Colby didn’t know what was being said in the hallway, but he had a decent idea. He’d seen the look on Bryce’s face—a kind of soul-deep disappointment. It was a reminder that his presence was causing problems. He didn’t belong here. The only reason he was here was because letting him go would be dangerous for this pack.
No one had said anything when Tristan had left with Bryce, though Jesse had raised his eyebrows and shot a meaningful look at Jason. Of course they weren’t going to discuss pack politics or relationships in front of an outsider, least of all the outsider who’d caused the whole damn mess.
Colby looked down at his feet, clad in socks that weren’t even his, rigid with self-consciousness. He could feel Dave watching him again, that quiet, evaluating gaze that didn’t seem unkind,justmeasuring.
He was trying not to strain his ears, to think about what Bryce might be saying, but the tension in his spine made him feel like he was back in Cale’s pack, waiting for footsteps, for a raised voice, for pain. He struggled to breathe through it. The one thing he was fairly sure of, now he’d been here longer, was that they wouldn’t hurt Tristan. At least, not physically.
Colby stiffened as Bryce walked in and went straight to his place at the table. He didn’t so much as glance at Colby as he picked up his glass and drained it. Not a word to anyone, and when he set his glass back down with a decided click, his jaw was tight.
Biting the inside of his cheek, Colby lowered his gaze so he wouldn’t be caught watching. Bryce was pack beta, and if he wanted Colby gone, he’d be gone. He’d have to walk away from Tristan. From the only good thing in his whole damn life.
He felt Tristan’s approach before he saw him. When he walked in, his face was composed but his eyes were shadowed. He wasn’t glowing anymore, and Colby’s chest ached. But then Tristan spotted him, and something flickered back to life. He crossed the room in a few strides and stood beside Colby, bumping their shoulders gently together.
The back door slammed open, making Colby jump. A stocky shifter stomped in, scowling and swearing under his breath.
“Fucking goats,” he muttered. “They’re next for the stew pot.”
He looked around the kitchen, and froze the instant he saw Colby.
The casual irritation instantly drained from his face, replaced by a burning intensity. His lip curled as he stalked across the tiled floor toward Colby. His eyes glared hatred, and his muscles were coiled, ready to attack.
Colby responded the way he’d learned—making himself unthreatening and small, or as small as he could,but it didn’t help.
The shifter came to a halt directly in front of Colby and stood glaring at him. The fact he had to glare up about five inches didn’t diminish the sense of threat that was rolling off his muscular frame as his nostrils flared.
“You’re Cale’s pack,” he growled.
“Christian.” Tristan had belatedly caught onto what was going on. “He’s not, not any more. Matt said he can stay, you know he did.”
“You fuckingattackedus.” He was a heartbeat away from violence.
“Christian.” Tristan moved in front of Colby.
“Hey.” It was short, it was extremely sharp, and it had them all looking to the doorway. Matt stood there, looking irritated. “Colby’s staying for now,” he said to Christian, whose lip curled in response. “If you’ve got a problem with that, bring it to me.”
With one final glare at Colby, Christian turned around, shoulder-checking Tristan hard enough to make him rock back a step, and went over to see what Jason was dishing up at the stove.
“I swear to God, this pack’s like a kindergarten on steroids,” Matt muttered.
Colby reached out a hand to Tristan but dropped it before he made contact—adrenaline was still spiking through Tristan’s body.
“Hey,” he said quietly to Tristan, a world away from the tone Matt had used. “It’s okay. I’d have done the same in his place.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” Tristan said, swinging around to face him. His eyes were slowly clearing of anger, until they were once more the mischievous and inquisitive hazel Colby knew so well. “Becauseyou’vegot a brain.”
Christian growled, but it didn’t sound quite as vicious as the one he’d unleashed at Colby.
Matt firmly drew out his chair and sat down. It wasn’t as if any of them could ignore the signal from their alpha, so they all took their places. Colby was next to Tristan, Christian further down the table, a dirty glare on his face whenever he looked at Colby.
It wasn’t easy, sitting there under Christian’s glare and Bryce’s silence. But then Tristan leaned closer, just enough for their shoulders to touch.
TRISTAN
Once dinner was finished, Tristan got up to start clearing away.
“Sit down, Tristan,” Matt said. “There’s something you all need to know.” His gaze swept the members of the pack sitting around the table. “Cale’s found someone who wants their very own Argent. Someone high up on the Shifter National Council who’s willing to pay a lot of money, from what Colby told me.”
Matt looked briefly at Jesse, who was tight-lipped and unsurprised. Evidently, he already knew. “Much as I hate to say it, we haven’t a hope in hell of making a stand against anyone with that sort of influence, resources, and firepower. The way I see it, the safest thing for Jesse is to go public. Let people hear straight from him. If everyone already knows where he stands, there’s no reason for anyone to try and grab him.”
