“My alpha disappeared a week ago,” the Torn-Fang dire continued. He didn’t seem very high in ranking, likely a regular member of his pack. “He’d gone after several missing dires. They just up and vanished, and he was working on finding them. He didn’t want us to say or do anything to look weak, so we kept quiet. He never came home.”
He scowled at her, as did his companion.
The master mage said, “Ten of our people left a month ago. At first we thought they were out on a pilgrimage, but when Josiah never checked in, we sent people out after them.” The man glared ather.“We found them buried under lycan corpses, being burned by Crimson Claw wolves.”
Oy. The only reason they’d burned the dead had been to make sure nothing evil sprung from the death magic and blood sacrifice used there. She kept all that to herself, however, since her uncle kept his eye on her, not needing telepathy with his silent glare to zip her lips.
One of the Wildridge wolves guarding the alpha’s family growled at her.
Ivan glanced up from his meal and pierced that soldier with a look. The growl stopped immediately. Ivan went back to his food.
I could have done that,she thought, annoyed that Ivan had to step in when she had this covered. She didn’t want to appear as if she couldn’t defend herself, but she was to remain quiet and calm at the table.Soannoying.
Beatrice Wildridge opened her fat mouth to say something no doubt aggravating. A stunner like her daughter, she equaled her mate in good looks and bad attitude. She loved her position as the alpha’s mate and sought power and prestige for her family, without regard to what was best for her pack. Right now she had her sights set on ruling the dires of the Pacific Northwest.
“We personally saw the defendant—”
“Defendant?” Riley scoffed. “This isn’tLaw & Order,Beatrice.”
The temerity to speak out of turn, in addition to treating the Wildridge alpha’s wife so casually, shocked everyone into silence.
Ivan chuckled low. “Shut up and eat.” He pushed her food at her.
Irked yet not wanting to cross her uncle, who looked ready to explode, she buried her head in her burgers and fries and listened to Ivan for once.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Beatrice Wildridge shoot her an icy glare before the dire continued, “Riley Foster ran around the Capitol Hill bazaar with that vampire like she owned it. She was attacking lycans and injured magir too. We saw her, didn’t, we, Antonia?” When her daughter said nothing, Beatrice plowed on. “We were there when it all happened, out buying some new poultices and herbs for our pack’s gardens.”
“I saw them there,” Boyce said. “But I left before all the fun started.”
Uncle Jack nodded in acknowledgement.
“Can I talk now?” Riley asked.
“No.”
She sighed and started on hamburger number two.
Max gave her a look from beside his uncle, one that told her to be smart and behave.Yeah, you heard what I didn’t say. Shut up and use your brain for once.He glanced at his watch.It’s almost time.
For what?
Shh. Stop looking like you’re talking to me. Dad can tell.
She hurried to throw up a mental shield, aware other alphas could also listen in if they wanted. Not that anyone had tried... Or had they? She let herself fantasize about making out with Freddy and saw him whip his head her way, his jaw open.
Shit.She scowled and locked her mind down tight. That’s what she got for not keeping up with her mental defenses. Max was right.
Uncle Jack shot her a smug glance before adding his two cents to all the accusations. “Look, none of this makes sense. I had Riley at the bazaar to look into some rumors about rogue lycans dealing with sorcerers. Then she happened to run into a bad one. But let’s not forget the evil vampire who encountered the one working for us.”
For us? Her uncle had grand aspirations.
“Workingforyou?” Freddy asked, incredulous. Not as dumb as he looked. “The Seattle Bloode don’t work for anyone but themselves. The bastards want nothing more than to drink us dry.”
“You got that right,” a low voice came from behind her near the closed doors. Odd she hadn’t heard him come in. Odder still, she felt a measure of safety she hadn’t been feeling with her pack.
Anxious dires snarled and snapped at the vampire strolling into the conference room like he owned it.
She ignored her racing heart, or the fact that she just might have missed the brutish vampire. Once again, an unkempt Kraft joined her.
