Jayson was still going on. “I can’t believe this. I’ll make sure my father gets you fired. He knows people. Powerful people. You’ll–”
“Dammit, will you shut up? Here, take her.” I twisted a bit to offer her to him.
Zoe shook her head. “Don’t. She’s losing too much blood.” She turned and snapped at Jayson. “Whatever she’s been poisoned with must be highly toxic. Look at her.”
He glanced at Kira’s morbidly pale face, and his expression softened a bit, but not enough for my liking. He shrugged. “Yeah? Fix her. You’re a fae, right? I want to get home,” he said sulkily. Then he winced in disgust. “Gods, she reeks of his scent. I’ll have to give her a bath when we get home to get the stink off her.”
Flaming anger flashed across Zoe’s eyes. I had the sense that if I hadn’t been there as a witness, Jayson Fell might not have made it home alive.
Through clenched teeth, Zoe said, “I’ll do my best, but I don’t know a lot about healing spells. I think I can slow the bleeding.”
Zoe placed her hands on Kira’s shoulder and murmured a few words. Kira’s head lolled to the side, and her breathing became heavy and slow. She’d been put to sleep. The oozing blood had slowed to a trickle, too. I sighed with a relief that settled through my every muscle. My body was exhausted from trying to keep Kira from attacking me.
Jayson, however, looked like he was more concerned with getting out of there.
He glanced at his watch, then back at Zoe. “Is she good now? Can you get us home? I want to watch the game that’s starting soon.”
Zoe sighed and waved her hand in Jayson’s direction. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he slumped to the ground, smacking his cheek on the pavement, deeply asleep like Kira. I gaped at his wide-open mouth as he snored like a freight train. When I looked back at Zoe, she gave me an embarrassed smile and shrugged.
“He’s a dick.”
I smiled back at her. I’d always considered Kira’s friend flighty and a bit of a loose cannon. Now I appreciated her. She’d take care of Kira, no matter what. I was certain of that after seeing what she’d done to Jayson.
My earpiece kicked back to life. “Wyatt? You there?”
“I’m here, Douglas. What’s going on?”
“Med team will be at the restaurant in less than three minutes.”
I sighed. “Thank the gods.”
Moments later, the team swooped in. Zoe and I stepped back and let them work. One of the medics glanced at Jayson’s unconscious form on the ground. “What about him? Does he need assistance?”
“Oh no,” Zoe said, waving him off. “He’s suffering from terminal asshole-itis. There’s no cure. But thanks for asking.”
The medic frowned but went back to getting Kira onto a gurney. Zoe looked back and forth at Kira and me before pulling me aside.
“Thanks for helping her. If you hadn’t kept pressure on her wound, she would have lost even more blood. I think she’ll be fine once they get her to a trained healer.”
I shrugged. “No big deal. She would have done the same for me.”
Zoe made a face. “Probably, but she would have bitched about it for weeks after. I know I’m supposed to be on her side all the time, including hating you.” She rolled her eyes. “Gods know she makes that abundantly clear, but I still appreciate all you do to keep her out of trouble. Just remember, I can never say that when she’s conscious. So, if I’m a bitch to you the next time I see you, know that I have to be that way.”
Chuckling, I nodded. It was a good reminder that Kira hated me. It all went back to that one day so long ago. As far as I could remember, that was the last time I’d seen her covered in this much blood. There’d been more that day. I swallowed hard and shook the thought away.
“I understand. Thanks for coming, Zoe,” I said.
My own emotions toward Kira had always been convoluted. I tended to worry about her and acted like an older brother at work. She was constantly in trouble, or so it seemed to me. Any other feelings I might have were kept under wraps, tucked and locked away, never to be pulled out and assessed. I refused to allow that. For one, she was my best friend’s sister. For another, she was already spoken for. And most important of all, she hated me.
