Justice suddenly turned in his seat to face me, meeting my eyes with his green gaze, identical to Rage’s. “We’re not the usual heir collection team. We received a summons to go pick up the heir from Crescent Clan today, and we follow orders without question, understand?”
Huh. Why would someone from the academy want the A-team picking me up?
“Sure, I understand English just fine. Thanks for asking.” I ignored his huff and laid on another question. “Who sent the summons?”
That adage about curiosity killing the cat had no bearing on wolves. I was as curious as they came and not afraid of death.
Rage grabbed his ears. “Holy mage, woman, do youeverstop talking?”
What a baby! The last time I’d covered my ears like that was when I was five. Maybe he had issues; like eating paint chips as a kid or wasn’t loved by his mother enough. Whatever it was, it wasn’t my problem. With the sweetest smile I could muster, I pried one of his meaty fists away from his head.
“Nope.” I popped the “p” and let go of his hand. Every single wolf in the car grinned—well, almost everyone.
“I like her,” Noble declared.
Justice spoke up from the front seat: “Well, don’t. She’s not in our pack.”
I crossed my arms, secretly grateful for the reminder. I couldn’t let my guard down. “Damn straight, and I’ll never forget Midnight’s betrayal.”
All four of their eyebrows furrowed. “OURbetrayal?”
Rage grinned for the first time, and holy-mage-of-everything-beautiful, he just got hotter.
Bastard.
“She’s been lied to.” Rage shook his head, and his voice held a bit of pity.
My vision turned crimson, and I gasped. “Have not! The king ordered your clan to attack. They murdered half of my pack, includingmy uncle, before casting the rest of us out—and for what? No solid reason was ever given!”
My wolf pounded against my skin, demanding to be freed. Whose bright idea was it to put us all together in one small space? And why was my wolf so anxious to come outhere and now? Maybe someone was trying to get me killed.
“Nai.” Honor patted my thigh tenderly as he spoke, and Rage’s gaze flicked to his hand, nostrils flaring. “Your uncle was convicted of a high crime by the High Mage Council. Our alpha was merely following orders from them.”
Shock ripped through me, and my mind blanked.High crime?There’s no way anyone in my pack would deliberately offend the high mages…
Dad never told me what his brother had done, just that it had brought trouble to our pack. He would’ve told me if it was a high crime though … right? The five high mages ruledeverything, both in the mortal realm as well as that of the magic one. Most of the time, they left our kind, werewolves, alone to be governed by the alpha king. Even so, we all knew no one, including the alpha king, could refuse an order from the high mages.
The fact that my uncle committed a high crime couldn’t be true. They had to be lying—of course they were lying. This was Midnight clan. I wouldn’t let them drive a wedge between me and my dad, let alone my clan.
Nice try.
“Whatever. You’re the ones who’ve been lied to.” I crossed my arms and fell silent.
Damn, this ride was boring and never-ending. I leaned forward and glanced at the clock. Ten minutes? Ugh. Better keep on with my questioning.
“So, what are your jobs on the island? Let me guess. Security?” If they were last in line for the throne among ten or twenty siblings, they wouldn’t even go to school. They’d just be used for cushy jobs around the alpha king like security, war advisor, or breeding companion to females of good lineage.
Useless, basically.
All four boys shared a look I couldn’t interpret.
“Something like that,” Justice said, and the car went quiet.
The Virtues carried on between themselves, talking about random guy crap, and I tuned them out, resting my head against the back of the seat once again. I did my best to ignore Rage too. But that was easier said than done. Every time he moved, the seat dipped, and I slid into him. Eighteen times in sixty minutes, but who was counting. The guy must have werewolf ADHD.
I must’ve dozed off. One minute, my eyes were closed and my head against the leather headrest; and the next thing I knew, I jerked awake, all nuzzled up to the most lickable-male a she-wolf could hope to mate with. If said male wasn’t a member of the most traitorous clan in the world.
Oh. My. Flippin’. Mage.
