Wyatt’s stillness took on a dangerous quality. “That would leave Haven Shores vulnerable to outside attack.”
“Or to hostile takeover.” Leo met each man’s attention in turn. “Someone wants this town. I don’t know why yet, but the pieces fit. Create instability. Buy up key properties. Wait for the community to fracture. Move in.”
“That’s a lot of effort for a small coastal town.” Beck had positioned himself by the window, his profile sharp against the darkness outside. “We’re not exactly a metropolis.”
“You’re located on the most concentrated ley line network on the Pacific Coast. Your ward system is centuries old and integrated with both witch and pack magic.” Leo shook his head. “Haven Shores isn’t valuable for what it is. It’s valuable for what it could become in the wrong hands.”
“A staging ground.” Theo’s voice was grim. “For whatever comes next.”
“That’s my theory.”
The game continued, but the atmosphere had shifted. These men had invited Leo here to assess a potential threat. They were leaving as potential allies against a much larger one.
TEN
LEO
The night wore on. More beer was consumed. Hux eventually excused himself—“Council business waits for no man”—and Wyatt followed shortly after with a curt nod that might have been approval.
That left Leo, Theo, and Beck in the back room, the pool game abandoned in favor of the leather couches.
Beck was on his fourth beer, though he showed no signs of impairment. Wolf metabolism. His easy charm had worn thin as the night progressed, revealing an edge underneath.
“So.” The beta sprawled across the couch, affecting casual in a way that was anything but. “You spent quite a while at Moonrise Mixology the other day.”
“I was conducting an interview. For the investigation.”
“Sure. Investigation.” Beck’s smile had sharpened. “Junie said you helped her figure out the ley line problem. How it’s reacting to emotional magic.”
“It was a logical conclusion based on available data.” He kept his voice even. “She would have reached it herself eventually.”
“Maybe.” Beck’s attention was steady, assessing. “She’s smart. Smarter than people give her credit for, because she hidesit behind the jokes. But she’s also stubborn as hell and too proud to ask for help.”
“I noticed.”
“Did you also notice that she’s one of us?” Beck leaned forward, elbows on knees, all trace of easy charm stripped away. “Pack-adjacent. Under our protection. Has been since she was sixteen and showed up at a pack gathering with a broken arm and nowhere else to go.”
Leo’s ribs tightened. He hadn’t known that. The files hadn’t mentioned it, and Junie certainly hadn’t volunteered the information. The image of her at sixteen—young, hurt, desperate enough to seek shelter with wolves—landed like a fist.
“Her mother.” It wasn’t a question.
“Left when Junie was twelve. Came back once when she was sixteen, stayed long enough to cause problems, then vanished again.” Beck’s jaw flexed. “Junie didn’t have anywhere else to go, so she came to us. Theo’s father was alpha then. He took her in, made her family.” His eyes met Leo’s. “She’s still family. Whatever else might be happening.”
The subtext was clear. Beck wasn’t merely being protective of a pack-adjacent witch. There was a personal stake underneath, a possessiveness that made his hackles rise every time Leo’s name came up.
Beck was a beta in good standing with his pack. Whatever feelings he had for Junie were his own business.
“I’m not here to cause problems.” Leo held Beck’s stare without flinching. “I’m here to investigate the surge and protect the Coalition’s investments.”
“Is that all?”
The question hung in the air, loaded with implications.
Before Leo could answer, Theo rose from his chair. “Beck. Give us a minute.”
The beta hesitated, rebellion flashing across his face. Then training kicked in, and he nodded, pushing to his feet with exaggerated casualness.
“I’ll be at the bar.” He clapped Leo on the shoulder as he passed—too hard to be entirely friendly. “Nice chatting with you, Castellan.”
