The thought caught me by surprise. I shook my head, but like a fly, the thought stuck to the web of my mind. Boulder blood ran through my veins, but that was it. The Boulders weren’tmyanything. Even if I became their Alpha, I’d never trulybelong.
I stuck my elbow on the armrest and cradled my head as what I’d agreed upon—becoming Alpha of a pack I loathed—dug its talons inside of me. My deal with Julian wasn’t fair to the Boulders, but fairness wasn’t a value upheld by my packanyway.
I massaged my temple. What was I supposed to do? If only there was someone I could ask. I thought about speaking to Everest, but he’d all but forced me to meet with Julian, so his counsel would be far from objective. I thought of Evelyn next. Perhaps, in not too many words, I could paint a clear enough picture of what was going on so she could adviseme.
“We’re here. That’ll be a hundred bucks.” Sarah turned toward me in the car, her eyes glowing in the semi-obscurity.
I raised my head off my fingers. “You’re kidding,right?”
“Depends. Do you have money to burn? I could really use newheadphones.”
“You’d spend a hundred dollars onheadphones?”
“I like good sound.” She lowered herhand.
“But a hundredbucks?”
“Ever heard of DJWolverine?”
“No.”
“Have younotbeen to TheDen?”
“What’s TheDen?”
She rolled her eyes. “Only the coolest club in the whole of Boulder. I deejay there on Thursdays and Saturdays. DJ Wolverine.” She pointed to herself. “I can’t believe you haven’tbeen.”
“If it’s Pineterritory—”
“It’s neutral territory. The Boulders go there with their little bite-sluts.”
“Bite-sluts?”
“Girls who want to get bitten.” When I frowned, she went on, “Some people still believe that if you get bitten enough times by a shifter, you’ll turn intoone.”
I blinked. I didn’t remember seeing any bite marks on the Boulders’girlfriends.
“God, you really are a total newbie at this. Robbie wasn’tkidding.”
“Robbie wasn’t kidding aboutwhat?”
“That you need aneducation.”
“He told youthat?”
She smiled, her teeth glowing so white in the light of the car they resembled pearls. “I’m his baby sister. Robbie tells meeverything.”
“You’re hissister?”
She slapped a palm over her chest very dramatically. “I’moffended.”
“That I didn’t know you were his sister? Unlike you, I didn’t study your familytree.”
“What’d they teach you in werewolfschool?”
“I didn’t go to…werewolf school.” Was there even such athing?
She smirked. “Did you fall for that?” Her smirk became a smile. “You did, didn’tyou?”
