Just the scent wafting from the glasses had my eyesstinging.
“And what else did you put in there again, my dear?” Aidan asked, tapping his index finger to the flared rim of his shotglass.
“Sillin?” Matt supplied under hisbreath.
“Vodka and sugar syrup,” Lucy saidbrightly.
“Sillin?” Aidan’s eyebrows rose, crinkling his forehead. “Now why would she have used Sillin? It wouldn’t have added any flavor to this exquisitedrink.”
“How do you know the flavor of Sillin?” Liam asked, narrowing his gaze on thehunter.
Aidan thumbed his ear, then pressed his wire-rimmed glasses back up the bridge of his nose even though they hadn’t slid down. “When I research something, Liam, I do so thoroughly,” he finally said. He raised his glass and waited, but none of us followed his lead. “Your loss.” He knocked the clear drink back, then smacked his lips. “Absolutely delightful, just like the woman who concoctedit.”
Was Aidan Michaels hitting on my aunt—formeraunt?Yuck.
When two spots of color rose to her cheeks, I gagged. I must’ve done so audibly, because she glared at me, smilegone.
Voices suddenly rose in thefoyer.
“I believe more guests have arrived. Shall we go out to greet them,Lucy?”
Aidan took the platter from her hands and offered Lucy his arm. And she tookit.
“More guests, and still no host,” Matt said, gaze sunk on the darkening forest that swayed beyond the overhanging porch like wetpaintbrushes.
Liam tipped his chin toward the terrace, and the boys followed him out. I was still too stunned by what I’d just witnessed tomove.
“Ness?” August’s voice pierced the gray fog of mythoughts.
I released my elbows, letting my hands drop into the fluffy, itchy tulle. “Jeb can’t come. He’ll—He’ll . . . ” I patted my skirt as though to locate a pocket, but I had no pocket just like I had no bag. I hadn’t thought I would need to bring anything since my uncle was coming. “Can you call him, August? Tell him not to come.” My voice was shrill with nerves. “I don’t want him to . . . to see what we justwitnessed.”
August fished his phone out of his pants pocket and pressed on the screen before lifting it to his ear. As he spoke, I caught sight of a familiar blonde and expelled a breath ofrelief.
Sarah walked over to me in a shimmery gown that made her look more goddess than wolf. “I heard the Creeks werelate.”
“You didn’t drink the shots, did you?” I whisperedurgently.
She nocked a crooked grin onto her glossy lips. “Wouldn’t dream of ingesting anything Creep-made.” Winking, she threaded her arm through mine and pulled me toward the terrace, but I dug my heelsin.
“Did you get him on the phone?” I askedAugust.
“I did. He’ll stayhome.”
A trickle of relief dripped through me, too little to do away with my gnawing anxiety. “I have such a bad feeling,” I murmured to Sarah as we joined the others on thedeck.
She squeezed my arm. “It’ll befine.”
Even though her voice didn’t waver, her optimism did little to reassure me. Perhaps it was because Liam looked as though he was about to snap someone’s head off and Lucas hadn’t taken a jab at Sarah’s appearance as he usually did, even though he’d stared her up and down a couple times. Or perhaps it was because of the matching grim expressions August and the two Rogers brotherswore.
Whatever it was, I braced myself for utter chaos. Better to be pleasantly surprised than surprisinglydisappointed.
41
Julian Matz strolledthrough the living room as though he owned the place, his sister, Nora, hanging from hisarm.
“Is your father here?” I askedSarah.
Surprise, or was it shock, puckered her brow. “My father had a falling-out with my uncle some years ago. He’s no longer welcomed to packgatherings.”
