“You’re very kind,” Jasper says, bowing ever so slightly, then turning to me. “Max, your parents were asking after you. Shall we?”
“Yeah, okay.”
I slip past Walter and join Jasper as he makes his way to the door, but turn back one last time to find Walter still staring absolute daggers in my direction, grinning maniacally, and I’m pretty sure his fangs have elongated once more.
I expected him to be angry about what happened to Clayton but I never thought he would be outrightly hostile—and in a public setting. He mustn’t be afraid of much.
As we make our way back into the party, nodding at Jasper’s guests and smiling like good figureheads, I can’t help remembering what Walter said.You have no idea where the real power lies.
All of my life I thought Jericho was the ultimate power, the end of the line, top of the heap. If I was wrong…who is?
THE HIGH ROAD
“You have to go already?” I ask.
Jasper leans his back on the window of his car. We’re out front of my house the day after his birthday party.
“I didn’t know you had to go so soon.”
Jasper runs a hand through his hair. “I thought I had a few more days but Alpha Jackson of the South Ridge Pack suddenly became available and my father wants me to ensure our southern border is secured before the semester starts back up.”
“Right.” More pack business. Of course.
Jasper and I have been officially together for around three months and in that time we’ve seen each other, what, four times in person? With all the commotion and pack duties, last night hardly counts.
He reaches for my hand, slipping his fingers between mine. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not ideal.”
“It’s not your fault,” I say. “There’s a lot going on. I just wish…”
With his free hand he lifts my chin. “I know. I want that too.”
“You have to go right away?”
“If I want to hit the southern border in time for dinner with Alpha Jackson.”
With a huff, I roll my shoulders back and stare up at the fluffy clouds dotting the otherwise perfect sky. “We haven’t even debriefed about the party. Jasper, I need to tell you what Walter Bridgers said to me.”
Jasper’s eyes narrow, his lips pucker. “What did he say?”
“He said the alpha wasn’t the true power in the pack.”
A muscle twitches in Jasper’s forehead. “He said that?”
“Or—I guess, that’s what he implied.”
“He said or he implied?”
“Does it matter? It was a threat against your father. Believe me, he’s not happy about what happened with Clayton and he’s not happy about me being—you know, with you.”
Jasper glances sideways, staring at the spot where the grass meets the curb, his cogs spinning. “Tell me what he said exactly.”
“I don’t know—”
“Max.” He takes my other hand and stares into my eyes. “It’s important. Walter is too powerful, too entrenched in every aspect of pack life, too influential to accuse without enough evidence to take him out. If he threatened you, I’ll kill him myself. But we need to be a hundred percent sure, otherwise…”
“Otherwise, it could only tear us apart even more.”
He nods. “Exactly.”
