“No!” both Darwin and Liam shout in unison.
“Wait! Stop!” Liam yells.
I pause my ministrations, waiting for Liam to give me a reason not to kill this shifter.
“Sodie! Just tell him what you can!” Liam urges Sodie.
A loud piercing screech fills the night air. My shadows wince at the sudden intrusion. It takes a moment to recognize the sound of a ringing phone. Darwin pats down his body and then frowns. Another shrill ring reverberates through the silence of the secluded area, followed by another.
“Answer it!” I bark.
The shadows surrounding Darwin slowly slither away, and he stumbles toward Sodie, sliding the phone out of his back pocket. “It says Alpha,” he mumbles.
“You better hope your Alpha says something that will save your life.”
Sodie squeezes his eyes close.
“Hello, Sodie’s phone. Darwin speaking.”
I growl in Darwin’s direction, and he breaks into a cheeky grin. “Yes, ma’am—I mean Alpha, sir, ma’am.” He presses the phone against Sodie’s ear, who can’t even utter a greeting when a soft voice speaks on the other end of the phone. I loosen the shadowy bindings surrounding Sodie, allowing a brief reprieve so he can speak to his Alpha.
“Yes, Alpha.” Sodie’s eyes drift to mine momentarily, and he shifts them toward Liam. “Yes, Alpha.” He pulls the phone away from his ear and ends the call. Settling on his haunches, he closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I could have used that phone call an hour ago,” he grumbles. “She just gave me permission to tell all of you the truth.”
“You vouch for him?” I ask Darwin.
“With my life,” he replies.
“I’ll hold you to it.”
Darwin emphatically nods in agreement.
I drop my arms to my sides. The shadows retreat, groaning as they slide back into their previous formation. I straighten my shirt and sigh. “I’m hungry,” I blurt and spin on my heels, walking toward the village beyond the wooded area. Stopping in my tracks, I realize they aren’t following me. “Are you coming?” I toss over my shoulder.
I don’t necessarilyneedto walk to the restaurant. All the residents on the island wield magic. No one would blink an eye if I just popped in out of nowhere.
Not a normal response from someone who meant to kill them a few seconds ago.
No one said I was normal. Now for the millionth time, leave me the fuck alone.
“You can tell me what you did while we walk down to the village.”
Liam helps Sodie to his feet and checks Darwin for injuries. I grind my molars waiting for them to catch up. Within minutes, the soft thud of footfalls becomes the only sound between the four of us. I glance over my shoulder in Sodie’s direction.
“Six months ago, my brother and I took her to the Void,” Sodie says, without additional explanation.
“Where the fuck is that?” Liam asks, his brows pinched. With no ready answer, Liam repeats, “Where the fuck is the Void, Sodie?”
Sodie glances down at his feet as he continues to walk quietly alongside Darwin. “Nowhere.”
Heat radiates from Liam’s body. “Sodie, so fucking help me, if?—”
“No! You don’t get to be pissed with me for trying to save her from you!”
Liam recoils.
“Greystone and his two goons were after her because of you. Now, I don’t know a whole lot about the longstanding beef between the two of you. But they planned to hurt her, and I wasn’t going to let that happen,” Sodie explains.
Darwin clears his throat. “You mean to tell me that you and your brother were the ones who kidnapped the Princess? How? When? The whole time, man, you were with us. You worked tirelessly alongside all of us. And you knew exactly where she was? I’m with Liam on this one. You should have said something. We’re a team—a pack within a pack.”
