Callum #3
The second West’s lips curve up at the edges, Lynx charges towards him and grabs him by the throat. He’s too quick for any of the other FBs to react, claws already out and pressed against West’s skin. “Anyone moves and I’ll rip your fucking throat out.”
West makes a quick gesture with his hand and everyone behind him freezes.
“Did you know?” Lynx asks, voice menacingly soft. I can smell the rage on him from here, so West must be getting a face full of it. When he doesn’t answer, Lynx presses his claws in until five spots of blood appear. “Did. You. Fucking. Know?”
For a minute, I think he’s not going to answer and we’re going to have a full-on riot, because I’m pretty sure Lynx is seconds away from killing him.
“Yes.”
It’s the resignation in his tone and the palpable guilt coming off him that saves his life.
“Explain.” Lynx doesn’t remove his hand, and West struggles to get words out.
“Birch made a deal. He didn’t put it to a vote, didn’t consult any of us. He just made a fucking deal with Fox and we all had to live with it.”
“What deal?”
“That he wouldn’t turn us in to the council if we found him a stray to fight in one of his rings.”
Lynx snarls, hand tightening, blood running down West’s throat and soaking into the white T-shirt he wears under his Feral Beast cut.
West winces but doesn’t try to break free. “It was only supposed to be one.”
“It shouldn’t have been any!” I snap.
West’s eyes cut to me. “I fucking know that. But after we’d done it once, he wouldn’t let us stop.” He swallows, well, tries to, and finally Lynx eases his grip enough for him to do it. “I think . . . fuck. I think Birch enjoyed it.”
Colour me surprised.
“And you didn’t?” Flint says quietly. He’s got his hands curled into fists at his side, body vibrating with tension. “I don’t remember you objecting all that much when you had us in that fucking forest.”
“We didn’t know he was going to bite your boy. Or give him to Fox to fight.” He shrugs a shoulder. “You were just collateral damage.”
Like that’s any better.
“I’m going to ask you one more time.” Lynx gives him a shake and West hisses in pain. “Why were you looking for Birch?”
He doesn’t answer, and I don’t think he’s going to, but one of his men does it for him.
“We wanted to find out who else knew what Fox had on us.”
“Kyle. Shut the fuck up!” West orders, but he can’t be the alpha like he claims because Kyle ignores him.
“Why? I’ve got no fucking love for the Wolves, but they’re right.
Birch was a cunt and we never should’ve sold out our own kind to hunters.
” He faces Lynx. “We need to know if those hunters at the house have enough information to report us to the council. Or if they’re gonna try and use it for something else. ”
“That true?” Lynx asks.
West nods once.
Lynx let’s go of him and pushes him backwards towards his bike. West stumbles and curses but doesn’t retaliate.
Best decision he’s made yet.
“We’re done.” Lynx turns his back on them and comes back over to us.
I half expect a fight after that, but West orders everyone to ride out. We watch the ten of them disappear down the road and out of sight.
“You believe them?” Jet sits astride his Fat Boy, playing with his knife. Pretty sure he’s disappointed they didn’t attack us.
“Yeah.” Lynx rubs his jaw. “Didn’t smell like lies.”
“Doesn’t mean they won’t take the same deal if they get threatened with council involvement.”
I agree with Jet on this. “Especially since we don’t know what Fox had on them.”
“Even more reason to get to Birch first.”
Morgan gets back around six.
I’m keeping Lynx company on the bench outside when he rides into the compound. He’s under no illusions as to why I insisted on joining him, and I don’t even bother to make small talk.
We both wait for Morgan to take his helmet off and join us.
He looks tired, something shifters rarely experience, but it’s more mental exhaustion than physical. His heavy sigh says it all, and Lynx is quick to intercept him and wrap him up in a hug.
I swallow down the questions on the tip of my tongue: I’m not that much of an asshole.
Lynx whispers softly to him, and I tune them out. I don’t need to hear this. As they stand there, Lynx rubbing his hands slowly up and down Morgan’s back, I feel more and more like I shouldn’t be here at all.
I stand, ready to give them some space, when Morgan calls my name.
“Yeah?”
“You going to Ash’s house tonight?”
My heart rate kicks up, a mix of excitement and nerves fizzing through my veins. “I am.”
His sad smile doesn’t instil much confidence that my reception’ll be any warmer than the previous nights. But then he lets go of Lynx and comes to stand in front of me. “It was a rough day. He’s going to need you.”
As much as I want that to be true . . .
“He won’t let me in.”
“He might tonight.”
I offer him a wry smile. “He won’t even let me answer him when he talks to me.”
“Oh.” He looks surprised. “He didn’t tell me.” Sadness. That’s the overwhelming emotion I feel from him now. “I guess he’s still mad at me too.”
I think mad is an understatement, but I don’t argue.
He grips my shoulder. It’s so similar to what Lynx does and I look over to find Lynx watching us. “Give him a chance?”
Like he even needs to ask.
“Always.”