CALLUM
This isn’t the first time we’ve had a human in our inner sanctum, but it’s the first time I’ve sat here with my mate by my side.
Flint balls up a piece of paper and throws it at me. “Could you not sit there looking so smug?”
My smile only widens. “I’m not smug, I’m happy.”
Ash laughs beside me, our bond a warm, wondrous thing that I’ll never ever get tired of. I reach for his hand, curling my fingers around his under the table while we wait for the others to arrive.
“Ugh. First Lynx and now you.” Flint mock-grimaces. “When will all this happiness end?”
The door opens and a sour-faced Jet stalks in.
Mal elbows Flint in the side. “You just had to say it.”
“What?” Jet scowls as he looks around the table, eyes softening for the barest of moments when his gaze lands on Ash.
For whatever reason, Jet seems to have accepted Ash into our circle easier than I ever expected. But I’ll take it.
“Well?” he snaps when no one answers.
Flint sighs. “I was just giving Cal shit for looking so happily mated, when the rest of us are still woefully single.”
Jet flinches. It happens quickly enough, I don’t think the others caught it, but I was looking straight at him. His eyes meet mine, and I’m stunned by the mix of fear, pleading, and anger looking back at me.
What the fuck?
I give him the barest of head shakes in return. Whatever secret he’s hiding, I’m not about to out him.
He takes the empty seat next to Mal just as the doors open again. This time it’s Lynx and Morgan who enter.
Good, we’re all here.
The sooner we get this meeting over with, the sooner I can whisk Ash into the forest.
There’s something I want to show him.
Lynx looks around the table. “Who’s watching the house?”
“Beth volunteered,” Mal offers. “She’s gonna report back as soon as the hunters leave.”
“Did you get everything done?”
Mal nods. “Put Birch’s body outside with the dead hunters. Made it look like a big old fight went down where they killed each other. All laid out for the hunters to find, just like Grey suggested.”
My eyes automatically find Jet when Grey’s mentioned. It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it reaction, but I’m pretty sure he flinches again. I look away before he catches me, not in any way prepared to poke at whatever that was about.
It’s the second time in as many months that we’ve asked for Grey’s help to clear up our mess.
I doubt it’s gone unnoticed by the hunter council.
As much as I don’t want to talk about it with Jet here, we can’t avoid it.
“How did he spin it this time?” I direct that question to Lynx, since he’s been the one talking to Grey while I recovered.
“Can’t imagine it was easy finding an excuse to come here. ”
It’s Lynx who grimaces now, but it’s real.
Nothing like Flint’s playful one from earlier.
“He didn’t need to. They were heading here anyway, and now they’ll probably assume it’s all connected.
That’s what this meeting’s about.” His eyes meet mine, and my stomach hollows.
I know that look. “I wanted to wait until you were up and about before having it.”
Silence settles around the table.
Sensing my sudden change in mood, Ash’s grip on my hand tightens. It draws a faint smile from me despite the dread in the pit of my stomach.
Our bond is new enough that every time it happens, it still takes me by surprise. A part of me doesn’t want that to ever change.
I’m pulled back into the meeting by Lynx’s heavy sigh.
“Officers Ray Wilson and Jeff Stokes are dead.”
Silence.
Ash stiffens beside me, and now it’s me gripping his hand tight, trying to calm the swell of emotions overflowing between us.
“How?” Ash asks, though I’m pretty sure everyone around this table had the same question on their lips.
“Car accident. That’s the official cause of death.”
Mal lets out a bitter laugh. “And the unofficial one?” Because we all know it’s coming.
Lynx runs a hand through his hair, and I notice the strain around his eyes for the first time. He’s worried. “According to Grey, they suffered injuries inconsistent with a car accident.” His eyes meet mine again, confirming my suspicions.
“Teeth or claws?”
“Both.”
“Fucking Feral Beasts,” Jet spits, surging to his feet. He fists his hair with both hands, pacing the length of the room, and no one gets up to stop him because we all feel the fucking same.
It had to be those cunts.
It doesn’t matter why they did it. Doesn’t even matter if they were justified or not. I’m not sorry those arseholes are dead, but by killing them—and leaving evidence—the FBs have royally fucked both our packs.
“What’re they going to do?” Because there’s no way the hunter council will let this go.
“There’ll be an investigation.”
Fuck.
“Grey’s hunter group is already looking for temporary accommodation. He doesn’t know if the council will send more or not.”
