Insanely fucking hot. That’s what it was.
My cheeks flame red.
“Finally,” Rowen mutters, getting up from his seat at the dining table. He’s glaring at Jericho with all the power of an alpha. “Mind telling us what the fuck happened out there?”
“Rowen,” Jasmine warns.
“No! Justice is dead, Mom, and we don’t even know why! We deserve answers! After all we’ve done for them…” His voice cracks as emotion gets the better of him. “Jericho is the only one who—”
Jericho silences him by putting up a hand. “You’re right, Ro, and I’m sorry. I wasn't myself, but I am now. I’m even more sorry I wasn’t able to help your friend. Believe me, I wish I could have.”
I close a hand around Jericho’s, giving him a gentle squeeze before slipping by to go to the kitchen. I haven’t eaten all day, too overwhelmed with the pack’s grief and too afraid I might never see Jericho again. Now that he’s here, I’m ravenous. Pouring myself a glass of orange juice, I take a huge gulp and grab a few muffins. The rest of the pack circles in, mixed expressions on their faces. Ivy’s eyes are puffy from crying all day.
“There were two vamps when I came to the field,” Jericho begins. “A lanky guy with brown hair and a short beard. The other, a dark-skinned man with shoulder-length dreads.”
Grant folds his arms over his chest. “That’s Rip.”
Jericho nods. “Yes, I recognized him. I didn’t know the other one.”
“I’m going to guess it was Alden. We’ve seen him leave the club more and more lately, but we still don’t know much about him.”
Jericho shrugs. “It doesn’t matter. He’s dead.”
My mom flinches in her chair.
I pull a seat out beside Jericho, shoving an entire muffin in my mouth.
He glances at me before continuing. “I should mention, there was another wolf with Justice, but I didn’t recognize the pelt. Dark gray with a white muzzle. The tip of the tail was white too.”
Ivy gasps. “That’s Genny. Is she okay?”
Jericho sighs. “I’m sorry, but she was already dead when I got there. There was nothing I could do.”
Jasmine turns away, covering her mouth. “Oh, Genny.”
Murmured whispers fill the room as they take in the news, and Rowen fists his hands at his sides. “What were they doing out there anyway?” he growls. “Justice knew better than to be in the forest right now!”
Red sits up, face crestfallen. “She was probably coming here for more tonics.” All eyes turn to him. “She’s been sick. Or… was sick for a few months now. I’ve been giving her tonics to help with the nausea. But if I would’ve known she needed more…”
Sage touches his mate’s shoulder, trying to comfort him.
“Sick with what? I didn’t think shifters got diseases,” I say.
“We don’t usually, but as we age, our bodies fail us, just like humans,” Jasmine says. “Genny was nearly four hundred. Nearing the end of her life.”
I barely contain my surprise. Four hundred years old? Is she kidding me? I forget how much longer the supernaturals live than humans. Even Jericho… It hurts to think about.
Forest presses him further. “What happened? What did you see?”
Jericho continues. “They were taunting Justice. Questioning him about why someone was there, but Justice didn’t seem to know anything about it.”
“Where?”
“I’m pretty sure he meant the apartment,” he says.
Everyone stiffens.
“So they know we’re watching.”
