I started walking around the inn. There was no need to go through the deck where more wolves had come out to eatbreakfast.
Lucas fell in step beside me. “Wasn’t sure if we’d get you back in one—” A soundless snarl contorted hislips.
I followed the direction of his stare. Sitting at one of the picnic tables was Sarah, and next to her was another blond: AlexMorgan.
“When did that fucking happen?” Lucas said through grittedteeth.
“Sarah eating breakfast with her pack?” I knew that wasn’t what had gotten his boxers in atwist.
“He’s playing with her fucking hair,” hehissed.
Alex caught us looking his way and smiled wide, and inside, I cringed, but outside, I glared. Sarah said something that made the Creek in front of her chuckle, and that deepened Lucas’sscowl.
I touched his arm that felt like steel rigging. “She’s a Creek now. It’s only normal that she tries to fitin.”
“Fit in?” He sounded like he waschoking.
I pulled him around the building, straight into the employee parking lot where I’d left thevan.
“How come you’re so chill about this, Clark? Isn’t she yourbestie?”
“She’s nineteen. She knows what she’sdoing.”
Lucas’s lips curled indisgust.
I scanned the parking lot for Liam’s car. When I didn’t see it, I asked, “You have a ride or do you needone?”
Barely opening his lips, he said, “Liam dropped me off but was worried what he’d do if he stuckaround.”
To me or toCassandra?
I beeped the doors open. “Well, get inthen.”
During the drive into town, he didn’t say a word. Just simmered quietly. I almost confessed that Sarah was putting on an act, that she hadn’t turned on us . . . onhim. . . like Taryn had. But I clamped down on the truth. Lucas was trustworthy, sure, but the more incensed my pack seemed with Sarah, the more believable she’d be to theCreeks.
At a traffic light, I asked, “Where am I dropping youoff?”
“The gym. But you’re coming in withme.”
“I thought we weren’t workingout.”
“Wearen’t.”
I raised aneyebrow.
When we arrived, Lucas texted Liam. A moment later, the heavy doors were unbolted. The vast space was as dark as a cave, and it took my eyes a moment toadjust.
Liam’s face sheened with sweat, and his knuckles bled from pummeling the punching bag that still swayed in the back of the room. “Do you have a death wish,Ness?”
I squared my shoulders. “No more than youdo.”
“Do you know what they could’ve done to you?” Even though his voice was still loud, it had lost some of itsvenom.
The realization that he’d been afraid for me softened my stance. “I wanted to see if she’d agree to cancel theduel.”
“Cancel the duel?” Liam sputtered. “What makes you think I’d want to cancel theduel?”
Had the thoughtnotcrossed his mind? “I thought thatafter—”
