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He just stared at me and said no more.

He wasn’t there to get up close and personal with anyone. Ronan went there for one thing, and only when he was desperate. To feed. “Why did you wait so long, Ronan? You look so much healthier now. Why don’t you feed more regularly?” Maybe that was intrusive, but Ronan preferred people to be as blunt as he was. He didn’t understand subtext or nuance or teasing.

But right now, his gaze bore into me in a way it never had before. It was almost like he was angry, but that was impossible. Ronan didn’t get angry. “I don’t talk about that, Iris.”

Okay, I hadn’t expected that. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

Without another word, he turned and disappeared upstairs.

I got Rose’s water and headed back up, and when I walked in, she was lying there, her large blue eyes on Ronan, who was sitting by the bed reading to her in his deep yet smooth voice. Jane Eyre was held loosely in one of his long-fingered hands. One of Rose’s favorites. According to Mags, they’d been working their way through Rose’s bookshelf. The packet of biscuits was open on her bedside table, half of one laying beside it, which was probably all she’d managed to eat.

I helped Rose take a sip of water, placed the cup on her bedside table, kissed her cheek, and left them to it. Rose barely noticed I’d returned now that Ronan was there. I didn’t understand why he kept coming back. But every day, without fail, he showed up, even if it was only for a short time.

I’d think he was in love with her if I didn’t know he wasn’t capable of feeling anything at all.

It was late evening when I pulled up outside the keep. Asher a few minutes after me. She’d been following me around all day, like I knew she would be, and she’d been more than happy to help me search Marina’s place. The ward on her apartment had already been broken by her family, which made things easier, but like Amy’s place, we’d found nothing.

Nia and I got out of my car.

“Maybe tomorrow you could just ride with me,” I said to Ash when she leaned on the car beside me.

Music drifted out from the keep.

“As long as I can drive,” she said and grinned.

“Fine.” I motioned to the keep. “What’s going on?”

“Mating party. Hannah and Linus were due back tonight.”

“They’ve been away? Like a honeymoon?”

She glanced away into the forest. “Yes and no. It’s this…special place we go when we mate. Every pack has something like it. The one here was created when the previous pack made a deal with one of the local covens. It’s this enchanted oasis, safe and secluded. The couple goes there to screw each other’s brains out for a week without interruption.” She winked. “Oh, and it’s all deep and spiritual and blah, blah, blah.”

“Oh, I…yeah, I’ve heard of it. I’ve never seen it, though, I just assumed…I thought you must not use it, or only the previous pack could.” Because Draven hadn’t mentioned it. I understood why, of course. Neither of us had wanted this, for one thing. And I’m sure “spiritual” was the last thing he’d wanted with me.

When he said they usually take their mates away for a week, I hadn’t put two and two together. He’d meant this oasis Ash was talking about.

“Did I just fuck up? You look like someone pulled your pants down in front of the whole class.” Her brows shot up, realization in her eyes. “You know why Draven didn’t take you, right? Besides your task, he didn’t know what would happen when he got you here. He had to do things differently.”

“It’s fine.” What Asher said made sense, of course. So why did I have this feeling of disappointment? God, I was so sick of all this uncertainty. My life felt like it was in constant chaos. And I didn’t know what to do next with my task. I should be out now searching for Amy and Marina, but I didn’t know where to look next. “Come on, I need a drink.”

Asher slung an arm around my shoulders. “Now you’re talking.”

Draven was deep in conversation with several of his warriors when we walked in. His head came up instantly, as if he sensed me enter the room, his gaze slicing right to me. My belly curled and warmed, and I waved before Ash directed me to the bar.

People were still getting things ready, food was being brought out, and decorations received their finishing touches. But we weren’t the only ones early to the bar. The pack was ready to blow off some steam. Ebony ran over. “Can I play with Nia?”

Nia play!

I laughed. Nia loved Ebony. “She’d love to.” I crouched down. “You stay with Ebony, okay? You keep her safe.”

Nia grinned, licked my face, and ran outside with the younger wolf.

Someone turned up the music, and Asher took my hand, dragging me over to a group of females. Bridget was among them, and I inwardly winced. They froze when we joined them, the conversation screeching to an obvious halt.

“Hey,” I said. “Sorry, if we’re interrupting, I just thought…”

“Screw that,” Asher said to the small group. “Stop being fucking weird. Iris is the shit, and if you’d get your heads out of your asses long enough, you’d see that for yourself.”