Page 27

The phone went dead.

“Mom?” Iris sighed and cursed under her breath. She looked my way and winced. “Um…would you…could you. I feel like a total dick asking, but would you mind driving me to my house?”

Christ. “Sure. It’s not like I have anything better to do,” I said, letting her hear my aggravation because this female frustrated the hell out of me. I didn’t want to be nice to her. I didn’t want to forgive her, even though she hadn’t actually done anything to me personally.

And I didn’t fucking want to want her.

We drove in silence, the only sound her constant texting to her sisters, I assumed, because from what I knew of her family, she had a lot of them.

Someone named Rose called her next, and I gritted my teeth at the way Iris’s voice softened, at the sweet way she spoke to her sister. Like a shifter, not a witch. The other female’s voice had been weak, fragile, and I wondered if there was something wrong with her, then got pissed off at myself for giving a fuck.

When we pulled up at the house, Warrick was standing out front by his bike. His mate, Willow, at his side. Another female with black hair stood beside a tall male, a bird shifter of some kind. And both females rushed to Iris when she got out of the truck, pulling her in for a tight hug, fussing over her.

Warrick frowned at me and strode over.

Iris untangled herself from her sisters and I braced. I may despise her family, but Iris had not personally wronged me. I’d threatened her life, though, and there would be consequences, but I alone would face them. Two other females walked out of the house, one who was obviously Iris’s mother and an older female.

“What’s going on? Why was Iris with you?” Warrick asked.

“I took her to my keep,” I said, holding the other male’s direct gaze.

His expression darkened.

“He saved me,” Iris said, shocking the hell out of me, “Demons surrounded Nia and me and Draven found us. I was unconscious and he carried me for an hour. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for him.”

Her mother made a distressed sound and ran at me, throwing her arms around my waist. “Thank you,” she said, emotion making her voice shake. “Thank you for saving my baby.”

I stood there stunned, not knowing what to do, and patted her back awkwardly. Wolves were affectionate, we were huggers, but this female, her coven, had been my enemy, in my mind, at least, for over three hundred years.

“Let the man take a breath, Daisy,” the gray-haired woman with her said as she walked up.

Iris’s mother finally released me, and the gray-haired female grinned. “Anything you need, alpha, you just say the word. Coven Thornheart is in your debt.”

“Yes,” Willow said. “We won’t ever forget what you did for us, Draven. Anything you need, please ask.”

Warrick’s approving look lifted my hackles, and I reluctantly took his outstretched hand and let him shake it.

“I need to go.” I was desperate to get the hell away, away from these people.

“We have food if you’re hungry?” Iris’s mother said. “Please, let me at least feed you.”

“I need to get back to my pack…but, thank you.” Goddammit. I didn’t want to thank them either. I turned from their smiling faces and strode back to my truck.

I heard Iris follow, and she stopped me from getting in with a hand on my arm. There was no holding in my low growl as fire sparked in my gut, just from that simple touch.

She yanked her hand back, mistaking my reaction for aggression instead of raw, animal lust, and I was glad of it.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “For everything.”

“I didn’t ask you to lie for me, little witch,” I said, low, so her family wouldn’t hear us. “If you think to use that against me…”

“I would never do that. I just think you’ve suffered enough at the hands of my family,” she said gently.

Her soft tone sent tingles across my scalp and only increased my need for her, and my anger, because being close to her weakened me. She weakened me. “This doesn’t change anything,” I said, my beast coming through loud and clear in my voice. “Stay the fuck out of my way.”

She nodded and stepped back, and I got in my truck and drove away, ignoring her smiling, waving family, and didn’t look back.

CHAPTER 8