“At least it’s Grey.” Small consolation, but his group are one of the better hunter groups out there. Even if he’s not the leader, he still has some say in what they do.
“That’s not the advantage you think it is.” Lynx sits back in his seat, defeat colouring his scent.
I haven’t smelt that on him in a long while.
It sets my wolf on edge. “Explain.”
“The council gave this to the Silver Blades because Kieran Beck asked them to.”
“Why?” Another fist of dread grips my insides, because Kieran is the Silver Blade’s leader, and I’d bet my bike I know why he asked to be sent here.
Grey brought unwanted attention to their group when he helped us rescue Morgan.
None of his team were happy coming under scrutiny by the council.
Before Lynx can answer, I do it for him.
“Because he wants to get back on the council’s good side, right?
” I scoff. “By bringing down one, maybe two rogue shifter packs.”
“Yes.”
That one word cracks around the room like a whip.
Flint slumps forward head in his hands. “Shit.”
“What does that mean?” Morgan asks, glancing at Lynx and then the rest of us.
He doesn’t know hunters like we do. Hasn’t experienced the years of persecution some of them inflicted on us before the council was formed.
I’m glad. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
But we can’t afford to shield him from it if he’s going to be prepared for what’s coming our way.
Lynx sighs, heavy with the weight of what he’s about to say. “When the council was formed, there were rules set in place that we agreed on.”
Jet snarls. “Did we? Or did we agree with whatever they told us we had to?”
“We did the best we could under the circumstances.”
“We?” Morgan again.
“The alphas of as many packs that wanted to be involved. There had to be rules.” He pauses, gaze flashing to Jet. “On both sides.”
“And what were those rules?”
“Too many to go into here, but the one that concerns us right now is this: we can’t kill any humans without extreme provocation. In other words, life or death. And even then, the council have the right to investigate any shifter-related human deaths however they see fit.”
“So because the FB’s killed Wilson and Stokes, the hunters can do what?” He looks around the table before his gaze lands on Lynx again.
“Basically whatever they like. Their theory being if we didn’t do it, then we have nothing to hide.”
Flint scoffs. “Well, we didn’t do it, but we sure as fuck have something to hide.”
Morgan’s eyes narrow. “Like Nico and Luke?”
“And Ash,” Lynx adds, eyes meeting mine.
Ash tenses beside me. “Why me?”
“He’s not been bitten.” I lean closer to Ash until our shoulders brush.
“But he knows about us.” Lynx glances at Ash, expression softening. “They’ll want to talk to you. Ask you questions about us and your relationship with us.”
Some of the colour leaves his face. He gestures between us. “Are you saying this isn’t allowed?”
“No, but they’ll want to make sure you weren’t coerced or threatened and that you know the consequences of being in our world.” He glances at me before adding, “You don’t have to disclose your relationship at all, but that would mean keeping your distance while the hunters are here.”
“I can’t do that. I won’t,” he adds, shooting a fierce look my way. “Unless you want that?”
“No.” I can’t imagine anything worse.
He smiles at whatever I’m sending down our bond. “Same.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Flint asks, getting everyone’s attention. “That’s why we’re here, right?”
“We carry on as normal.” Lynx raises a hand as everyone goes to speak, me included. “That’s how it’s got to appear. We cooperate with whatever the hunters want to do and answer their questions. We didn’t kill those men, so on that front we don’t have anything to hide.”
“And behind the scenes?” Because there’s a fuckload of loose ends we still need to tie up.
“We either need to come up with a legitimate reason for Luke and Nico to be here or send them elsewhere.” He points a finger at Flint and Jet when they start to protest. “I don’t want to do that, but if Beck and his group search this place—and I think they will, considering who was killed—then they’re going to find them.
You know the rules. I’ll have to provide information on which pack they came from and why they transferred to ours. ”
“We can do that.” Flint sits straighter in his chair. “I know a few people who can give us what we need.”
“It’ll have to be good. There’s every chance they’ll follow up, so whatever pack you say they’re from needs to be on board.”
Flint nods. “Understood.”
“What about the big house we’ve been looking for?” Jet grits out. “Is that on hold?” Every part of him tenses for Lynx’s answer, like just asking it costs him.
“No.” Lynx softens his tone, focus solely on Jet. “Having hunters here isn’t ideal, especially now they’ll be watching us closer than ever, but you’re right. We can’t sit here while our brothers and sisters suffer in the fight rings.”
Jet nods, body relaxing in increments.
“But we’ll have to be careful. Every move planned.”