Jason snorted. “You’d have to disobey Silas’s direct order. You’d have to break your connection to your alpha.”
“It’s possible. It’s been done before in extreme circumstances.”
“You’d be shunned by the pack. It’s suicide, not to mention it would break my heart. We could never shift together.”
His forlorn expression caused her eyes to burn, and she wiped under each of them. Jason pulled her into his arms. “Don’t cry. Whatever you decide to do, I’ll always be here for you, pack or no pack.”
She hugged him back. “I miss Mom and Dad. I hate Alex Bloodright. I hate Jonah. I hate what they’ve done to us. What are we even doing in this godforsaken town?” She sobbed into her brother’s arms. “Will we ever be free to move on from this…this nightmare?”
“I don’t know, La. I just don’t know.”
ChapterTwelve
The entire time he was giving his speech, all Kyle could think about was the woman from the VIP hallway. She’d reminded him so much of Laina. Certainly his body was just as interested. Her voice, her scent, it had set his blood on fire. It wasn’t Laina, of course. Her hair was darker, and her eyes behind the mask were a different color. Not to mention that there was no way the talented veterinarian would be serving at his club. Still, she’d stirred the same kind of passion in him, and he couldn’t wait to get back to her. He had to know her.
But when he finished speaking, Nate had a crowd ready to shake his hand. Business partners and VIPs asked for a moment of his time. Everyone wanted a picture with the King of Hunt Club. Over an hour had passed before he was able to excuse himself to look for her, and it didn’t take long for him to figure out she wasn’t waiting for him in the VIP lounge.
“What’s wrong with you?” Nate asked. He’d followed Kyle from the area near the stage where the large and persistent group of admirers still gathered. “Did you lose your wallet or something?”
Kyle snorted. “No. The woman. Who was the zebra?”
Nate laughed. “She was a knockout. I’ll give you that. Sorry to cockblock you earlier—”
“Is she still here?”
“Should be. The shift doesn’t end for another hour.”
Kyle scanned the floor, then started for the kitchen.
“Kyle, where are you going? There are more people who want to meet you. We have work to do. This is where you shine, remember?”
Waving a hand dismissively, he barked, “You do it.”
Nate grabbed his arm, his head shaking and that shark’s-tooth smile bending into a grin. “Not how this works, bro. You’re the face. I’m the brains. Get over there and charm the dollars out of those fuckers.”
Fuck. Nate was right. What the hell was he thinking, abandoning opening night for a woman? An employee, for Christ’s sake. He cast one last lingering look toward the kitchen.
“Kyle, we have her name and number.” Nate laughed. “She had to fill out forms to work here. I promise you, if you want to rail her later, it can be arranged.”
Hearing Nate talk about her like that sent a brutal protective instinct through him. Made no sense. After all, he desperately did want to get inside her. But he couldn’t suppress a snarl of distaste as they strode back toward the group. Nate shot him a curious glance, and Kyle coughed into his hand to disguise the sound.
What the hell was happening to him? Why were these women suddenly getting under his skin?
He pushed the thoughts aside. He was Kyle “The King” Kingsley. No attachments. All fun and games and animal instinct. For some reason, the thought left a gaping hole in his chest. Tonight, he felt as hollow as a carved pumpkin. He forced a smile onto his face anyway and returned to his admirers.
* * *
The wolves arrived in shifts,and Laina guided them in discreet units to the forest behind Monty’s. Not the forest the humans could see, but one that could only be accessed through the door in the back of Monty’s office, enchanted and otherwise inaccessible. Until Silas’s witch friend could ward Cameron’s property, the space was undeniably safer than Rivergate Manor, aside from the fact that an ogre with suspected tendencies toward organized crime guarded the door.
“How have you been?” Cameron asked as he helped her set up the tent that would serve as their mess hall for the next three days. It was possible for the pack to appear human and go about their business during the day, but they rarely did. Their preference was to stay together in a three-day wolfapalooza. Like a furry family reunion.
“As well as can be expected,” Laina said. “Monty is about as agreeable as…well, an ogre.”
He shook his head. “Thanks for doing this. I still can’t believe your older brother offered you up like a sacrificial lamb.”
“Speaking of Silas, have you heard from him?”
He shook his head. “Still undercover. Said he was going to track down Jonah and end this before anyone else got hurt. I haven’t heard from him since.” Cameron shrugged.
