I kind of wanted to throttle her, but the kid wasn’t wrong. “Fine, but I’m making an amendment. Context matters. That advice was meant for a bully who was giving you trouble. It’s not an out, allowing you to treat your teachers like shit.”
“I don’t treat them like shit. But sometimes they’re wrong.”
Alpha children were no joke. As she grew older, Tali would challenge everyone, climbing the ranks until she eventually reached my father. I’d lost a lot of sleep worrying about what would happen when the two of them inevitably bumped heads, but I couldn’t worry about that today. I had too much on my plate already.
“Just… be respectful,” I said.
She flashed me a toothy smile. “Always am.”
“Yeah, right.”
Whispers called my attention to a nearby doorstep, where a pair of sisters watched us. The instant I saw them, they both dropped their gazes. We hurried on our way, and they followed at a distance.
The tunnels grew busier the closer we came to the mess hall, and I was the recipient of even more sideways glances than usual.
Tali must have noticed the attention, too, because she shuffled closer and whispered, “You did bring back the artifact, right?”
“Yeah.” I bit my lip.
She stared at me. “But?”
I gave her my most innocent look.
“Everyone’s looking at you funny.”
Forcing a smile, I asked, “Don’t they always?”
An older wolf stepped from his doorway, blocking our path. His chest puffed out as he dipped his chin in what looked like… respect?
“Well done, Ziara.”
I blinked. “Thanks, Oren.”
He moved aside, gesturing for us to pass.
Three more wolves emerged from a cross-tunnel ahead. They parted, pressing against the brick walls to give us space. One even bared his throat.
Tali’s hand slid into mine. “This is weird.”
“Understatement of the century, pup.”
A female wolf I’d trained with stopped sweeping her stoop. Her eyes tracked me with an intensity that made my skin crawl. Not hostile, but not friendly either. Assessing.
“Morning, Kara,” I offered.
She nodded once, sharp and deliberate, before returning to her task.
I should have come clean to Tali. She was a bright pup, and she’d find out I’d left the dragon alive soon enough. As would the rest of the pack. Had Hitch not told them? He would, and then the tenuous shows of respect would come to a screeching halt, the uncomfortable questions would start, and I’d have to lie to everyone like I had my dad and Rust.
I knew damn well why I hadn’t killed the dragon. The sight of his shirtless torso had short-circuited my brain. His face had been even more problematic. Chiseled jaw; wide nose; strong brow; eyes so icy they hardened my nipples when they lowered to blatantly check me out.
Nobody had ever looked at me the way he did.
Not even Mack.
But now my pack was in danger.
I should have killed the motherfucker when I had the chance.
