She whipped her gaze to me. “Disgusted? No! Absolutely not. Ness, we love you. We’ve always loved you and we willalwayslove you.Whateveryou decide. The only reason I brought this up is because we care so much about you, and we don’t want you to feel pressured into something you’re not readyfor.”
I twirled my mug, wishing it could leak warmth into more than just my fingers. “I understand my options, and I’m not going to rush into anything that’sindelible.”
“Good.”
“What’sgood?”
I glanced up at August. “The tea,” I lied, raising it to mylips.
He eyed me suspiciously.Yeah. . . he hadn’t boughtthat.
“I brought you girls some covers.” He handed one to his mother, who draped it over her lap, then gave me the other folded rectangle that felt like spun clouds. I set my mug on the rim of the firepit to tuck the soft blanket around myshoulders.
August sank into the chair beside mine, and then Nelson arrived with a glass brimming with wine and sat next tohim.
“Look at that sky,” hemused.
We all raised our gazes to the glittering darkness overhead. Magical. Simplymagical.
August leaned a little toward me. “Did you findCassiopeia?”
I stared at the dark freckles beneath his left eye where a thin pale scar lingered—a remnant of when my wolf claw had scraped across his face. How I longed to drag my finger over the freckles shaped like the constellation. Instead, I burrowed my fingers into the cashmere wrap. “I always findCassiopeia.”
His gaze blazed as bright as thefire.
But then the heat in his eyes turned cold as a voice entered ourminds.
There will be no full moon run this month. I apologize to the elders, but I urge you all to stay inskin.
Liam’s voice dragged me away from the starlit evening that had been a welcomed parenthesis in my tumultuouslife.
I will be leaving to meet with the Rivers tomorrow morning, and I’ll return the following day. Please clear Monday evening for adebriefing.
I waited for him to mention I would be accompanying him. When a full minute passed and nothing more was uttered, I let out a quietbreath.
“The Rivers, huh?” Nelsonsaid.
“What about the Rivers?” Isobelasked.
August studied my face as he said, “Liam’s going to meet withthem.”
“The pack that commissioned you to build their meeting hall?” Isobel said. “I thought Heath had given you grief for working withthem.”
Nelson swirled his wine. “He did. Liam must be desperate for a new ally now that we lost thePines.”
“Did you know he was traveling East?” August askedme.
I nodded. Informing him that I was accompanying Liam hung on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t propel the words out of my mouth. I was afraid my confession would stoke August’sjealousy.
Besides, if Liam hadn’t mentioned me, then maybe he wasn’t taking me with him in the end. I held on to that possibility as the night wore on. But of course, right as I was about to call a cab, Liam’s voice resonated inside my head:I’ll be at your place at 7:00a.m.
August nodded to my phone. “You weren’t actually going to call a cab, wereyou?”
I forced my features to smooth out. “I don’t want to get you introuble.”
Sitting together in a confined space was against Liam’srules.
“You don’t want to getmein trouble, orhim?” he askedslowly.
