“When did you get so brave?” she asks, followed by a strange grunt of a laugh that could also be a sob.
“I dunno. I don’t think I am brave. I just—care, is all.”
Mom wipes away her tears before they can streak her face.
“Are you going to ground me?” I ask. “Because I sort of know how to sneak out anyway.”
For a second I’m terrified she won’t get the joke, but relief floods me as she smiles and laughs.
“There’s no holding you back,” she says, sniffing. “I know that. I think I’ve always known that.” She stretches out a hand for me to take, which I do. “I just wish I could protect you always.”
“I know.”
“It’s so weird.” She shakes her head gently.
“What is?”
“I have no idea when you got so mature. You’ve grown up, Maxie. Guess I can’t call youkiddoanymore, hey?”
“Yes you can, Mom.”
She gives my hand a tight squeeze and leans forward, her eyes blazing into mine. “You do what you’ve got to do,” she says. “But be safe.”
“I’ll try.”
For a moment she doesn’t let go and I wonder if she ever will.
“Uh, kind of need my hand back, Mom.”
“Oh right,” she says and lets go. “Try and be home before midnight.”
“Sure.” I head for the door but turn back one more time when I reach it. “Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, Blood Wolf,” she says.
The elevator door opens with a ping and I step out into the sparse living room of Jasper’s Manhattan apartment.
Jasper is leaning on the back of a white sofa, waiting for me.
“Hey” he says, moving off the sofa and wrapping his arms around me.
“Hey,” I say back, thinking this was going to be a quickhellohug, but Jasper keeps me held against him.
“I missed you,” he says, his breath warm on my neck.
“You too. Is everything all right?”
He finally pulls back and is about to answer when a door opens down the hallway. We both turn to look as the muffled sound of voices travels across the wide living room.
“Let’s talk in my room,” Jasper says, taking my hand and pulling me away from the approaching voices.
We’re almost out of the living room when three men step out of the adjacent hallway.
“I don’t see why we should have to spend this much just to assuage some rogue-supporting…” Walter Bridgers, leading the charge, trails off when he spots us. He’s accompanied by Jericho and Salazar. The trifecta. The holy trinity! The three most powerful wolves in the Elite Pack. “Oh, it’s you.”
Only Jericho looks even mildly pleased to see me.
Salazar remains stoic, his eyes cold and distant. I don’t need to read his mind to know that he resents us for distracting him while his daughter is missing. I wouldn’t be surprised if he blames us for Olivia running off, too. After all, we set the precedent for queer wolf pairings, we ran off as well. Not to mention I’m the reason Olivia and Jasper weren’t forced into an arranged mateship. If it weren’t for me, she’d be the future luna of the pack and safe at home now.
