“Aaliyah is the one who told me what Walter’s been up to. She assured me there was no way she would join forces with Walter, but her pack is a pacifist collective. They don’t fight unless they’re under attack, no matter what. Carmine is another story. He won’t even answer my calls.”
“Dick,” I say, hoping name-calling might make Jasper feel even a millimeter better.
“Things would be different if ...” Jasper begins but trails off.
“What? Tell me.”
“If we still had the Rocky Pack onside. Besides us and this Axis Pack, they’re one of the biggest packs in the country, andtheir armed forces are legendary, but—but I burned that bridge when I lied to Morven.”
Even at the time I knew Jasper’s plan to keep Morven on the hook was dangerous, not that I would voice that now. I’m not one to say I told you so, especially to my boyfriend who looks like he’s about to collapse at any moment. But that’s not the only reason Morven has gone cold toward us.
“That’s not all on you. Morven’s still sore because Mia ran off with Olivia.”
A flicker of life comes back into Jasper’s eyes.
“What is it?”
“You’re right,” he says.
“So?”
“So maybe if we could reunite Morven with his daughter we could convince him to join us. If we had the support of the Rocky Pack then maybe our other allies would fight with us as well.”
“But you can’t expect Mia and Olivia to just show up when Morven still won’t accept them as a couple.”
Jasper’s expression turns deadly serious, he drops his chin and speaks with a new laser-focused clarity.
“It might be our only chance.”
AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK
“Hey, Maxie,” Mason says, his voice bright and chipper through the phone. “Let me get somewhere quiet.”
“Hope I didn’t disturb you. I know you’re extremely popular.”
“Haha. No, just me and some of the officers’ kids hanging in the den.” The taste of spiked hot chocolate springs to life on my tongue, making me salivate. “So unless you want them all to hear our conversation ...”
“That’s fine,” I say, always here for our banter. “Take your time.”
I settle into the pillows on Jasper’s bed. He’s gone to meet with the council again, to discuss the possibility of sending out trackers to find Olivia and Mia. While he’s busy, I wanted to hear for myself where we stood with the Rocky Pack, and I knew just the wolf to get me the inside scoop.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Mason asks.
I sigh to myself, knowing the rest of this call isn’t going to be the lighthearted patter we’re used to. “Have you heard what’s been going on here?”
“Oh crap, yeah, well I mean, not a lot. But my dad did say there was an attack and your alpha is injured.”
If that’s what Mason’s father, the beta of the Rocky Pack, told him, they can’t be taking our tragedy very seriously. Or maybe he’s just trying to protect Mason from learning all the gruesome details. Either way, Mason needs to know the severity of our situation if he’s going to be able to assist.
“Not just injured,” I say. “I don’t know if your pack wants to keep this a secret or what but—Jericho is in a coma. The attack took him off the board, and we know who was behind it and what they’re planning next.”
Mason swallows audibly. “You mean the attack wasn’t the extent of it?”
“Nope, not by a long shot. You remember Clayton, right?”
“That dick who tried to turn you into sashimi?”
“Exactly. His dad, who—well, let’s just say the tree doesn’t fall far from the apple—he’s defected from the pack and is amassing power in order to invade our territory and decimate us.”
