“It’snotnothing. It’s myfuture.”
“No, your future is saving my ass,remember?”
A smile tugged at my lips, and I closed the catalogue. “So tell me about theRivers.”
I learned they were the largest of the Eastern packs and the most influential. They’d done their share of dueling in the East but weren’t interested in expanding to the West or to the North—the territory of the igloo-dwelling Glacier Pack, descendants of theInuits.
“I’m surprised August didn’t tell you about them. He knew the Alpha’s daughter quite intimately.” My sudden intake of air had Liam dip his chin into his neck. “You didn’t think he was a choir boy, now didyou?”
“Of course not,” I said a little too abruptly. And I truly hadn’t, but that didn’t mean I wanted to know about all the beds August had warmed and all the bodies he’dstroked.
Jealousy reared its petty head, and I turned my attention to the ocean of sky surrounding us. Just as brusquely as the jealousy appeared, the realization that my navel didn’t tingle—not even a little—hitme.
The link wasgone.
10
Between talkof the Rivers and petty jealous musings, I barely realized the plane had started its descent toward an airstrip at the base of the Smoky Mountains. When the wheels jounced against the tarmac, though, I became wholly centered on the aircraft. And then the pilot braked, and the lap belt dug into my stomach, sending what I’d eaten back up my throat. I mashed my lips together and swallowed so hard I almost choked on my spit, but that beat hurling all overLiam.
Liam, whose eyes glinted as though amused by mypredicament.
The pilot’s voice crackled over a loudspeaker, announcing we’d touched down, as if we’d somehow missedit.
“You can leave the college packet on board,” Liam said, getting up. “We’re taking the same planehome.”
As I unbuckled myself, the door with the retractable staircase popped open, letting in a burst of hot, humid air. I followed Liam out of the jet, and when my white sneakers met solid earth, I almost purred. Liam tossed me another amused look, but then his features hardened into his Alphamask.
Two open-roofed SUVs fit for a safari were snaking past the few parked private aircrafts. Laughter and chatter floated from the bodies crowding thevehicles.
“Did the entire pack come to greet us?” I murmured over the drone of the approachingcars.
“They’re close to three hundred, sono.”
I’d been joking, but Liam was too concentrated to pick up on my intended humor. When the fenders all but butted against our thighs, the vehicles stopped and the passengers jumped over the sides. A man with a thick auburn-brown beard pushed through the tight web of shifters circlingus.
“Liam!” he boomed, clapping my Alpha on the back as though they were oldpals.
Even though Liam was as stiff as an ironing board, he offered the large male a tensesmile.
And then the man moved toward me and extended his hand. “Zachary. But everyone calls meZack.”
I shook his gargantuanpalm.
“So you’re the Boulder female everyone’s been yappin’ about, huh?” He hadn’t released meyet.
“The one and only,” I said, eyeing him and hispack.
“Well, welcome to the East,” he boomedagain.
I tugged my fingers loose. “Thankyou.”
He nodded before turning to Liam. “Shall we run for the hills?” A slash of white teeth appeared between the coarse brown hairs of hisbeard.
Some of his wolves chuckled, stances slack, exhibiting no signs ofaggression.
“I’m kidding. We’ll do enough running tonight. Liam, you’re ridin’ with me, son,” Zackbarked.
Liam nodded, but before going off, he signaled for me tofollow.
