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“So, it was addressed to someone named Scarlett.” She smirked, the expression cold and predatory.
“I thought you said we didn’t know who did it,” I reminded her.
“That’s the part that makes this so interesting,” she said. “The human man was Scarlett’s lover. He apologized for going against her wishes. Whoever did this, it wasn’t Scarlett.”
“But they’ve just made her into their enemy.” A grin formed on my own face. Scarlett Meridian was an especially talented witch for hire. She had no loyalty, which made her incredibly dangerous. Zoe had told me she was stronger than she was, which meant you did not want her on your bad side.
“You think we can bring her in?” I asked.
“I think we should send her lover back to her in a box,” Zoe said.
“You’re going to start a war,” I said.
“Maybe it’s time for war,” she added. “We can’t keep this pack and what we’re protecting hidden any more. We need allies.”
It was the same conversation we’d been having since we were kids. Back then, I agreed with her. Now that I was in charge, it was more complicated. Our numbers were small, and we had no alliances. We were on our own.
“Invite her here,” I said.
“What?” Zoe hissed. “Are you fucking insane?”
“Maybe we can buy a little short-term loyalty,” I said.
“Your pack barely tolerates me,” she said. “You think they’ll support you bringing in a new witch?”
“I don’t give a shit what they say. What I do care about is that these humans infiltrated us and were sent by someone right after my dad was murdered. This is a first step. Whoever is after us is just getting started and I will not watch my pack go down.”
Zoe pursed her lips and glared at me.
“Don’t do that,” I said.
“You know her reputation,” Zoe spat. “But you don’t know her. Not like I do.”
I knew she had a complicated history with Scarlett, but she’d never shared the details and I wasn’t stupid enough to press. “I know yours, too,” I said. “And I know most of it is an outright lie.”
“I earned my reputation. I’ve done things that nobody should do. I deserve all the fear. I am a monster. I know that. But I also know that Scarlett makes me look like a fucking saint.”
I shook my head. “You’re not a monster. You’ve been wielded by monsters, but you don’t do that anymore. You need to let that go. You’re part of this pack. I don’t give a shit if you’re not a wolf. And I don’t give a shit what you did while you were away.”
“You’re the only one who would give me a pass,” she said.
“That’s because I know you,” I said.
“Is it because you still want to get in my pants?” she teased.
I laughed. “I gave up on that years ago.”
“Good. Cause it’s still never going to happen,” she said.
“You know that’s not why you’re here. And you know it’s not why I trust you. You’re not just a witch, you’re my best friend. So fuck the rest of the pack. Fuck what you did in the past,” I said.
“I still don’t want to invite Scarlett.”
“Invite her,” I said. “You know it’s the only move.”
“I hate it when you’re right.” She glanced to the side, and I turned to see Blake strolling toward us.
“What’d I miss?” he asked.
