“The shiftyshifter.”
August didn’t smile at my little play onwords.
“I know you two never really got along, August, but he and I did. I’m holding out hope he wasn’t rooting for my death. I’m holding out hope he wasn’t hoping for Liam’s either . . . That he did this to test my loyalty toLiam.”
After a long beat, August said, “You should stay at my parents’ house tonight. Every night for that matter. At least Dad can keep yousafe.”
I shot him a smile. “I’m not going to hide. If anything, I plan on hunting my cousindown.”
He gripped the steering wheeltighter.
“I’d rather be the hunter than thehunted.”
“No,” Augustbarked.
Jeb released a loudsnore.
“I’m not scared,” I said, dropping myvoice.
“Let the pack bring him in. Liam’s the Alpha now, and that’s what Alphas do. They exact justice in the name of thepack.”
“He’ll rip out Everest’s throat before hearing him out. I want answers, August. Ineedanswers.”
“Maybe Ishouldstay. . . ”
“What? No.” I winced at how fast the word whipped out of my mouth. The strange tether in my stomach writhed like a snake. However petty, August couldn’t stay. I had enough to contend with without our weird fated-mate connection. “Don’t change your plans on my account. Everything’ll befine.”
“I know you want me gone because of Liam, but do you really think I could live with myself if I left and something happened toyou?”
“Nothing’ll happen. I made it out of the trials alive, didn’tI?”
Hegrunted.
“Look, I’ll promise you something. If at any point I’m worried about my safety, I’ll go to your parents’house.”
His hazel eyes were murky withdoubt.
“Ipromise.”
“I want this inwriting.”
“August Watt”—I slapped a palm against my chest—“you don’t trustme?”
“You’ve been known to backpedal onpromises.”
The playfulness I’d gone for withered away. “What do you mean? What promises didn’t Ikeep?”
“When you left for LA, you said you wouldwrite.”
I nibbled on my bottom lip. “Mom didn’t want me to make contact with anyone from Boulder. She said cutting my ties with everyone here would help me move on, but in retrospect, I wonder if she did this so Heath wouldn’t find out where we’d gone. She was scared of him . . . after what he did toher.”
“What did he do toher?”
Right . . .Only a select handful of people were privy to this. Not once did I regret that Everest killed Heath. Liam’s father deserved what hegot.
“He raped her, August,” I whispered, as though saying it softly could somehow dim thehorror.
August’s eyes rounded. “Shit . . . ” he whispered, voice as rough assandpaper.
