“Seriously? We’re hunting down a piece of wood?” Lucas crossed his beefyforearms.
The barstool creaked as Liam shifted on it. “What’s so special aboutit?”
“Its properties only concern the Alpha, and us.” Frank pointed to himself and the four other olderwolves.
That raised my curiosity a couple dozen notches. “And if we find it, can we know what itis?”
“If you become Alpha, Ness”—he side-eyed the graying wolves—“you’ll be privy to theinformation.”
From the way he’d glanced at the others, I could swear that he’d sooner believe in leprechauns prancing around Boulder with pots of gold than in me, Ness Clark, a girl, becoming hisAlpha.
Little did he know I had Julian’ssupport.
Julian’ssupport…
Whoa.
Julian had said he’d help me become Alpha. Like the rocks that had trampled my body during the first trial, understanding knocked hard into me. Frank was right. Julianmust’vestolen it. Hemust’veknown they’d come searching forit.
A new scenario played out in my head:Heath finds out Julian stole from him, gets angry, threatens Julian, who comes over or sends over a thug—like Justin—and has Heath quietedforever.
The possibility thatIhadn’t killed Heath thickened my blood, making it slide sluggishly through myorgans.
“Do you think”—I moistened my lips with the tip of my tongue—“Julian had something to do with Heath’sdeath?”
“No.” It was Liam who answered. There was no hesitation in hisvoice.
I set my eyes on the black leather boot he’d crooked on his opposite knee. “How can you besure?”
He hesitated a second before saying, “Because he knows the consequences of killingorbacking the killing of anotherAlpha.”
“Which are?” The laces on both his boots were untied. I supposed it was on purpose. One boot would’ve been a coincidence, but nottwo.
“He and his entire pack can berazed.”
“Razed? You meankilled?”
“Yes.”
Well, there went my shred of hope. The vein in my neck palpitated with disappointment. I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my white denim shorts so that no one would spot how terribly my fingerstrembled.
“What if they destroyed the piece of wood?” Lucas asked, which I hated to admit, was a relevantquestion.
Frank rubbed the day-old white growth on his chin. “Let’s hope theydidn’t.”
“How long do we have to find it?” Liam askednext.
“Well”—Frank glanced behind him at Eric—“Robbie’s wedding is next weekend, and they’ve invited our pack toattend.”
“Hell, no. You can’t be serious.” Lucas flipped the baseball cap on his head from side to back. “It’s atrap.”
“We’ve considered this, Lucas, and although we don’t believe it’s a trap, we’ve decided that only me, Eric, and the three of you will be attending. It’ll give you the opportunity to locate the artifact without breaking and entering.” Frank opened the box and held it out towardme.
I frowned as I peered at the bare interior. Did he want me to confirm it wasempty?
“Smell it,Ness.”
Oh.I dipped my nose and sniffed, and my eyes watered from the rancid odor. It was the way I imagined rotting bones smelled—dry chalk and tangydecay.
