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Chapter Six
Willow
“You did what?” I grind to a stop, my heart lurching in my chest. “Tell me you’re kidding.”
Diana spins back to me, her hands lifted, and her fingers spread wide. “I’m not. But they won’t even know we’re there, that’s the brilliant part! They’re holding a recruiting meeting in this abandoned theater in the meat-packing district this afternoon. Jacob scouted it out last night. He says it will be super easy to sneak us in the back way. Then, we can hide out in the grid above the stage, listen to what they have to say, and if we don’t like it, he’ll take us to the border, no questions asked. And if I can convince him Bane and Kelley are bullshit by the time we get to Canada, he’ll even come with us.”
She beams at me as she extends a hand toward the condom display. “So, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to buy some condoms. Just in case. And maybe a morning after pill of my own in case the condom breaks. Because if Jacob leaves his entire life behind for me, I’m going to feel ready to take that next step with him, but I’m absolutely not ready to be pregnant.”
I exhale, driving a hand through my hair.
I’d love to tell her this isn’t the time to be thinking about sex, but I’m not a hypocrite. “I don’t like this. It could be a trap, Diana. I saw one of their recruiting promos online. They think Maxim poisoned your dad and did something to make Kelley barren.”
“And they’re wrong about that, obviously,” Diana says, plucking a condom box from the display and turning it over to skim the product description. “But that doesn’t mean they’re all bad. And if we decide they seem mostly okay, but just like…misguided or whatever, hopefully we can convince them otherwise.”
“I think you’re being overly optimistic,” I say. “And if we end up their prisoners, it’s going to make escaping from the tower look like a cake walk. These people are heavily armed and prepared for all-out war. And they think my womb holds the key to securing control over the shifter world.” An ugly thought rises in my head, making my guts twist. “And if Kelley really is barren for some reason, but Bane is still determined to rule…”
I don’t finish the thought, but I don’t have to.
Diana looks up at me, her face paling. “Fuck. You don’t think…”
I nod. “Yeah, I do. And from what I’ve heard about your brother, the fact that he’s allegedly in love with my sister wouldn’t stop him.”
She tosses the condom package onto the cluttered shelf beneath the display and presses a hand to her stomach. “Ugh. That makes me feel sick. I hate my family.”
I rest a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t. You’re wonderful and your dad’s pretty awesome, too.”
Diana pulls in a breath and bites her bottom lip, tears rising in her eyes. “He is. I’m going to miss him so much. I wish he was still Alpha. I wish he’d never been poisoned, and things were the way they used to be. Maxim was so great back then, Willow. Like…really great. He always made me feel so special and safe and loved.”
I wrap her up in my arms, the back of my nose stinging. “I’m sorry, honey. But maybe you can find your way back to that kind of relationship again,” I say, but even I’m surprised when the telltale glow of my eyes lights up the aisle, proving there are brighter days ahead for Diana and her brother.
She flinches, sniffing and laughing as she says, “Quick, turn it off. We don’t want anyone to see.”
I close my eyes and work through the breath and thought-pattern sequence that Diana’s father taught me to control the glow.
When my lashes sweep up again, Diana’s still beaming.
“Thank you,” she says. “That gives me so much hope.” She grabs a pill box off the shelf and presses it into my hand. “Here, go pay for this. I’m going to troll the aisles until I find someone to loan me their cell phone for a quick call. I’ll tell Jacob we can’t come to the theater, after all. Then we’ll go rent a car and head north on our own. Maxim will be able to track my credit card and know we rented a car, but he won’t know where we’re headed. And in any event, it’s probably a lot safer to risk Maxim catching us than Bane. The devil you know, right?”
I nod, my chest swelling with emotion. “I’m really proud of you. I know this can’t be easy, to leave someone you care about so much behind.”
Her lips press together, and her gaze drops to the tiled floor. “Yeah, but if Jacob really loves me, he’ll still be here when it’s safe to come home, right?” She looks up, smiling again. “And thanks to you, I know it’s going to be safe again someday. Maxim and I are going to find our way back to each other and that…”
She swallows as she nods, clearly fighting to maintain control. “That means so much to me, Willow. Truly. I’ve been pissed at him a lot lately, but after Mom died, Maxim was my world. I don’t know if I would have made it through as well as I did without him. He was always there for me, even more than Dad sometimes, since Dad was so busy with pack business and stuff. Maxim was like, the age I am now, but he made time to play dumb baby games with me and took me to the playground all the time and just…made me feel loved. The way Mom did.” She grimaces. “As much as I hate to say this, especially in view of what happened last night, he’s probably going to be an amazing dad someday.”
My lips curve in a sad smile. “That’s good to hear.” I lift the box in my hands. “But I’m still buying this. And taking it.”
She rolls her eyes. “Hell, yes, you should. Because consent. Get some, asshole.” She motions toward the outside world. “Meaning my brother, of course.”
“I know,” I say, nodding over my shoulder. “Meet you up front by the door?”
“Yeah. I’ll be there in a few. It shouldn’t take me long to find a willing phone donor.” She winks as she backs away. “I can be charming when I want to be.”
She’s also a gorgeous young girl, which I’m sure doesn’t hurt any.
But Diana isn’t stupid, and she has a pack gift that gives her a leg up when it comes to spotting creepers. She’ll approach someone with a nice, cheery aura, make her call, and we’ll be on our way soon.
All we have to do is stay focused and move quickly.
