Brooks cursed silently. Becker’s mate, Jayna Winston, and her small pack of devoted betas had been the ones who’d helped put Frasheri in jail. Likewise, Khaki was the reason Engler had been there. If those assholes came after anyone in the Pack, it would be them.
“I agree,” Gage said. “But with Oliver involved, every werewolf in the city is a potential target. I don’t want anyone going anywhere by themselves.” He glanced at Becker. “Start snooping into the warden’s investigation any way you have to. It’s not that I don’t trust him, but I want to know what the hell happened in there, since there’s a good chance that whoever helped these guys break out of prison is also the man inside the DPD helping the hunters.”
“I’m on it,” Becker said, heading for the SWAT SUV he and Gage had driven and the computer inside it.
Brooks looked at Gage. “Do you think I have to worry about them going after Selena? We’re supposed to go out tonight, but now I’m wondering if I should keep my distance from her for a while.” His inner wolf rebelled at the notion even as he said the words. He wasn’t a big fan of it, either. “I hate the idea of leaving her out there on her own, but at the same time, I don’t want to put her in danger. If the hunters see me with her, they might realize she’s one of us and go after her. I don’t want to be the reason that happens.”
Gage regarded him thoughtfully. “If I said yes, could you do it?”
Brooks automatically opened his mouth to say he’d stay away if it would make her safer but then stopped himself. The mere thought of not seeing Selena tonight twisted his gut into a knot. For a minute there, he could barely breathe. If there had been any doubts Selena wasThe Onefor him, they were gone now.
“Probably not,” he admitted. “She’s getting to me—fast.”
“Trust me, I get it. It was the same with Mackenzie and me,” Gage said with a smile. “Luckily, Selena just started going through her change two days ago. She won’t show outward signs that she’s a werewolf for a while, so the hunters won’t know she’s not human.”
“Actually, she’s already shown outward signs,” Zane said. “She bit Brooks last night.”
Gage did a double take, his gaze locking on Brooks. “She bit you?”
“Yeah.” Brooks reached up and pulled the collar of his T-shirt aside, showing Gage the fresh scars. “Selena and I were kissing when her fangs popped out.”
Gage’s eyes narrowed. “How big were they?”
Brooks shrugged. “I was a little preoccupied at the time, so I didn’t see them, but probably at least half an inch. Maybe bigger. She was kissing my neck, and I guess she kind of lost control. It completely freaked her out, and the fangs were gone before she realized they were there.”
“Huh.” Gage was silent a moment as he considered that. “That’s different. Apparently, Selena’s going through her change faster than normal.”
“Brooks and I thought it could have something to do with the hunters,” Zane said. “You know, new werewolves going through the change faster to reduce the amount of time they’re vulnerable?”
Gage nodded. “It makes sense. Regardless, the question of you staying away from her is moot. If Selena is going through her change this fast, she’ll need you more than ever. Which means you’re going to have to tell her what she is sooner rather than later.”
Brooks let out a breath. “Yeah, I was thinking that.”
“But while it’s important for you to stick close to her, I don’t want you out there on your own,” Gage said. “I’ll send someone to back you up.”
“I’ll go,” Zane said softly.
The muscle in Gage’s jaw flexed, an obvious sign he wasn’t thrilled at the idea of an injured Zane providing backup. But after a moment, he nodded. “Okay. Just be smart. I don’t want you taking any chances. Got it?”
Both Brooks and Zane nodded at that.
Gage’s gaze went to the pop-up shelter where Curtis was in full politician mode as he spoke to the reporter. “I’d better get over there in case I have to do damage control.”
After their commander left, Brooks turned to Zane. “I know there are probably a thousand things you’d rather be doing besides following me around on a date. So thanks.”
“Sure.” Zane shrugged. “Don’t worry. I’ll do my best to stay out of sight. But I’m warning you, if Selena starts nibbling on your neck again, I’m out.”
Brooks chuckled. He and Selena were going on a double date with another couple. How wild and out of control could things get?
* * *
Selena parked in front of the Sovereign Row industrial building, then looked around to make sure she was in the right place. It would have been easier if there was a name on the structure, but most of the warehouses in this part of northwest Dallas had nothing more than a simple address on them. This was the place Ernesto had described to her, though she had no idea what he was doing with a warehouse this large. Maybe his custom car business was growing faster than she thought. Then again, he could be branching out into a completely new financial endeavor. He was always looking for the next opportunity.
Grabbing her purse from the passenger seat, Selena got out and made her way to the front door. After the fight with Aaron and the other gangbangers, she’d sat in her car in front of the liquor store trying to figure out who she should talk to. She was a little surprised that her first choice had been Jayden. They’d just met, after all. Yet something instinctively told her that he’d understand why she’d reacted like she had. But he was at work, and she didn’t want to bother him. She would have talked to Becca, but her friend was in the middle of her fifth period history class right now.
That left her grandma, her priest, or one of the school board’s counselors, but for reasons she’d explained to Jayden yesterday, she couldn’t talk to any of them. So she’d turned to the one person who had always been there for her—Ernesto. She’d sent him a text, saying she really needed someone to talk to. He’d immediately texted back the address for the warehouse, no questions asked.
Ernesto must have been waiting for her, because he opened the door before she could even try the knob.
