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Her jaw clenches, and she takes a deep breath through her nose. “Because I didn’t want to hurtyou. Just her.” She steps forward, standing before me with softened eyes. “I knew you’d be fine. Even if you got in trouble, they’d never hurt you.” Her hand reaches up to touch my cheek, a gentle smile on her lips, and I snatch her wrist with a snarl, making her eyes widen.
“Don’t ever touch me,” I growl, my gaze flicking between her eyes. “Leave. Now.”
Her temper flares, and she narrows her eyes at me, leaning in to close the small gap between us.
My wolf snarls inside, recoiling away from the way her skin touches ours. It’s wrong—disgusting, unwanted, like a sweater of wool and pine needles that fell into swamp water.
Her breath is hot against my lips when she speaks, her glare boring into me. “This isn’t pack territory,Dee. You’ll do well to remember that when you sneak here with that bitch of yours.” Backing away, she holds my gaze, a malicious smirk splitting her face. “Watch your back. You aren’t the only alpha around here.”
Then, she shifts in an instant, her red fur dissolving into the shadows of the darkening woods.
My jaw ticks as I work to keep my wolf at bay. Chasing her is exactly what she wants me to do, lead me into whatever trap she’s set out for me.
Not if you kill her first,my wolf argues.
“Not worth it.” I turn in the opposite direction, needing to see Adara safe at home. I make a mental note to call Mila to hang out with her while I go to the bar too. I don’t want her alone after this.
Don’t grow weak on me, Gideon.
“We’ll hunt in time, but it’ll be on my terms, on my time. Not hers.” What the hell is Aramin up to? I’m not the only alpha around here, and my lake isn’t pack territory? She’s delusional. This lake has been in my pack territory since I claimed these woods. I may not be the only alpha in New England, but I’m the strongest. She’s a fool to think anyone could overthrow me.
Best to be cautious,he warns.
Growling, I shove his voice away. Anyone who dares to challenge me and threaten my mate can enjoy a slow death at my hands.
Slamming through the bar doors, I storm through the crowd toward my office door. I don’t slow my pace to allow Adara to keep up with me, and she enters through the doors a moment behind me, her glare burning into my back. Frank looks up from his full bar, glancing between us. He reaches under the bar and grabs a bottle of whiskey, holding it over the bar top out to me as I pass. I snatch it from his hand and shove the door shut behind me, muting the noise of the crowded bar behind the thick wood door.
Grumbling to myself, I slump into my chair and drink straight from the bottle. After the lake, I checked on Adara, as planned, but instead of Mila coming to stay with her, Adara insisted on coming here.
“I still need to make money for my sister, Gideon, and you can’t just keep me in this house like a prisoner.” She put her hands on her hips and stared at me from the kitchen doorway as I sat on one of the island stools.
“I really don’t want you at the bar working like that.” I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face.
“Why?” She walked forward and grabbed my hand. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to keep me near you?”
I looked up at her, knowing she had a point. “But my mate shouldn’t be working in my bar like some low level employee.”
“I’m not a low level employee.” She smirked, shrugging. “You aren’t the boss of me, so when we go, I’ll be doing what I want.”
Godsforsaken witch—she’s more insufferable than any woman I’ve ever met. I gulp down more of the whiskey before setting the bottle on the desk and pulling my notebooks toward me. Frowning at the office door for a moment, I try to brush away the gnawing feeling in my gut that although I like having her here, I hate having her so far from me, on the other side of the door. But she’ll never agree to just sit here, not when she’s so worried about making enough money for her sister.
A sudden smile breaks across my face as the problem essentially solves itself.
Balancing the books takes longer than usual after having taken a few days off for the council and settling Adara in. I blow out a breath as I lean back in my chair, glad to be done with the most boring part of my life here, though there’s a slight comfort in the monotony and consistency numbers provide. A light tapping on the window steals my attention, and I slowly drag myself over to open it.
The night air is stale, suffocating without the usual chilly breeze cutting through it. The hair on the back of my neck stands, and my wolf paces inside my chest. Something isn’t right…
I start to shove the window closed, then notice a small package sitting on the ground outside, just beyond the window frame. Reaching down, I hook a finger through the string holding the brown paper together and lift it inside. It’s light and small, the size of my palm. I use a lengthened claw to slice the tie off, unfolding the paper to reveal a thick white note.
You’re running out of time, Disantollo. - A
I lift up the note, a smooth glossy texture on the back. Flipping it over, I see a photo of Adara sitting in Darrold’s back yard on the first day she trained with him. Looking at the note again, the initial catches my eye, and rage coils in my gut. The metallic tang of blood coats my mouth as I clench my jaw so hard my fangs pierce into my lip.
I throw the paper onto my desk, lunging at the window, but the air is alive with movement, the breeze cold and fresh, no hint of mint lingering in its wake. Growling, I slam and lock the window before throwing open the office door. “Frank!”
His head snaps in my direction, and he gives an imperceptible nod. Smiling as the picture of calm, he sets two full beers on the bar in front of two of our regulars before stepping out from behind it in my direction. “What happened?” he asks, his voice low.
I rake my eyes across the dimly lit bar, smoke hazing around the crowd. I spot Adara easily, her black hair pulled up into a ponytail high on her head. She smiles at her table, four women sipping beers and laughing at whatever she said. “My desk. Someone dropped alove noteoutside my window.” Curling my hands into fists, I cross my arms over my chest. I stay in the bar, hidden in the shadows beside the open door, my eyes glued to the dark-haired witch walking amongst my wolves as Frank walks into my office.
