“What the bloodyfuckis going on?” Jono demanded, his voice echoing in the sudden silence like thunder.
The bright fluorescent lights overhead put everything into high relief, making it easy to see the tear tracks lining Sage’s cheeks. She was dressed for a day in the office, but the way she held herself—arms curled around her body, shoulders hunched—made her look nothing like the talented attorney Jono knew her to be.
The way she smelled—scentless and packless—made Jono want to howl a challenge.
“You’re late,” Youssef said. “If you had—”
“I wasn’t askingyou,” Jono cut in, eyes moving from Sage to where Emma and Leon kneeled in the dirt. The tension in the stadium ratcheted up at the total disrespect Jono showed the god pack alphas, but no one moved.
Emma though—she onlysmiled, showing teeth even if she didn’t show her throat.
“Jono,” she said, ignoring the way the claws of the werewolf holding her dug deeper into her shoulder. Blood trickled down her arm some more, painting her skin with tacky red streaks.
“You have no right to speak here, Jonothon,” Estelle said icily. “Know yourplace.”
“Believe me, I do,” Jono said as he closed the distance between himself and Sage, coming to a stop by her side.
Sage looked at him through the tears in her eyes, the absence of the pack scent she’d carried since the day Emma had claimed her gone from her body. The claim had been removed by the power of a pair of god pack alphas who thought they had the right to tear apart the people they were supposed to protect.
Their misguided attempt at control stopped today.
What Jono had learned in all his years as an independent-ranked werewolf was a truth he’d ached to share. Home wasn’t a place. It was people.
Pack.
Something Jono was finally willing to claim in public whether Estelle and Youssef liked it or not. Because he knew what was happening here, knew what those two were perpetrating against the people who had become his family these past three years.
He refused to allow the god pack alphas to hurt them any longer.
“Why?” Jono asked harshly, gaze cutting to Estelle.
“Because Sage went where she had no right to go, as did you,” Estelle said flatly. “The Night Courts are off-limits. They have been for decades, and your actions have put us all at risk.”
“My firm requested I go,” Sage said in a quiet voice leached of all emotion. “I argued today that the Tempest pack had no say in my decision, that they couldn’t know for client confidentiality reasons. My actions were my own. They’ll be allowed to remain in New York City.”
Jono had no doubt Sage had argued successfully for Emma’s pack to remain whole and within its current territory because that was just the kind of person she was. Dedicated, loyal, and willing to do whatever she had to in order to keep her pack safe.
He understood why she had been there last night. The fae lord may have been in charge of that mockery of a mediation, but Sage was there as his protection. The Crimson Diamond was encased in iron, and that metal was a critical weapon against the fae, Seelie and Unseelie alike. His power would have been severely limited, but Sage could have still shifted and fought to keep the fae lord safe.
Jono had always wondered how the fae could live in modern cities, but maybe they were like the gods in a way—worn down by the progression of time but incapable of dying off completely. Still, they could’ve requested someone else in the firm.
“The pack laws we set down are to be obeyedfirst,” Youssef said.
“Bollocks,” Jono growled. “If that were the case, you’d actually get off your arse and save the people you’re selling off to Tremaine.”
The sound of shocked, indrawn breaths rippled through the audience. Everyone knew better than to speak their mind here, but Jono could see the troubled looks on some faces that were quickly hidden. Estelle glared at him, her heartbeat a steadythumpin his ears, truth the only thing he could smell on her. Jono wondered what sort of artifact she carried to give off that artificial scent, or if she was just that talented at lying.
“I take my duty of care seriously. Howdareyou accuse us of such a thing,” Estelle snapped, lifting her chin.
“I dare because it’s the truth,” Jono snarled, taking a step forward.
Youssef’s lips curled over his teeth in an ugly twist. “Sage has been removed from the Tempest pack and is exiled from our territory. It is our duty to keep the peace—”
“Peace?” Jono said around a harsh, disbelieving laugh. “Selling off those who come to you begging for help is not how you keep the fuckingpeace, Youssef.”
“You are to be exiled with Sage for breaking pack law,” Estelle told him, steamrolling over his accusations. “You will leave New York City and—”
“No.” The word came out guttural and hard, a challenge in Jono’s tone that everyone could hear. “You will not exile me, Estelle. Youcan’texile me, because I don’t follow your laws.”
