“I didn’t shift,” Jono said.
Marek blinked at him. “You got Nicholas to show throat without shifting?”
“Not only that, Jono forced Nicholas to change back to human. His call caused other alphas to shift into their animal form as well,” Sage said.
“Are you serious?”
“I never meant to force the others, just Nicholas,” Jono said. He hoped none of those in the audience would face retribution by Estelle and Youssef. He’d feel awful if they did.
Sage shrugged, finally pulling away from Marek. “That just means they’re yours.”
Jono shook his head. “You can’t know that.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit.” Sage walked over to him and came to a stop beside Patrick. “I grew up with bad alphas on the Rez, remember? I lived under Estelle and Youssef’s rule for years. I’m not the only one who has wished for someone better to lead me and my pack.”
“You grew up on a reservation?” Patrick asked.
“I’m Diné, but I wasn’t born a weretiger. The alpha in my area of the Rez was an alcoholic and couldn’t keep his pack under control. I got bitten when I was nine years old, and the federal government removed me from my family not long after that. I was put into foster care and eventually adopted by a witch.”
“I’d say removing you should’ve been illegal, but I know how the federal government likes to fuck over the tribes. I’m sorry that happened to you.”
Sage smiled tightly. “Can’t change the past.”
Patrick made a face. “Yeah. Tell me about it.”
A crash from the pantry had everyone looking toward the kitchen. Wade’s shout was muffled, as if he was in the middle of chewing food. “I’m okay!”
Marek looked at Jono. “If you’re going to keep feeding Wade for the foreseeable future, I’ll talk to Emma about having her increase your pay. He’s like a bottomless pit.”
“You don’t know if he’s staying?” Jono asked.
Marek shook his head. “Gods, remember? The Norns can’t see an end to this fight right now.”
“That means the Dominion Sect is definitely involved,” Patrick said. Jono couldn’t get a read on him since it seemed Patrick had locked down his shields.
Jono took Patrick by the arm and ushered everyone toward the sofas in the living area. “More than you know. I saw someone familiar last night at the club.”
Patrick stopped midstep, and Jono had to push him forward. “What do you mean?”
When Patrick would’ve stayed standing, Jono dragged him down beside him on the nearest sofa. “There was a woman in the crowd who I remember from the night Ethan had me.”
He spoke the words carefully, but Jono couldn’t quite tamp down the spike of terror that came with that memory. Sage’s nostrils flared, and she moved to get up from her spot beside Marek to come to him, but Jono waved at her.
“Stay sat,” Jono said. “I’m fine.”
He wasn’t, not really, but he was learning to be. Patrick’s knowing gaze spoke volumes in that regard, but he was kind enough not to give voice to them.
“Who was it?” Patrick asked.
“I don’t know her, but I would recognize her face anywhere.”
Patrick rubbed at his temple. “There are ways we can go about identifying her. The SOA has magic users in its roster with an affinity for mind magic. They’d be able to channel the memory to a sketch artist for a portrait drawing. But that’s going to draw a lot of attention if we do.”
“Would it get you in trouble with your agency?”
“Setsuna could try to keep the request sealed, but I’m not sure how long that order would last. Congressional oversight is still making her job difficult right now.”
“Then we wait.”
