“You listen to me, asshole,” I hissed, stepping in on him, baring my teeth. “I don’t know who you are or how you got into my house, but that man was attacked by his fucking alpha. Someone he should have been able to trust with his life. You’ve got no place to talk shit about someone you don’t even know, for circumstances you’ve never been in. So if you want to keep being an asshole, you get the hell out of here, you hear me?”
The man blinked at me, as though shocked, and the whole room went silent but for Cash’s ragged, slow breathing.
After a long moment, Maia broke the silence. “Dakota? Are you... okay?”
There was a whine in her voice, something I’d only ever heard directed at an angry Jax before. Fear. Worry. I was her alpha’s mate, and I’d lost my temper at a moment when the whole house was already stressed to its limits.
I turned back to her, schooling my features, trying to make sure I wasn’t presenting her with more reason to worry. “I’m fine. I just... am not in the mood to put up with bigoted assholes. The pack hasn’t done anything wrong, and we don’t need to be dealing with some douchebag calling us names.”
She squinted at me, clearly confused, as though she hadn’t been bothered by the bullshit the guy had been spewing.
Prudence, apparently, had no such hesitation. She was frowning at me, and motioned to the asshole at my back. “Dakota honey, exactly who is it you see over there?”
My whole body froze for a second as a picture started to come into focus in my brain. If anyone else in the house had heard the asshole, they’d have snarled as much as I had, maybe more. I had more patience than almost anyone else in the pack, especially given our states of mind in the moment.
More than that, I hadn’t said anything I’d been thinking out loud, but the man had heard and understood me. I hadn’t said that Cash hadn’t been the one to speak; I’d thought it, and the man behind me had heard and responded.
Slowly, I turned back to look at him, and he stared right back at me.
Traditional Japanese clothing. I hadn’t even thought about it, because we’d been in Japan so recently, and seen more than a few people dressed that way even in the modern era. A familiar face like a member of my family.
No.
Not “like” a member of my family.
An actual fucking member of my family.
I swallowed hard and looked back at Prudence. “There’s an Igarashi in the room. You don’t... none of you can see him?”
“You can see me?” the asshole demanded from me, but I ignored him.
Prudence looked at me, then made a wide motion to the room, like she was a stage magician showing off something impressive. A rush of silver sparkles filled the room, then slowly faded away.
Well, they faded away everywhere except around me.
When I turned to look at Prudence, her lips were pursed. “It seems that you’ve returned from Japan with a ghost, sweetheart.”
A ghost.
That was exactly the last thing any of us needed right now, when we had more important things to deal with. Life and death things.
As though on cue, the still-unconscious Cash gave a little cough and shifted in the bed. “Jax,” he murmured. “Have to talk to Jax.”
Fuck me.
I had thought we were settling in for a less stressful life now that things with the Igarashi were handled. Clearly, I was far too optimistic. Without another word, another question about a fucking barnacle of a family ghost or how to get rid of him, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and texted Jax:Come here. He’s not entirely awake, but he’s asking for you.
11
Jax
Never in my fucking life had I felt so insecure walking into my own home, like I was an interloper and set to disturb the important goings on within. Not even back in Wildwood when I’d realized I didn’t fit with the pack, didn’t want the life Reeve wanted to give me, and wouldn’t tolerate another second’s disrespect for Jill.
But Dakota had called me back. Cash was asking for me.
There was nowhere else in the world Icouldbe, so I took a deep breath and slipped into the house, making my way to the guest room where I’d left Prudence and Dakota to help Cash.
As soon as I slipped through the door, Maia’s head popped up. It was that movement that had Dakota turn around. His eyes were wide, a bit startled, and?—
