Golden Boy: Hell yes it is! Can’t wait for you to see it tomorrow.
Daddy Alpha: Yes.
I had nothing more to add, so I fiddled with the phone for a few seconds, and by the time I looked up we’d arrived at our destination. Slade pulled his flashy green car into a spot with his name on it, right beside Warrick’s Range Rover. The building itself gave the impression of a state-of-the-art sports stadium, clearly dripping in money.
The large, oval-shaped center was perched in the middle of nowhere, with just trees and patches of cleared land around it. There were dozens of cars already in the lot around us as I exited the vehicle and took a second to enjoy the warmth of the last rays of the afternoon sun. There was a hint of fall in the air, and I couldn’t wait to experience Golden Claw during the cooler months.
Cora had told me about their huge pack runs through the snow, and I hoped to be here long enough to experience one.
Slade waited silently for me to stop daydreaming. When I moved closer to him he set off along the path leading to the automatic doors. Air-conditioning blasted us as we stepped inside the foyer, heading past a long desk where a dozen or so shifters were busy on computers or answering phones.
No wonder Warrick made enough money to buy fancy cars; this was clearly a valuable hub in the city. It made sense when you considered the importance of enforcing order and safety amongst large groups of predators, and that these squads were the ones dishing it out. But in my experience, not everyone had their priorities straight. Especially when it came to distributing money.
Heads bowed as the shifters behind the reception called out greetings toAlpha Slade.A pungent scent of fear grew stronger as they reacted to the predator in their midst, barely even noticing me at his side.
Clearly, I needed to be more cautious around Slade since I’d all but fallen into a relaxed doze during the car ride. It had been stupid to leave myself that vulnerable.
Jogging to keep up with his long strides, I followed him through a labyrinth of rooms, many of which contained training courses and walls of weapons.
We finally emerged into the center, which was a massive open-aired stadium. Out here there were dozens of shifters, all standing around on the grassed area in large groups.
I noticed Warrick at the same time he saw us, and a welcoming smile broke out across his face. As I started to stride forward, Slade made the mildest—albeitterrifying—rumble at my side, and I froze in my tracks.
Fuck.The dragon might not care about me, or want a mate, but that didn’t mean he’d tolerate the disrespect of me running toward another alpha.
Swallowing roughly, I moved slower, and Warrick ended up being the one to come to us. “Emme!” he said, wiping a hand over his forehead, his dark skin shiny with perspiration. “How was lunch with Cora today?”
“So freaking good,” I replied, unable to help smiling. “The food and company was excellent, and Cora even treated us to a very nice bottle of wine. You found yourself an amazing mate.”
“That I did.” His lips twitched, and I wondered if he thought my compliment was a dig at my pack.
Not that the dragon gave a shit, having already strode away toward a group of about twenty shifters. “They’re Flight Squad,” Warrick explained, lowering his voice. “I’m in charge of Beta Force, since they’re all betas under my command.”
“Can all of Slade’s fly?”
“No, but a lot of them can. He has a lethal team at his command.”
I watched the dragon closely. Even before he reached his squad they had fallen into formation. Four lines of five soldiers, representing the biggest and best of what alphas offered.
“All alphas.”
Warrick nodded. “Yep. They could have been alpha squad, but Slade prefers not to advertise that to the world. Flight is an ode to his dragon.”
I narrowed my eyes on Warrick. “Speaking of, I could have used a little heads-up that one of my pack was a mythical creature.”
My face must not have reflected my true annoyance, because he chuckled and almost ruffled my hair before he remembered who was here with us. My wolf rumbled in my chest to remind him that we were a predator too.
“There’s no amount of warning that can prepare you for Slade. Plus, you’re so skittish, I didn’t want to scare you off before you got a chance to know them.” He examined me closer, as if searching for injuries. “How is it going with them?”
There was no easy answer to that question. “I’ll get back to you when I sort out my feelings on the whole situation.”
His worry softened into an expression of sympathy. “We’re always here for you, Emme. Cora would add you to our pack in a heartbeat.” As he said that, I swore I heard the rumble of the dragon again, but when I looked Slade’s way, he was focused on his squad.
“Thank you. I’m grateful to have you guys in my life. Okay, I better let you get back to training.” I was about to walk away when a former niggling thought pushed to the forefront, and I had to ask: “When I stayed at your place, did you let Hunter into your territory? Into my room?”
A brief sigh escaped him, and I couldn’t be sure, but it felt like guilt flickered in his eyes. “No, but there’s no one who can stop Hunter Reeves when he sets his mind to something.He warned me he’d be keeping an eye on you, and while I scented him around the property, I never gave him permission to trespass.”
His expression remained open and pleading, and after experiencing a little of Hurricane Hunter myself, I couldn’t really blame him. “Thanks for your honesty. I appreciate it.”
