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“Riverton.”
I nod, tugging the hem of the shirt down. It makes sense that we’d have the meeting there, since the Riverton pack’s Luna is Alpha Cole’s sister. The remote area of the Colorado wilderness we live in is divided into six territories for the six shifter packs that reside here, collectively called-you guessed it- the six-pack. The packs came together decades ago, long before I was born, to form an alliance. Norbury and Riverton are on the north end, Goldenleaf and Stillwater in the middle, and Summervale and Westfield to the south.
My old man was Alpha of the Goldenleaf pack, and he stepped down to pass the title onto me a couple of years ago. Now I’m the one in charge of keeping our pack safe, which is why I have to head to this damn council meeting in the middle of the night, to discuss with the rest of the six-pack alphas how we’re going to handle this hunter situation. Though the Denver pack is across the state, we’re aligned with them, too- and if there are hunters in Denver, it’s possible they could make their way north and find our territory.
I cover up my messy bedhead with a backwards hat, slide my feet into a pair of sneakers, and shove my cell phone into the pocket of my sweats.
“Okay, what do we know so far?” I ask as I start for the door, my twin keeping pace with me.
“Two of their wolves were shot by hunters,” Avery provides as we slip into the hall.
“Why were they out past curfew?” I growl, hitting the landing and taking the stairs two at a time. “How did they get by their patrols?”
“Don’t know. Should we get Mom and Dad?”
I pause at the bottom of the stairs, swinging my gaze to my sister and considering for a moment. “Nah,” I decide with a shake of my head. “Let ‘em sleep. We’ll fill them in in the morning.”
Avery nods slowly. We’re still getting used to this packhouse being ours, since our parents moved next door after they stepped down from their positions as Alpha and Luna. Hell, I’ve been at this job for two years now, and sometimes my first instinct is still to go to my dad when there’s a threat.
My sister draws a shallow breath as she stares at me, her big brown eyes rounded in fear. “Madd, do you think…” she trails off, chewing on the inside of her cheek. “It’s happening again, isn’t it.”
It’s not a question. From the resignation in her voice, she knows.
“Fuck,” I mutter, starting for the front door and grabbing the keys to my Jeep from the bowl on the kitchen island along the way. “Come on.”
We climb into the Jeep and I fire it up, tires screaming against the pavement as I floor it out of the packhouse driveway.
“You know what this means, right?” Avery asks, looking over at me hesitantly as I pull onto the street. “If the hunters are back, it’s not safe there anymore. Sloane…”
“Don’t,” I snap.
Avery heaves a sigh. “She’ll have to come back, Madd. You know she will.”
I grind my molars, the muscle in my jaw ticking. Although my eyes are intently focused on the road ahead, I can feel my sister’s stare on the side of my face, gauging my reaction.
“Are you ready for that?” she asks tentatively.
“Not my pack, not my problem,” I grumble, hitting the gas to speed up.
“You won’t be able to avoid her forever. She’s got a place in squad leadership by birthright.”
I flex my grip around the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white.
Sloane Masters.The mere mention of her name is enough to send me spiraling, but the thought of her coming back…
At one point, it was all I’d ever hoped for. Sloane is only a couple months younger than Avery and me, and when we were kids, the three of us were inseparable. Our parents say that when we were toddlers, they’d put us down for a nap and come back to find the three of us snuggled up in the same crib, like we couldn’t stand to be apart even for sleep. Me and Avery were born as a pair, but it’s like Sloane was meant for us. She and Avery were best friends. And as for Sloane and me… it always felt like something more.
When we hit puberty, I started to understand why. Right around the time that all the other guys my age started noticing Sloane, too.
She had this magnetic energy that people just couldn’t look away from. A laugh you could listen to on repeat for the rest of your life and never tire of. Moss green eyes that could draw you in with a single glance, and a body that would make the gods themselves weep with envy. She was so fucking beautiful, but it wasn’t just about the way she looked. She radiated warmth. She had a kind word and a smile for everyone. They all fell at her feet, including me.
I was under her spell from day one; there was nobody for me but Sloane.
And I was the lucky sonofabitch that landed her.
Sloane was the girl everyone wanted, but she choseME.
… until she didn’t.
