“What’s right?” Her glacial blue eyes, mere slits behind her gummy lids, thinned even more. “Righteous people possess virtue. You lost yours thisweekend.”
Alarm straightened my vertebrae. Had she spied on August and me? Or could she smellhim—
“And don’t you bother convincin’ me it was all your aunt’s doing. I know she had help, and who better than a girl famished forrevenge?”
She was talking about Aidan, not August. I tried not to let my relief show, repressing it as best Icould.
“Or maybe it was my cousin’s ex-wife who aided youraunt?”
That snapped something in me. “Evelyn hadnothingto do with Aidan’sdeath.”
“And how would you know, since you weren’tthere?”
She’s trying to get under your skin.The intensity of Liam’s voice had me flinching.Finish the inspection and return tome.
Cassandra raised a stealthy smile. “I believe it’s her night off from that fancy new job of hers . . . Too bad Frank decided to attend theduel.”
My breaths congealed inside my lungs. “Are you trying to get me to kill you before the duelbegins?”
Ness!
I started to turn, but spun right back to face the black-hearted woman. “The first time I heard about the female Alpha who brought the largest pack to their knees, I was awestruck. Proud that a woman had risen so high. But now that I’ve met you and understand how you got to the top, I’mashamed.”
Her blue lips writhed as though she were chewing on something particularly unsavory. Even though I wasn’t the only one who’d fallen for her birthmark lie, it incensed me to have been sonaïve.
“How I got to the top? You mean by fightin’? We all got our techniques, but seducin’ men to get to the top wasn’t for me.” Her eyes glinted maliciously. “To each herown.”
Anger bolted my bones. What man had I seduced? Was she talking about when she’d sent me to Heath, posing as an escort? Or did her barb have to do with Liam? Did she think he and Iwere—
“Ness!” This time, Liam roared my name outloud.
I jerked around. “She passes my inspection,” I muttered, my voice crackling through the starlitexpanse.
“And Kolane passes my inspection,” Justin said, crossing back over toward his Alpha, leering at me. “Time to take those clothes off,Ness.”
I glowered at Justin as I stalked to the perimeter of the ring, yanking off my hoodie and lobbing it at Matt. He caughtit.
As I closed in on him, fingers trembling on the bottom of my tank top, I whispered, “Tell Frank to gohome.”
Matt’s pale eyebrows pinchedtogether.
“Evelyn . . .” Her name came out hushed butclear.
As I handed him my top, he nodded. “I’ll tellhim.”
A howl pierced the night. I looked over my shoulder to find Cassandra’s light-brown wolf edged in palemoonlight.
“I’ll take care of it. Now, go on out there, Little Wolf, and crush them, ’cause that’s what Boulders do. We roll and wecrush.”
I could feel the sting of eyes on my spine as I dropped my shorts and underwear, but I didn’t care. I was too infuriated to care. I kicked both beyond the dueling ring, then padded back out toward Liam, who was still in skin and waiting forme.
Behind me, Matt repeated, “Roll andcrush.”
“Ready?” Liamasked.
I nodded without hesitation. I’d never been this ready foranything.
50
