Chase winked at Dani. “Luna. You’re lookingravishingthis morning.”
Dani snorted, ignoring Arthur’s warning growl to his brother. Aurelia scrambled onto a stool, eyes already on the chalkboard menu.
“Do you do hot chocolate?” she asked.
“Best in town,” Chase said, reaching for a mug.
“Anchor staff would like a word,” Layla said mildly.
“Anchor staff can fight me,” Chase said. “We have marshmallows.”
Aurelia lit up.
Arthur ordered coffee for himself and, without thinking, tea for Dani the way she took it. Her eyebrows flicked up, then down. She didn’t comment.
“How bad is it?” Arthur asked Chase quietly.
Chase’s easy expression thinned. “Depends who you ask,” he said. “Dom’s pretending everything’s fine. Theo’s keeping the peace for the Volkhov, since Julian’s been spending most of his time…vetting some of the newcomers. The Severney are calm.But some of the nomad wolves are twitchy. The witches are uneasy; a few have already left.”
Layla blew on her tea, “Two of the Prairie Coven left in the night,” she said, “and one of Juneau’s. All three left notes at Thistlehouse and slipped out before breakfast.”
Dani’s shoulders stiffened. “Lavinia didn’t say.”
“She’s busy keeping the other witches calm,” Layla said. “No one blames the ones who go. It’s a big ask, all of this.”
Chase leaned on the bar, lowering, “Alex is in town,” he said. “Northpoint Nordan crew hit The Anchor an hour ago. He’s already made three comments about vampires and one about witches. I’ve got the over-under at forty minutes before Dom decks him.”
Arthur’s jaw tightened. “He can keep his opinions where I don’t have to listen.”
“That would require him to shut up,” Chase said. “Historically unlikely.”
The door opened on a gust of cold.
Fenred.
Dani went taut beside Arthur, shoulders up, hand tightening around her mug. Arthur shifted half a step, body angling just enough to put himself between her and the room without actually blocking her view.
Fenred came in with a few other Nordan wolves at his back. He clocked Arthur, then Dani, then the mark at her throat.
Noise in the inn dipped.
Fenred hesitated, then walked over.
“Alpha,” he said, giving Arthur a curt nod before forcing his gaze to Dani. “Luna.”
Dani turned on the stool, face neutral. “Fenred.”
Arthur gave a sharp growl. He hadn’t forgotten that day he’d thrown Fenred off of Dani’s vulnerable form in the woods. How later he’d cornered the other alpha and intimidated the truth out of him. How he’d been bullying her foryears.
He’d nearly killed the other shifter in blind rage.
It had taken years, but slowly Fenred had refound his footing in the pack. When he had taken his father’s mantle, Arthur had wanted to expel him from the pack. But as Alpha, he couldn’t deny the male’s strength. He’d appointed him to one of the far-flung crews that were stationed at the edges of Nordan territory where he could defend their borders and support his packwithoutArthur having to endure his presence much.
Cautiously, Fenred approached, his eyes wary and unblinking as he took in Arthur’s icy glare. He stopped a healthy distance from Dani, his jaw working.
“Dani…” he started, his fists clenching, “look. I just want to say that what happened when we were at school…What I did…it was wrong of me.”
Arthur’s eyes widened, the only indication he was willing to give of his shock. Chase and Layla weren’t so subtle, their eyes widening, their jaws falling open. As for his mate, Dani went stiff, leaning almost imperceptibly towards him. He couldn’t deny the thrill that shot up his spine at her unconscious search for safety, she knew he would give her.
