“Try this first,” I commanded once I had her seated at our usual table.
Her eyelashes fluttered as she looked up at me, but she obediently picked up her fork and stabbed it through one of the pieces of broccoli I’d pointed at.
She chewed it as unassociated alphas stared like watching her eat was the most entertaining thing in the world, and maybe it was. I crowded closer on the bench seat, my thigh pressing against hers.
Sin straddled the seat on the other side, blocking her in, and Karma sat his ass on the tabletop, holding his own plate afloat in his hand, so everyone’s view of her was as obscured as itcould possibly be. Phantom was on high alert, his tension clear through the bond, and I knew he’d be scanning the surroundings for anyone daring to make a move.
It wasn’t long until something shifted in the air.
I wasn’t caught up to the politics of it, but Sin went still, and I felt a flash of fury from him down the bond. I turned my head to see a pack entering. The alpha at the front, a clear pack lead, caught my eye, as if my instincts knew he was a threat. His huge form and shaggy dark hair were always instantly recognizable as one of the alphas watching us too closely in the square yesterday. We’d left soon after he’d shown his face.
He was fixated on us, and I wasn’t sure if he was focused on Sin, or if he was trying to get sight of Crescent. I shot a sideways glance at the others.
“Holden,” Phantom muttered. “New dweller pack. Crescent was…” He scowled. “She was supposed to be theirs.”
My hackles rose as I glanced back at them.
Holden bared his teeth at us, something cocky in his expression.
He was meandering toward us, and I scanned the crowd. There was what looked like a large pack at his back, but more were loitering nearby.
I took the whole crowd in; if every alpha who was drifting closer were allies…
Shit.
I got to my feet, and Sin followed. Karma was at my side in an instant and I clocked, in my periphery, Crescent shrinking into Phantom’s arms.
Good. She had to stay safe.
I noticed a stirring of alphas by our side. We had allies, too. I recognized them by scent, if not name.
Would it be enough?
Holden looked like he was out for blood. Closing in until he was eyeing our pack up like there was definitely a brawl about to happen.
How many could I take?
For my mate? My aura would be worth four of any other prick in this place.
I wasn’t getting shoved into dark bonding an omega—something I never deserved—only to fail my scent match now.
Holden didn’t hesitate to come closer—too close—and I drew up, but Sin beat me to confront him. With a snarl in his chest, he pushed forward until he was barely a foot away from the large alpha.
He was going to try and take him. Instincts raged at me to pull him back, take his place face to face with the asshole, but I knew Sin would fucking kill me.
Until someone made a move, I’d stay back. Fight down my instincts.
They shouldn’t even be making any moves. Sin and Phantom had made a deal for protection, so where the fuck was?—
“Sin.” Dominic Redgrave’s smooth voice dragged me from the swamp of tension. “Come chat for a moment.”
The politics of this place had bled in from feral day to feral day, but no one here could miss that voice.
My packmate didn’t break eye contact with Holden, still standing face to face. The alpha’s aura raged, but Sin… He barely reacted. I noticed his hand had drifted to his hip.
I wanted to let him keep up the standoff, see who flinched first, but even I knew he couldn’t ignore a request from Dominic.
And I wasn’t at all well-versed on Anarchy politics.
