Page 96 of Poet & Protector

“I said to keep that quiet, you two.” She flashed her teeth at them.

Bryn shrank at her alpha’s reprimand, but Ansel was unapologetic. “Of course, from everyone else, but it’s not like we could hide it from our packmates.”

Calla sat in the chair Fey pushed toward her. She remained unconvinced. “You guys are killing me. We’re at school. There are too many eyes to see you.”

She looked at Ren and appeared genuinely afraid of what his reaction would be. “I’m sorry. I was going to tell you later today, I swear.”

I didn’t like seeing that. Ren was forceful, but usually fair, and rarely lashed out in anger. Calla obviously didn’t know that. I hoped Ren was making time to reassure her their partnership would be a balanced one. He wasn’t like his father, Emile. All the young Banes were grateful for that.

“Your brother is right,” Ren told her with a shrug. “You can’t hide anything from packmates.”

He lowered his voice and focused on Ansel and Bryn. “Listen to Calla: keep it quiet outside our circle. Not a word to other Guardians. You don’t want to step on the wrong toes.”

Then he shot a grin at Ansel. “Congrats, little man.”

Ansel lit up at the alpha’s praise; it was a big deal to get Ren’s approval.

The new couple quickly returned to gazing into each other’s eyes. I was happy for them, but they probably did need to scale it back when they had an audience.

Suddenly the scent of cloves and mahogany hit me and I stiffened.

“Neville, I hope you’re not thinking about leaving us to make it on Broadway.”

I slowly turned toward the familiar cold silk of Logan’s voice.

Damn. We’d all been so focused on Bryn and Ansel, none of us had noticed the Keeper’s approach.

“You have a wondrous voice, my friend.” Logan kept his eyes on me, every word a taunt weighted with the knowledge of what happened at Eden. “My companions and I certainly admire it; you projected all the way to the other side of the cafeteria. Very impressive.”

I offered him a tight smile, inwardly seething with hatred. “Thanks.”

Logan came around the table, stopping behind Mason’s chair. When he rested his hand on Mason’s shoulder, I couldn’t breathe. Mason shot me a panicked look and I felt the blood leaching from my face.

Ren started to rise in respectful acknowledgment of the Bane heir, but Logan waved him down. “No, please, just relax.”

Logan leaned forward to address our pack as a whole. The slight movement put him even closer to Mason. And me. I started to speculate about how quickly I could disembowel our soon-to-be master.

“As no doubt your alphas have informed you,” Logan said, sounding all too pleased, “it has been decided I will inherit the rule of your new pack come October thirty-first.”

It was clear from the surprised expressions on some of my packmates’ faces that not everyone had been told. Only Sabine, Bryn, and Ansel nodded immediately. I frowned, wondering when Ren talked to Sabine and why she hadn’t messaged me with the news. Then again, she didn’t know about Logan’s intentions regarding Mason so she had so reason to think it was urgent.

The Keeper waited until the rest of us inclined our heads to affirm his statement, then he walked to the other side of the table to stand beside Ren. I ground my teeth, my canines sharp as I confronted a terrible truth.

Logan only went to our alpha after staking his claim on Mason. He had approached Mason first. Touched him in a possessive way. Mason was his primary interest.

“I’d like you to gather in the commons after school today,” Logan told us. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Of course,” Ren said with a slight bow of his head.

“Excellent.” Logan spun on his heel and returned to the Keepers’ side of the cafeteria.

Beside me, Mason was frighteningly still, his eyes vacant and unblinking. I leaned toward him, reaching for his hand. My movement broke his trance and he tangled our fingers together before drawing them beneath the table.

He clung to me, his grip painfully tight. I knew Logan’s visit filled us with the same dread: the first Haldis pack meeting would be the beginning of everything we feared…and maybe the end of everything we had.

Seventeen

The Mountain School