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“That doesn’t explain why you needher.”
Oh yes, it was definitely Groza or Duncan. I dropped onto the bed, almost not caring what they wanted beyond a mild curiosity. She’d tried to kill me. She burned down my cottage. More importantly, she’d burned down Charlie’s home. Her needs were not my priority.
“They want to speak to you,” Kicks said. “Do you want to talk to them? Your call. I’ll hang up if that’s what you want.” He hadn’t bothered to cover the phone, so they heard every word.
He obviously didn’t want me to speak to them. I didn’t actually want to either, but just in case…
“What do they want?” I asked.
“There’s some sort of problem with their pack. I’m not getting the full story, but they want us there. Technically you, but I’m not letting you go alone.”
I’d never had someone who cared if I went somewhere alone. Even my ex-boyfriends hadn’t been this concerned about my welfare. Although I’d dated them prior to the end of the world, so there was that. Post-Death Day, you had a much higher chance of dying just walking down the street. Either way, it made me feel all warm and mushy inside.
I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, not wanting them listening to every word I said, even if he was cool with it. I jotted down my question and held up the pad.
Do you think it’s a setup?
“No. Whatever is going on, they truly believe they need you. They sound desperate.” He practically spoke right into the phone so they could hear every word.
He grinned at me. I swallowed back a laugh. Was it mean? Maybe, but not as cruel as burning down someone’s home.
I finally motioned to the phone and nodded. It was only a few minutes away, and what if the pack, who I still felt some loyalty to, needed me? Plus, the curiosity was driving me to find out.
Kicks didn’t say anything for a few seconds, but sighed loudly enough to make everyone, including them, know exactly how he felt about the situation.
“We’re coming,” he said, looking at me as if to say he was honoring my choice but didn’t like it.
“I really don’t think Duncan would try to kill me, no matter what our issues have been.” Maybe I was giving him too much credit, but there was still loyalty there, at least somewhat on my side. If nothing else, he’d gotten me out of New York, and thensaved Charlie’s life. No matter what happened beyond that, I would always feel indebted.
“I don’t like it. After everything that’s been done, that they think they can ask you for anything burns me.”
He tossed the phone onto the chair, moving his body like it was a restrained coil, ready to spring.
“I’m not doing anything but hearing them out,” I said, watching his tense form move around the bedroom.
“They don’t even deserve that.” He grabbed a sweater, yanking it over his head. “You don’t need to agree to anything. I don’t care what the problem is—it’s theirs, not yours.”
“I can handle this. I’m not looking to do her any favors,” I said.
“What about him?” He stopped walking and was staring at me, almost as if he were jealous. “Do you actually believe that, after everything that’s happened, your emotions won’t get in the way?”
“He’s done some things for me I won’t ever forget. If I can help him, then I probably will.”
I could see Kicks growing more rigid with my words.
Then he was across the room, wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me into him. “I’m not letting you go in there to agree to something that’s going to get you killed to save his ass.”
His eyes were raw, the lines of his jaw tense, as if he really couldn’t bear the idea of something happening to me. I wasn’t so naïve anymore. I knew what shifters thought of humans, even ones that were elevated to guide status. He might seem different, but so had Duncan. I could never forget that I was still just a human when it came down to it.
“I know, what a shame if you lose your guide, huh? Especially after all the work you had to do to get me here.”
His jaw locked down so hard that I waited to hear teeth crack. Part of me instantly regretted my words. The sane part of meinsisted on not being lured into some fairytale that would only break my heart.
“You’re right. You’re my guide now, and I won’t have them putting you in jeopardy.”
There was a possessiveness in his voice that didn’t sound businesslike at all. Although I was learning shifters could be a bit more possessive and territorial than your average human male, and that probably went even more so for alphas.
I couldn’t confuse his wanting to protect his property with actually caring.
