking. Alas, I am a bit more of a traditionalist, but if you approve, then I’ll answer your mate’s question.” Emilio inclined his head in defeat, then locked his attention on me. “So as not to incriminate myself, let me just say that the actions taken against my daughter will not stand. We will be looking for the right moment topay our respectsto our so-called mayor and his band of merry misfits. Does that bother you, my dear? I have heard through the grapevine you used to court them.”
“Another decision that wasn’t of my making,” I clipped. “And if I’m blunt in return… No. It doesn’t bother me in the least. Karma’s a bitch.”
The answer had burst out of me with an angry lilt, but I found the sentiment truthful. I didn’t care what happened to Anton, Huck, and Reed as long as they got their just rewards. Lock them behind bars or spill their blood. I just wanted them gone.
Arrivederci, assholes.
Maybe it should have scared me that I felt so disconnected. These people were flesh and blood, but at this point, I was so jaded and fearful, I just wanted the threat they posed removed. For good.
I didn’t want to deal with them anymore, and I didn’t want to spend my life looking over my shoulder, afraid of the shadows.
Emilio smiled at me, then eyed my pack. “Perhaps my traditionalist views need to bend. She is a firecracker, this one. Much like my Julia.” Wrapping things up, he nodded toward Jamison. “My offer still stands. And on that note, we have another meeting to get to.”
With a fond goodbye, we waved Julia off. I watched the cars until the last one disappeared down the drive. My fingers were still tightly clamped around the piece of paper Adeline had shoved into my hand. Smoothing out the creases, I gazed down at the scribbled name and phone number.
“You okay?” Thane asked, stepping to my side and rubbing a hand up and down my back.
I folded the paper up and slid it carefully into the pocket of my jeans.
Turning, I wrapped my arms around his middle and rested my cheek over his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat.
“No,” I admitted truthfully, “But I will be.”
sixteen
HADES
I climbedthe narrow steps that led to the widow’s walk above the house, trying to figure out where Demi had run off to.
I’d woken to find the spot she’d fallen asleep in empty. Like a roundhouse kick to my already broken ribs, it had jolted me awake, sending worry through my veins. Hand skimming the sheets, I’d discovered the slight Demi-shaped indent losing its warmth. Wherever she’d disappeared to, she hadn’t been gone long. Sitting up, I’d searched the lumps of my packmates beneath the tangle of blankets, trying to see if she’d snuck off to cuddle with one of the others, but she wasn’t there.
I’d immediately jumped out of bed to search the house, finding the kitchen, living room, and media rooms still and quiet.
Stressed, heart beating a little faster the longer I went without locating her, I’d taken the stairs two at a time and checked every damn guest bedroom, every pseudo nest that overlooked the ocean, and even got nosey enough to peek into the bathrooms. When I’d discovered the decks and hot tub were also empty, there was only one place left to check.
And if she wasn’t there, I was going to lose my absolute shit.
I squeezed my large frame the rest of the way up the too-small staircase, shivering as the wind whipped around me. This high up, the breeze coming off the ocean cut right through you.
Fuck, it’s cold up here.
But all thoughts of being uncomfortable fled at the sight of Demi standing by the railing, picking at the chipped paint, framed against the dawn sky. I huffed out a breath of relief.
The sun warmed the horizon, painting the world in an array of fiery colors that brought out the copper highlights in her otherwise dark brown hair. Framed by the clouds with the stretch of ocean beyond, she looked ethereal.
My angel.
