I lost. Sorry, I said, distracted by the flash of teeth from a dark-brown creature. I’d lay my paw in a snare it was Justin Summix.
Sorry? Well, then so am I. Shall I tell Liam what you did, or would you like to?
Go right ahead.
The brown wolf snarled at me-probably from the lack of respect I was showing his Alpha; I snarled right back.
Julian remained quiet for so long that I finally looked up at him. He was much more impressive in fur than he was in skin, and yet he inspired no fear in me.
Turns out I didn’t kill Heath, I said.
After a long moment, he said, It was Everest, wasn’t it?
It’s none of your business, Julian, Liam growled.
An Alpha killer is every Alpha’s business.
My father wasn’t targeted because he was an Alpha. He was killed because he was a cruel man.
That took Julian a long, long second to process. He was still and silent for such a slow stretch of time that I started to think he would never recover from his shock. Perhaps I have misjudged you, Liam.
He had.
Like I had.
Who will become the next Boulder Alpha then? Julian asked.
Lucas Mason, I said.
My answer elicited intakes of breaths and ragged chuffs. I deduced that Lucas wasn’t much admired by the Pines. I shared in their antipathy, but he was Liam’s friend. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as I deemed him to be; or maybe he was, and Liam was blinded by their shared history.
A feminine voice rose above the others. Ness?
Sarah? I asked.
Sorry. I was chasing after a rabbit. She advanced toward us, her wavy gold fur gleaming with sweat and moonlight. What did I miss? Blood was smeared over her smile. She licked her muzzle.
Lucas Mason will be sworn in as the next Boulder Alpha, Julian said.
No effing way, she said in a low, rumbling voice.
She stopped beside me, sniffed the air, then sniffed my fur. She frowned, and then her eyes snapped very wide.
Lots of surprises in the Boulder Pack tonight, huh? A wolfish pout-smile flourished over the Pine Alpha’s face. Word of advice, in fur, it is equally pleasurable.
My body temperature soared so fast the air around me surely trembled. Sarah made a noise that sounded like a chuckle. I shot her a death-glare. She was still laughing softly when Julian called her away.
Julian, why did Everest give you the Boulder relic? I asked.
He stopped and turned his neck to face me. He said it was to help you.
Help me? More like help himself. My cousin didn’t care about me. He’d been willing to sacrifice me.
May you have a truly enjoyable night, Julian said, and then he was off.
The sound of paws thundered through the forest as the Pines raced after their Alpha. Liam stared after them in silence for so long that I nipped his neck. He twitched back to life. And then his head curved toward mine.
How will you punish Everest? A gust of wind tickled my fur.
That will be for Lucas to decide.
My stomach writhed with nerves. He’ll kill him…
Liam watched a bird take flight in the tree above us, disrupting the rustling stillness. Doesn’t he deserve to die?
I hated my cousin. There was no doubt about that. But did I wish him dead?
He nuzzled a spot next my ear. Don’t worry yourself with that now.
All thoughts of my cousin puffed out of existence as Liam slid his wet nose down the length of my neck and back, taking the scent of me deep into his lungs.
A delicious shiver ran through me as his hot breaths pulsed against my taut flesh. You marked me on purpose, didn’t you?
He circled around me, lowering his face to mine. Are you angry that I want everyone to know you belong to the Boulders?
How hard my parents had fought for me to belong. How hard I had fought for this myself.
To me? he added raspingly.
No. I pressed my cheek into his jaw, feeling the sprint of heartbeats beneath his black fur.
His pulse matched my own.
That wasn’t true.
My pulse wasn’t sprinting.
My pulse was dancing.
****
THE FOLLOWING DAY
Even though I was still undecided whether to pledge myself to Lucas Mason, I decided to attend the ceremony held at the Boulder headquarters.
I was going for Liam. Sure, he promised he was fine about having lost out on the chance to rule the pack, but I believed he was saying this to assuage my guilt.
“Did you think it over?” He reached out across the center console of his car to take my hand in his. His palm was calloused from his midnight run, his nails jagged, and yet it was the gentlest hand I had ever held. “Ness?”