“What do you say? Want to sneak out the back door to finally go pick up our projects from the ceramics shop and leave Kodiak to work through your list? Pretty sure if we bring him back something to eat and you bat your eyelashes, he won’t be able to stay mad.”
“You live up to your reputation, I see.” He cocks his head, and the genuine confusion has me grinning wider. “A demon whispering ideas in my ear that are bound to get me in trouble.” Taking his hand, I lead the way out of the room. “If only I were strong enough to resist.”
Chapter 30
Amara
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“There has to be anotherway,” Stone objects, strumming his fingers on the table.
Raiden takes a sip of coffee from my terrible mug attempt. Even with Stone’s help, the thing turned out pretty ugly, but at least it’s functional. Bonus, it’s big enough to hold half a pot of coffee, so Raiden claimed custody of it the moment he spotted it on the counter this morning.
“Of course there is,” he calmly states. “I could go alone, or one of you could come with me. But I don’t think any of us are comfortable leaving Amara with less defenses when Malcolm knows where she is, and is watching the house, so would capitalize on the opportunity.”
“You’ve been fine with me meandering around town with only one of you until now, so what’s the difference?”
Raiden sighs. “While each of us are experienced in combat, the others were nearby in case shit hit the fan. What if he’s been quiet these past two weeks because he’s gathering people to aid him? He’s likely seen that Kodiak and Stone have taken you out on individual dates, and may be planning to strike when it’s my turn. Sabotage the car, overwhelm me with numbers in an attempt to grab you. The three of us have a system in place for such things, but it’d be useless if we were separated by hundreds of miles. There are an infinite number of variables that could come into play we haven’t predicted, and with such high stakes, it’s unwise to scatter our forces.”
Stone’s fingers still, his jaw tensing. “You’re talking about a public debut; that introduces a whole new set of complications. The wolves may stay on the fringes of society, but even they’ll be running their mouths to any shifter they come across once they see Amara with us. It’s putting a bigger target on her back when we haven’t even been able to pin down theonethreat currently plaguing us. I don’t think getting involved in a pack dispute is worth it, right now.”
Kodi chimes in, “You’re forgetting that this asshole knows where Amara is, yet hasn’t attempted to burn the house down to flush her out. Our reputation precedes us, and all he has are intimidation tactics.”
“That sort of thinking is what gets you a crowbar to the temple in your sleep, and killed before you even realize that your enemy has broken in.”
Kodi pauses. “That was oddly specific.”
“I had to walk past my parents’ room on the way out,” I deadpan and push away from the table to get another soda from the fridge, Kodi’s sugary habits rubbing off on me. “I’ve been on the receiving end of Malcolm’s tantrums for years, but no matter how many times I warn you, you continue to act like you’re untouchable. Yes, you’re old as dirt with cool powers. Good for you. That doesn’t mean shit if someone catches you with one good hit when you’re not expecting it, or a dose of poison added to your takeout from someone he bribed. You’re not immortal, and seeing as my life is tied to yours now, I'd appreciate it if you didn’t treat it so flippantly.”
Thoroughly chastised, he drops his gaze to the table. Raiden cuts in, his soothing tone doing little to temper my annoyance. All it does is highlight how out of control I feel compared to Mr. cool, calm, and collected. “What happened that made you so vigilant about what you ingest?”
There’s a tense moment of silence where I consider the merits of hitting the pause button on this entire conversation so I can take a few minutes alone to regroup. It’s unseasonably warm today, my hair tie is either too loose or too tight no matter how many times I try to fix it, and I swear, the hum of the refrigerator is louder than usual. I’m overtired, overstimulated, and overwhelmed by the back and forth bickering between them all morning. But looking at Kodiak’s crestfallen face boring a hole in the kitchen table is like a kick in the stomach, and I know if I walk away now, I’ll regret it.
Dropping into the seat beside him, I crack open my can and let the cool liquid douse some of my irritation. Taking another few seconds to center myself, I mull over the best way to approach this conversation. But the longer I contemplate it, the more energy it sucks out of me.
Sighing, I give Kodi an apologetic look. “Sorry for biting your head off. It’s been a stressful morning, but that’s no excuse to snap. After we finally settle on a game plan, I think I’m going to hang out in my room for the rest of the day and regroup, if that’s alright.”
