“Get away from him, Ness!” Liam’s voice struck me like a bolt of lightning, but instead of making me tremble, it electrifiedme.
With an almost clinical detachment, I cocked my head to the side and watched as he struggled against the three shifters restraining him. I wondered if they were the same weres who’d rearranged his features into a bloody, pulpy mask. Liam bared his teeth, then whacked the back of his head against one of them. His captor gasped and teetered back. Blood dripped from his nostrils, mixing with Liam’s on the slabs oflimestone.
“Release him.” Julian’s voice cut through the pregnantair.
Liam was freed so suddenly he stumbled forward, but he regained his footinginstantly.
“To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Liam?” Julianasked.
Liam’s eyes roamed over my face. “I’ve come to collect mywolf.”
Hiswolf? I wasno one’swolf.
Julian echoed my musings out loud. “Yourwolf?” His voice cocked in time with hiseyebrow.
Color prickled Liam’s jaw. “Ness is a Boulderwolf.”
“As far as I understand, your pack hasn’t let her pledgeherself.”
“Ness, come on. I’ll take you home.” Desperation rolled off him and banged into my toughenedshell.
Nowhe cared? I hugged my arms around my torso. In my mind, I whispered,Go away. You’re making a fool ofyourself.
Julian wound a possessive hand around my bicep. “Ness is my date for theevening.”
Liam’s gaze rocketed toward the Pine Alpha, then slammed back intome.
Hewaited.
Andwaited.
For me to deny this. Or perhaps he waited for me to scrub Julian’s handoff.
I didneither.
I could see the exact moment it registered with him that he’d wasted his time playing the savior. His entire face hardened, and he backed away. And then he shook his head, lips curling indisgust.
I kept my face blank of emotion as he stepped back and back until hedisappeared.
I’d made an ally tonight, but I’d also made anenemy.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Istayedat the engagement party another hour. I’d made it a point not to leave with him, just as I was making it a point not to stay too long. I wasn’t looking for a replacementpack.
Not that this was a possibility. I dug my phone out of my bag to ask Everest for a lift, but Julian pre-empted my demand by clicking his fingers. “Sarah!”
The wild-haired werewolf who’d told me Boulder whores weren’t allowed on Pine territory got tasked with bringing me home. From the annoyance tightening her brown eyes, I could tell she was as glad about this arrangement as Iwas.
Midway home, she asked, “Did you blowhim?”
I pitched my gaze off the dark road and onto her. All her features were fine, especially in contrast to her mass of tousled curls, but I could tell her delicateness was skin-deep, and that her personality matched her wildhair.
I guessed she meant Julian, but I needled her anyway. “You’ll have to be morespecific.”
She wrinkled her pert nose. “God, really? Eww.” She narrowed her gaze on the starlit forest. “I meantJulian.”
“No.”