She despised me, yes. Still, the feel of her hands and mouth on me a few minutes before was fresh in my mind. The heat of her body, the wetness of her tongue…the things she’d said and asked for…it had almost driven me crazy. I was glad it was over. That drug, whatever it had been, was the only reason she’d behaved that way. I had to remember that if I wanted to stay sane around her.
Chapter 3
My bed was damp with sweat. It was the first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes. Everything from the moment the target had walked into the restaurant until opening my eyes in my bed was one big feverish haze. I had no clue how long I’d been out, but it must have been at least a couple of days. The forced heat I’d been subjected to had drained all the strength from my body, leaving me weak and exhausted.
I’d drifted in and out of a burning sleep for what felt like days. I recalled flashes of fae healers, human doctors, and shifter medics working on me. Whatever had happened must have been bad.
Two IVs were attached to my arm. I glanced up at the bags. One looked to be some basic hydration solution, while the other had a dark purple color—likely some healing potion a fae had cooked up. Careful not to hurt myself, I tugged both tubes out of my arm. I hated seeing those things protruding from me. I could only imagine how I looked with tubes and wires covering my sweaty body as I moaned in my sleep. I despised looking weak. Feeling better than I had since taking that sip of wine, I decided it would be fine to try to look more like myself.Easing up onto the pillows behind me, I glanced around at the familiar surroundings. I was at my family’s home. Outside the window, the massive forest of the Eastern Wilds stretched beyond my father’s property. The Eleventh Pack’s land wasn’t huge like some of the other packs’, but it was still beautiful. I was glad I was here rather than at a hospital or operative clinic.A few bottles of water stood on the nightstand next to my bed. Greedily
I blamed the drug. It had messed with my head and forced me into heat. If a fat, tottering old man with one leg and fungus on his face had found me instead of Wyatt, I’d have been all over him as well. It had nothing to do with Wyatt himself. That made sense, and it’s what I told myself. What I repeated over and over, swearing I’d never have another unholy thought about Wyatt until the day I died.Once I was mostly under control, I checked my nightstand and found my phone plugged in and ready. When I checked the home screen, I had to blink and double-check, then triple-check the date. I’d been out for three days? Holy shit. If that was true, then my mating ceremony was the next day.I sagged back onto my pillows. Jayson and I had finally picked a date a few weeks before, but it might have been postponed due to my accident. I had a very faint memory of him being at the parking lot where Wyatt had found me. I closed my eyes as I tried to remember if that had been real or part of some fe
I could cut the tension in the air with a knife, but I couldn’t stop myself. I hated relying on anyone or asking for help. The fact that Wyatt, of all people, had found me and called for help stuck in my craw and made it impossible for me not to try knocking him down a notch or two. My anger wasn’t even directed at him, really, but at myself for having fantasized about him.Kolton rolled his eyes. “I took Wyatt on a run, then came by to check on you. Chill the hell out.”“On a run?” I asked. “Now unofficial pack members go on runs?”“Oh, stop. Both of you,” Dad said. “Can’t we all just be happy that Kira is okay?”“Right,” Kolton said. “I mean, shouldn’t you simply be happy that Wyatt saved your life?”I scoffed at him. “Zoe saved my life, not Wyatt.”“Uh, well…” Zoe cleared her throat. “I wouldn’t have really known anything was wrong if Wyatt hadn’t called Jayson. Then Jayson called me a few seconds later and demanded I get him there fast. You would have bled out and died. So, um, Wy
