“He was chargingyou!”
Liam’s eyes sparked as he lifted his thumb to my jaw. When I jerked, his smile blunted. “You hadblood.”
I rubbed at the spot he’d touched to get rid of the blood, and to get rid of the tingling left behind by his fingers. August’s face flashed behind my pupils. I backed up a step, not trusting myself to be so close to a man who’d once held the same gravitational pull over me as the moon held over the magic in ourblood.
Two Rivers in skin passed next to us. “Nice hunt, Alpha.” They inclined their heads toward Liam and then towardme.
My fingers stilled on my jaw. Had they just bowed tome?
More Rivers trickled past, chattering excitedly and dipping their heads when they caught oureye.
Zack and one of his twin girls approached. Considering she didn’t have a claw mark anywhere on her body, I assumed it wasPenny.
“Kolane”—the River Alpha extended his hand that was streaked in dirt and blood—“in fur and in skin, you have ourbackin’.”
Liam clasped the extended hand. “Thankyou.”
Zack seemed to wait for Liam to reciprocate his declaration, but what had the Rivers done for us? If they helped us defeat Cassandra, then they’d earn Boulderbacking.
After a pregnant pause, Zack nodded toward the meeting house. “Beverages and dessert will be served in the meetin’ house shortly. Shall we? I believe we still got much todiscuss.”
Liamnodded.
Zack let go of Liam’s hand, then grabbed a hold of my shoulder and squeezed it so hard I thought the bone might pop out of the socket. “For a little thing, you did good outthere.”
“Thankyou.”
“I get why you picked her as your Second,” Zack said, lowering his hand. “She’s brave and easilyunderestimated.”
The Alpha’s compliment warmed my blood even though I wasn’t sure what I’d done to deserve it. I didn’t think leaping on a bear was brave; in my opinion, my actions had been a little impulsive and a lotreckless.
“Ness picked me, actually,” Liamsaid.
I fixed my gaze on the long blades of grass swaying against my jean-clad thighs. I stroked the dried tips with mypalm.
Ihadpicked him, and yet, I alsohadn’t.
Not in the way he’dwanted.
“Is your sister okay?” I asked to change thesubject.
“Yeah,” Pennysaid.
“Thank the God of all wolves,” Zack added. And then he gestured to the meeting house, and we all started towardit.
Liam fell in step with his fellow Alpha, and I fell in step with his daughter, not walking nearly as fast as both pack leaders. How were they not exhausted? My muscles spasmed with fatigue. If it hadn’t been for Zack’s mention of having much to discuss, I would’ve backpedaled straight to my cottage, sloughed my skin clean in a hot shower, and stuffed my bruised body between the crispsheets.
Nostrils working the air, Penny said, “He’s not your mate, and he’s not yourboyfriend.”
Even though they weren’t quite questions, I answered, “Just myAlpha.”
“But he wantsmore.”
Again, it wasn’t a question. “We had a brief . . .fling. It didn’t end sowell.”
“And yet, you’re hisSecond.”
“And yet, I’m his Second,” I repeated. “What about you? Do you have aboyfriend?”
