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“Agent Crawford’s daughter was Carter’s last victim. She was taken right before I got into town to handle it,” I continued. “Crawford wasn’t too thrilled with my involvement, but I wasn’t fucking going anywhere. We managed to rescue Lizzie, and I killed Carter on the last fucking day. She was five years old. It was three days before her birthday. That’s how I know him.”
I waited for someone to say something, but no one did.
“Since then, he has helped me when he can. He makes sure I don’t get my ass arrested by the feds when shit goes wrong, and he throws cases in my direction when they look like my kind of bad, not his,” I explained. “If anyone can find information on Sadie Grimm, it’ll be him. Unfortunately, that only gets us so far. I still think we need to move all the kids to the pack house. Yes, they can go to school, but any other time, they should be at the pack house. If she’s willing to do what she did to the Ingrams… we have to protect them.”
“I think we should give everyone the option,” Sam replied. He fidgeted in the chair, scratching his nails along the fabric. “Stress the fucking importance of staying and the importance of their kids staying, but make it clear, they have to choose for themselves. We can’t make them do anything.”
“I’m staying in town, but the rest of you should stay at the house,” I told them. Before they could argue, I snapped, “Someone has to be here if she shows up again. The pack house is eight miles outside of town. If something happens, that’s too long of a response time. I need to be here.”
“I’ll stay,” Cade offered.
“The hell you will,” Raven retorted. Her ferocity made me smile. She glanced up at Declan. “You’re not staying either.”
“I’d prefer Cade to stay,” I cut in before they went at it. When she glared at me, I shrugged. “No offense, sweetheart, but he’s tougher than most, and I have a feeling he’s got a lot more bite in him than he lets on.”
I met Cade’s gaze, and he shrugged. There was a reason that man was gunning for alpha of the Lochlan pack. He may have been a freaking ray of sunshine in a baseball uniform, but what little I did know, the man wrestled with his own demons. Which meant he’d do a damn good job at helping with the hunter.
“Then you take my bracelet,” Raven said. She fussed with the bracelet I’d given her.
“I’m staying too,” Genevieve said. I ground my teeth together. There was no way in hell she was staying with me, but I said nothing. I’d argue with her later. Or tie her ass to a bed in the pack house and leave her there for her own goddamn safety.
“The church’s new pastor is a wolf,” Mom began with a heavy sigh. “He wants to hold a vigil tonight at the pack house. All of you need to be there. Before then, you need to think of what you’re going to say. You too, Roan. And maybe… Roan, as much as we love having you here, I think it’s in your pack’s best interest for you to go home. It’s not safe for you here.”
“I’m not leaving when my family’s in trouble,” Roan replied. “And one text to my brothers and Dad and they’ll be here too. Hell, we can get most of the pack here. Double our numbers.”
“No.” Declan shook his head. “If anything, I think we need the Ironwoods to be a safe haven. I think we should suggest sending them down to you. Anyone who can and wants to, should leave. Anyone who stays should be at the pack house. All we can do is stress that. The rest… I guess the rest we just need to brace ourselves for the worst because this isn’t over.”
Not by a long shot.
That singular understanding hung thick in the air around us. My gaze drifted around the room. My brothers weren’t fighters. Sure, they were backyard scrappers, but they weren’t fighters. They didn’t stand a chance against a hunter. Cade was fucking tough—I knew that. But how much fighting skill did he actually have? And Roan? Roan was putting the future of his pack at risk just by being here. He couldn’t fight. I couldn’t risk the future of the Ironwood pack for ours.
“So much for you taking a break,” Roan commented as he joined me, cutting through my brooding.
“I’m taking a fucking break from the pack,” I reminded him under my breath. “But I don’t have a fucking choice when it comes to the hunter. If I do, we’ll all be dead.”
“You think you can kill her, don’t you?” he asked.
“I do,” I said. At least, I fucking hoped so. And if I couldn’t, I’d fucking die trying.
Chapter 108
Killian
While Genevieve braced for a fight with me, I stepped outside to smoke. At least, that was what I told her. I needed to make a phone call—one I didn’t want her to listen to. I walked the border of our yard with a lit cigarette between my lips as the phone rang on repeat. Every time it went to voicemail, I hung up and tried again.
“What fucking part of leave a goddamn message don’t you get?” Lane demanded when he answered.
“Who did you fuck in Reno?” I asked instead.
“Which time? I’ve been there many times.”
“This last time,” I said. “She might’ve had purple hair.”
“Ah, the little witch,” he murmured. “She was feisty. Fun to throw around. Why do you ask?”
“Because you slept with a fucking hunter,” I told him. “My hunter. And she cursed your heart.”
“She tried,” Lane scoffed. “Her magic was shoddy at fucking best. That was your hunter?”
