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“Absolutelynot,” Remus snapped, his spine stiffening.
I forced myself to take a breath. “I already checked the room — and the twins. Nothing seemed out of place. Maybe she was just looking, but… still. It seemed very weird to me. I told the guards not to let her back to the party.”
Remus also seemed to take a moment to settle some of the tension. “Thank you,” he said, watching my face. “You were right to throw her out. I don’t like someone… what, wandering around my home.” He scowled and looked past me towards the ranch, shaking his head. “There’s always someone, isn’t there? Always one bad apple to spoil the bunch.”
For once, I agreed with him. “Yep,” I replied, shoving my hands in my pockets. “In all seriousness, though, I think she was just being nosy. Bad social skills, or whatever.” I still remembered the words she’d thrown at me, barbed and unkind. My wolf bristled, and I forced him back down. “Don’t let her ruin your party.”
When Remus raised a brow at me, I just shrugged. “You have guards for a reason, right? Let them do their job.”
He was quiet for another minute before inclining his head, seemingly conceding my point. “I suppose so. Again, I do appreciate it.”
I shrugged, not used to being thanked for — for what, really? Doing what any other sane wolf would do? I muttered something under my breath, which seemed enough for Remus, who simply nodded and returned to his guests, sliding over to discuss something with a shifter I’d never seen before.
My wolf groaned as we found ourselves alone on the porch again, circling restlessly like he didn’t want to be here — like he wanted to go back inside.No, to go out the front door. The realization hit me like a truck, forcing me off the porch, and further into the party. My wolf wanted to go after Iris.
Iris!
Earlier she was a complete bitch to me, though that was starting to make sense. She was just brushing me off because she was eager to get inside and snoop around.Does Silverstreak Motors have a rival?I paused and shook my head.Why the hell do I even care? She clearly just wanted to snoop.It didn’t matter why or what she was looking for. Whatmatteredwas that she was a piece of work and deserved to be ejected from the party.
As I looked out, my wolf huffed, stamping his paws, spying Hannah dancing with a few others. I had no idea if they were her friends or shifters she’d just met — she caught my eye and winked. I smiled back, an upward quirk of my lips. My wolf rumbled, stomping a paw down again.
Forget it, I told him, wondering if the bar was still open.Whatever you felt was bullshit, anyway. Besides, that woman was a complete ass to us and was creeping around the house like some sort of snoop.I knew we usually gravitated towards women who were bad for us, but that? That was entirely different and was just an exercise in frustration. I could feel my wolf rising again in some sort of argument, and I shook my head, shutting him down before he could start.Calm the hell down. She’s gone, I don’t like her, and the odds we’ll ever see her again after this are slim to none.
Whenever my father remembered he had duties overseas, I’d return to London, and Iris would return to whatever hole she’d crawled out of. I’d forget all about her, and life would go on.Easy.
My wolf gave a great sigh but seemed to give up the fight, at least for the moment, and I gave my own sigh of relief. I pulled one of my hands from my slacks, twisting my wrist to check the time, when a heavy hand clapped over my shoulder.
“Not thinking of leaving already, are you? The night is still young, Eli!” my father laughed, giving my shoulder a friendly squeeze.
If I hadn’t just sighed, I probably would have again. Instead, I shook my sleeve back over my wrist and looked at my dad, raising a brow. “It’s almost midnight,” I remarked. That wasn’t entirely true, but it was well past eleven, and the event had started around three or four in the afternoon. As the host’s half-brother, it was clear I was expected to be here early.But do I have to wait until closing time to leave?
I glanced out over the crowd, looking for Luna. After all, wehadmade a deal, and I willed the woman to magically appear and rescue me from my father. Instead, I spotted Hannah again, the blonde waving at me and wiggling her brows animatedly as she continued to dance, giving her pretty hips a little shimmy.
“I see you’ve made a new friend,” my father commented, and my heart gave a sickening twist. For half a second, I thought he was referencing my run-in with Iris — that Remus had already mentioned it to him — but he was looking out where Hannah was dancing.
I snorted, my heart returning to my chest from my throat, and I shook my head. “Hardly,” I replied. I’d already gotten Hannah out of my system. While I wanted out of this conversation, I didn’t want out badly enough todance, much less in front of other people.
My father released my shoulder and turned to look at me, pursing his lips together. “Eli,” he sighed. “I don’t expect you to rush out and take the first woman you meet as your mate, but it wouldn’t hurt to look.”
I clenched my fingers into fists, quickly shoving my hands back into my pockets.So much for Nic not pushing that bullshit on me. “I looked,” I lied, trying to keep my voice cool. “Nothing worth looking at.”
My dad studied me for a moment. “Look, Eli, I know you haven’t had much interest in finding a mate, but you will be alpha of the Longbow pack one day, and finding your fated mate will help you grow into a much stronger alpha.”
My head snapped sideways and I hissed. “Are you kidding me right now? You’ve been leading Longbow for how long? And you never foundyourfated mate. The pack seems fine tome, or have we been leaving it in distress every time you’ve decided to swan over here to play with your grandsons?”
My father’s expression darkened, though he ignored the bait I’d so clearly laid out for him. “I wasn’t alone. Maybe I didn’t have my fated mate,” he replied quietly, “but I wasn’t alone. Your mother was by my side when I was young, taking over Longbow after my father’s passing.”
“Yeah, and look how well that worked out for you.” I shouldn’t have said it. I couldn’t help myself.
It was my father’s turn to sigh. “She found her fated mate.” He shrugged one shoulder. “And I wasn’t going to stand in the way of that. She’s happier now, and—”
“Shut the hell up,” I snapped, pulling a hand out to point a finger at him. “Do not— Donottalk about that with me.Ever.” I was almost shaking — no, maybe Iwasshaking. I pulled my hand back, stuffing it in my pocket as quickly as I whipped out it, hoping my father hadn’t noticed the slight tremor.
To my relief, he had looked away, staring vacantly at the milling party in the yard. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, though it was obvious to me, at least, that he wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for.
Silence fell over us, and for a moment, I hoped that was the end — but I wasn’t that lucky. I wasneverthat lucky. “I’m sorry, Eli,” my father said again. “I know you’re still not really over the whole split. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
I scoffed quietly, staring down at the wooden boards of the porch. “You could say that.”If you wanted to reduce it down, but…That was over a decade ago. It wasn’t just thesplitthat bothered me; it was the man my mother had chosen over my father because he was her ‘fated mate.’ He was such a piece of work, and— I shook my head. He wasn’t worth getting worked up over.
