Carter was frustrated. It had only been two days since the fight with the Texas pack, the disaster looming in everyone’s mind, and yet Carter found himself thinking more about John than he did about the fight.
It was unforgivable.
Glancing at the phone lying on the seat next to him, his hands itched to pick it up and call the young human. Carter looked back at the road and forced himself to focus on the matter at hand. He was on his way to visit Luke’s witch, Owen, wanting to know what—if anything—had gone wrong with the wards.
That was all he should be thinking about. What he shouldnotbe thinking about was what John looked like in his uniform—or how good he’d smelled after Carter had come all over him.
For the second time, Carter turned his attention to the Texas pack and the question he was going to ask Owen.
Had the wards failed?
It was a tricky situation, and Carter honestly wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear. If Owen told him that the wards had malfunctioned in some way, then that would mean that the Texas pack had pulled one over on him and that Grayson had been right all along.
It would be a stunning personal defeat, and it would lower his status in the pack significantly.
Except… the more Carter thought about it, the more convinced he became thatGraysonwas the one who had thrown things off the rails. He was the one who lived in fear of Carter some day rising up against him—never mind the fact that the pack would never accept a human lover as their leader—and he was without a doubt the kind of alpha who would sabotage his pack in order to further his own power, as long as he could get away with it.
Carter wished that there was someone else in the pack who was strong enough to stand up to him and lead.
But there wasn’t, and so they were stuck with an asshole in charge.
Pulling into Luke and Owen’s driveway, Carter pushed his hands into his pockets and jogged up to the front door. Luke’s house was at the edge of the woods, nestled in a cozy little neighborhood, and the whole place absolutelyreekedof magic.
Carter hated it.
He knew that most werewolves loved the smell of witches—the sweet scent driving them crazy—but Carter just thought it was cloying. He started breathing through his mouth, knowing that it would take a few minutes before his nose adjusted to the overpowering smell.
It was just one more thing that separated him fromnormalwerewolves.
Knocking on the door, Carter was startled when it opened up before he’d even removed his hand. Owen stood in front of him, looking impeccably dressed in khaki pants and a button down shirt, a tired look on his face. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked like he hadn’t slept all night.
“Mr. Peterson, I’ve been expecting you,” Owen said, holding the door open and stepping back. “Come inside. Would you like something to drink? I have tea, coffee, soda... or just water, if you prefer?”
Carter stepped into the house, the magic of Owen’s wards sliding over his skin as he entered. It felt almost like walking through the film of a bubble, but cold. It was strange and uncomfortable, and Carter wondered how Luke could stand it every day.
“Sorry about that,” Owen said, noticing his discomfort. Carter grit his teeth, hating that he’d let himself appear weak. He smiled tightly.
“It’s fine. And coffee, please, if it’s no bother.”
“Not a problem. Let’s go into the living room and talk.”
Carter followed Owen down the hall and into the living room, taking a seat on the couch while Owen sat down across from him. The last time he’d been face to face with Owen had been when he’d negotiated Luke’s return to the pack, and just like then Owen looked calm and collected.
Witches had very little to fear from werewolves, and they knew it.
“I heard about what happened. I take it you’re here about my wards?” Though it was phrased like a question, Owen obviously already knew the answer.
Carter nodded.
“Yes. I thought they were supposed to stop anyone with bad intentions from entering our territory. What happened?”
Owen shrugged, not looking too happy.
“I don’t know. I checked them all yesterday, and they’re working perfectly. Whatever happened with the Texas pack, they hadn’t decided to attack until they were past the border. Either that, or they had a witch helping them.”
That threw Carter for a loop. “You wouldn’t have felt that?”
Owen shook his head. “Not if they were more powerful than I am.”
