“Not since he left you alone out here.”
“Liam,” Tamara whined. “You’re missing-”
Amanda elbowed past the redhead. “What the hell just happened?”
I wasn’t sure if she was asking me or Liam.
His gaze raked over my face. “The Pines insulted Ness.”
“What’d they say?” Amanda asked.
Goose bumps popped up on my flesh, and I rubbed my arms. Amanda tipped her head to the side as though trying to see inside my brain. She was a girl; she probably guessed what boys could say that would set a girl off.
I started sidestepping around Liam, but he caught my wrist. Tamara’s eyes zeroed in on her date’s fingers.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I’m going to look for Everest so he can take me home.”
Matt and the others stalked back toward us, all of them a full head taller than everyone else. Their faces flashed with bloodlust and satisfied smiles. For a fraction of a second, I thought they might’ve killed Justin and the other two shifters, but then I chased that thought away. They were werewolves, not monsters.
“They won’t be bothering you anymore, Ness,” Matt said as Amanda skipped into his arms. He reeled her in tight and kissed her so hard I had to look away, but not before seeing the blood coating his knuckles.
Lucas’s white t-shirt had a sprinkling of blood too. Shit.
I bit down on my lip, gnawed on it. “You guys didn’t need to do…whatever the hell you did to them.”
“I told you: we protect our own.” Liam’s voice was soft even though his grip wasn’t.
“I don’t need your protection.”
He dipped his mouth toward my ear and said, his voice husky, “Well, you’ll get it, whether you want it or not. That’s the way the Boulder Pack operates.”
My heart pounded unevenly. “I need to find Everest.”
I didn’t want Liam to be nice. Nice people were harder to hate.
I shook his hand off. “I want to go home.”
“I was leaving. I’ll drive you.”
“No. Please. You have a date.”
“I need to be on top of my game tomorrow.”
Tamara, whom I’d all but forgotten, huffed. “Fine, let me say bye to the girls.”
I would have rather snaked a clogged toilet than be stuck in a car with Liam and his girlfriend. Where the hell was Everest?
“Stay here, Tammy. Have fun,” Liam said.
She batted her eyelashes at him. “I want to have fun with you.”
That was a picture I didn’t need in my head. I texted Everest, praying he would see my message and rescue me.
“Not tonight.” Liam pried her hands off. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Lucas will get you home.”
“I don’t want Lucas to take me home,” she whined.
I checked my phone. Seriously, Everest… How long does it take someone to buy a beer? I texted him: Are you OK? Because now I was worried.
“I’m ready when you are?” Liam said.
I looked up from my phone and pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. Tamara was whispering angrily at Taryn. Even though I couldn’t hear what was being said, from the way both girls glared my way, I guessed it had to do with me.
I sighed. “I should really find Everest first though.”
“We’ll look for him on our way out.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek, combing each food truck we passed for Everest. Just as I spotted him sitting at a picnic bench next to a girl, I got a text back: I’m fine. Just ran into a friend. You OK?
Liam must’ve followed my line of sight, because he said, “You want me to tell him I’m bringing you home?”
He started toward Everest, but I touched Liam’s arm to stop him. “No. Don’t interrupt him. He’s had a tough month.”
I typed back: I’m fine. I would send him a message once I was at the inn.
I walked alongside Liam, drained from the strange night. I was glad I was going home early. If I didn’t sleep and relax, I’d be a complete mess for the run.
“Are you black?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “I think you have me confused with August.”
“Funny. I meant as a wolf.”
A lopsided smile formed on his lips. “Yeah.”
Even though the air around Liam shimmied with the crisp, warm scent of mint and musk, I wanted confirmation. “Were you out in the woods on Wednesday?”
He nodded.
We passed boisterous groups of teens-slightly younger than I was-and it reminded me of high school, of the cliques I’d never been a part of. I wondered if Liam had been popular back in school. I bet he was. I bet all the guys in the pack were.
“Do you go to college?” I asked, turning away from the gaggle of tweens pointing at Liam, faces flushed from the sight of him.
“I graduated a month ago.”
“And now?”