Max nodded. “Thanks. Let us know if you remember where else you know him from.”
“Will do.”
Max’s gaze swung from Falon to me, then he pulled his phone out and checked the time. “It’s getting late. I doubt anyone else is going to come in now.”
In other words,you lot should probably fuck off home.
It couldn’t be that late.
I checked my own phone. Just gone twelve thirty. Fucking late, my arse. “Midnight shuts at four on a Saturday night. Technically Sunday, but you know what I mean. Plenty of time for one of these others to come in.”
Max narrowed his eyes at me. I knew he wanted me to get Falon out of there, and I really, really should, but… For the hundredth time that night, my gaze landed on Gabriel.
He stood there next to Max as calm and collected as ever, as if he hadn’t shattered my world even more the second he’d stepped through that arch.
Does he even realise that we saw him? That we all know he’s not human?
I wanted to ask him, wanted to look him in the eye and dare him to lie to me again. And I couldn’t leave this club tonight without doing it.
I turned to the others. “You go back to your pack, Falon. See if anyone recognises Blake’s name or description.” I was probably stomping all over Max’s toes, but he let it slide. More than likely because Falon agreed to leave.
“Fine, but let me know if anyone else turns up?” He directed that question to Max, but I answered.
“We will.”
I felt Max’s gaze boring into me, but I ignored him. “Talis, you take Axel home.”
He stared at me as though I was mad, eyes drifting to Gabriel before settling back on me. We might be best friends, but I was also his alpha and he wouldn’t question me in front of everyone else.
“Of course.”
Axel gave me a curious look, but I shook my head at him.
Leave it.
Only Max had something to say out loud about it. “Go home, Rys. There’s nothing you need to stay for.”
“Oh, I think there is.” I didn’t look at Gabriel as I said it, but I got the feeling Max could see right through me.
“I don’t know what the fuck is going on with everyone, but I need to get back to my pack.” Falon gestured around us with a scowl, at the noise, the people, the scents, who fucking knew. “I don’t know how you stand it, Rys. We’ve only been here a few hours and I’m already feeling like I’m crawling out of my skin.”
As shifters, we struggled the most of all the non-humans, but the older we got the more adept we became at muting our enhanced senses in places like this. Falon’s lack of control in that area showed how stressed he was.
Even Talis seemed unusually fidgety.
I might’ve felt the same if I didn’t have something grounding me,someone.
Even if I didn’t want him to, my wolf recognised him for what he was and clung to the faintest of connections that still tied us together.
I imagined if Gabriel knew, he’d be horrified.
“I don’t have a member of my pack clinging to life.” I gripped Falon’s shoulder hard. “Get out of here. I’ll call you in the morning.”
He nodded once, then turned and disappeared through the arch and out of sight.
“I’m staying,” I repeated, meeting Max’s gaze. “I won’t get in your way, and I won’t cause any trouble.”
Maybe.