The unrest between the packs did not inspire confidence. Dad was right when he said there was no way the Eleventh Pack could defend against a full attack by something like the Fourth or Fifth packs, or gods forbid, the First Pack. That thought sent a shiver of fear through me. I would do whatever was necessary to make sure we were strong enough to fend off an attack.“Kira, sweetie, do you want to go practice on your hair and makeup for tomorrow?” Mom asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.“Yeah,” Zoe said with a smile. “I’ve got some ideas. When I’m done with you, Jayson will want to rip your clothes off.”Dad grimaced and walked away. “My cue to leave,” he said over his shoulder.“Sure,” I said. “Let’s give it a shot.”I followed my mother and Zoe back into my room. I wasn’t excited about the mating ceremony at all. Jayson was fine, but not who I’d have chosen for myself—not by a long shot. All I could do was put the worry out of my mind and let Mom and Zoe fuss over me. Tomorrow wou
His parents, however, were adamant that he needed to finish his education in the Eastern Wilds and stay close to home. They wanted him ready and willing to take over as pack alpha. I thought that was dumb. Kolton and Kira had no autonomy to do as they liked. Their parents were treating them like little kids.Kolton slapped his book closed and rubbed his eyes. “Okay, I need a break. I’m going to go cross-eyed if I study anymore. Want a snack or something?”I stood and stretched. “Yeah. Then I need to check on some stuff with some of my guys. I’ve been here for days. I should make sure they’re good.”I was a lone wolf, but over the years, I’d grouped up with a small group of guys. We were all the same—guys who’d lost their packs in some way and were now on their own. I was the de facto leader of the group, but Kolton’s parents had taken us in a long time ago. Back in the day, that had been a minor scandal, but we’d done our best to prove we were worth it. Most shifters looked down on lo
Zoe held up a hand to stop Kolton. “Now I will admit, if you think too long about some of the stuff that happens, it is awful. I mean…I don’t like watching people die, but they all signed up for it, and it’s more of a cultural thing. In the past, wolf shifters went through similar trials to find their mate, and lots of them died. It’s part of why you all do the blood test thing now. It’s a show, and that’s that. Watch it or don’t. I, on the other hand, love the drama. It’s sort of romantic. A bunch of rejected alphas competing to win the heart of a rejected female. The whole thing where the Moon Goddess comes and blesses their new union at the end.” Zoe sighed and smiled, her eyes glassy. “It’s dreamy. And honestly, if I knew I was going to find a lifelong partner, I’d think long and hard about taking part in the dangerous missions and tasks they go through. It’s exciting to watch.”Kolton laughed and shook his head. “Okay. You do you. I’m gonna grab something to eat.”He was gone bef
Nervously, I smoothed my dress for the hundredth time. The color was a deep crimson, almost the color of blood. Zoe had picked it out for me. It was the second dress she’d chosen. The first had been a bright white dress with lots of tulle and satin. I’d gaped at it in horror. It took nearly an hour to explain to her that white dresses were only worn at human and fae weddings. Shifters—wolves at least—never wore white for weddings. There was no reason behind it; it was simply tradition. Red, violet, and other dark colors were used for these ceremonies. I’d never seen Zoe as confused as when I’d explained that to her.Honestly, I understood where she was coming from. The entire thing was confusing even to me. Official mating ceremonies weren’t necessary per se. It was a show, a public display of what was supposed to have already taken place in the heart. Fated mates were so intrinsic and sacred that the Moon Goddess Heline herself sanctioned them. The only thing Jayson and I had to do t
He’d drugged my wine as seamlessly as a human magician made a coin vanish.I gritted my teeth and forced myself to focus on what was important: my ceremony. When I looked at Jayson, I almost faltered. He didn’t have the customary runes and symbols painted on his face. I kept walking but wondered why. Maybe the Ninth Pack wasn’t as traditional as others. Still, he was dressed in some of the nicest clothes I’d ever seen, and as I approached, he stepped forward to face me. My worries quickly faded.We stood facing each other for several awkward seconds. Traditionally, the male mate spoke first, but Jayson was looking around, almost as if he was uncomfortable. Had I ever attended a Ninth Pack mating ceremony? Did they do things differently? Maybe.Inwardly rolling my eyes, I decided to take the reins and get things started. I was sure the goddess would overlook such a small change to protocol.Pulling my shoulders back and lifting my chin, I began. “I, Kira Lana Durst, bring myself to bes