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“I know what you’re thinking,” Wyatt said.
“And what’s that?”
“We’re fucked,” he said with a wry smile.
“Not exactly fucked, but we don’t have good odds. If we had a couple of weeks to prepare properly, I’d feel better about it. The problem is, weneedto hit Simon in the next two or three days. It’s not an ideal timeline. If we rush in too soon, I can’t help but anticipate a huge number of casualties. Simon will be on his guard; he’ll have his staff and security on high alert.”
Wyatt grimaced and nodded. “Yeah. We won’t have the element of surprise on our side this time. I’ve got a feeling theshock factor was the only reason we were successful in getting you, Abel, and Leif out.”
“I guess that’s one more thing for us to worry about,” I said ruefully. “I’ll think about it. Maybe some grand plan will pop into my head.”
Wyatt chuckled. “Good luck with that.”
We got up. I put my empty bowl in the large wooden tub near the door, then followed Wyatt out of the dining hall. At the end of the corridor, I spotted Crew trying to catch up to Chelsey, who was assisting some other Haveners with chores. Pausing, I watched the interaction.
Crew approached Chelsey and tried to engage in conversation, but she didn’t even make eye contact with him. Rather than speaking to him, she addressed the people she’d been helping, then headed toward the healing area. Crew watched her go, a look of profound pain on his face. The other Haveners had noticed the awkward interaction and quickly dispersed.
Crew and Chelsey needed to sort out their shit—and soon. The last thing we needed was the leader of Haven less than focused.
Putting a hand on Wyatt’s arm, I asked, “What are you getting ready to do?”
Wyatt gestured down the corridor. “I’m gonna see if I can round up some people who might want hand-to-hand combat training. You coming along?”
“You go ahead,” I said. “I’ll meet up with you later. There’s something I need to work on.”
“All right.” Wyatt leaned forward and kissed me.
Blinking in surprise, I asked, “What was that for?”
He grinned and rolled his eyes. “See you later.”
Crew stood in the hall, hands on hips, staring down the corridor Chelsey had taken. The rest of the Haven people had hurried away, leaving him alone.
“Seems things aren’t going well,” I remarked, stepping up next to Crew.
He flinched as though I’d startled him. “Oh, Kira, hey. Uh, what do you mean?”
“Chelsey. That’s what I mean,” I said, nudging my head in the direction she’d gone. “None of this makes any sense to me.”
Crew tried his best to act like his normal, composed self. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, Chelsey told me all about her rejection. It was brutal and petty and heartbreaking. She’s obviously not over you, but since she showed up here,you’vebeen acting like you aren’t overher.” I gave him a hard look. “Tell me the truth, did you really reject her? Or was she spinning some woe-is-me story that isn’t true?”
Crew’s face had crumpled into misery. He ran his hands through his hair, obviously frustrated. “Ididreject her. She isn’t lying. It’s complicated, though.”
Crossing my arms, I asked, “What could be complicated?”
He leaned against the dirt wall and slid down until he was sitting. Shaking his head, he stared down between his feet for so long, I thought he wasn’t going to answer. Finally, though, he started talking.
“Rejecting Chelsey was the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life. The biggest regret I have. I neverwantedto reject her.”
“Then why—”
“Pleaselet me finish,” Crew said. “When I was paired with Chelsey, I was thrilled. A lot of people find their fated mate, and they aren’t what they expected. At least, that’s how it’s been in the last couple of generations, but that wasn’t the case with Chelsey. As soon as I met her it was like… I don’t know, mylife became complete. I was drawn to her in a way I can’t even describe. The problem was her pack’s low standing. My family was upset.” Crew laughed bitterly. “That’s putting it mildly. They were irate.” He glanced up at me. “You probably know my parents, Felix and Bianca Crew?”
I swore my eyes actually bulged out of my head. Felix Crew was an esteemed beta in the First Pack. The richest and one of the most powerful people in all wolf-shifter society, probably second to only Mika’s father Garth. Bianca was known mostly for being a socialite.
Now I understood why they were both enraged that their son had been paired with a woman from the lowly Twelfth Pack. It was one of the myriad reasons I wanted to see the whole system upended.
