“His land,” Liam said. “Effective upon his death.”
“His land?” What land did my cousin own?
Matt gestured to the room.
“The inn? He sold Aidan Michaels the inn?” I shrilled.
Liam nodded heavily.
“Good thing we never set up Headquarters here, huh?” Matt continued.
Something dawned on me. “That’s why Everest struck the deal… Even though the inn’s not Headquarters, this place is central to the pack’s territory.”
“Maybe that was his reasoning, but it doesn’t change the outcome,” Liam said.
My throat closed and opened.
Liam let go of my hand but not of my body. He cupped my cheeks and spoke to me gently. “We don’t need this property, Ness. The pack has a lot of land. I have a lot of land.”
“But it’s-” I wanted to say my family’s, but my dad had sold his share to buy the plot where he’d built our house. The inn and the rolling hill on which it stood wasn’t my anything. “Can the pack really afford to part with this property?” I swallowed, blinking back the heat building behind my lids. “Your father sold Aidan Michaels so much land… Wasn’t it enough?” I whispered. “Did he really need this place too?”
Every line on Liam’s face seemed to sharpen, and his grip turned almost bruising. After a minute of complete silence, he said, “Aidan Michaels is a greedy son-of-a-bitch.”
I placed my hands over his and pried his fingers off. I shouldn’t have reminded Liam of the deal his father had struck with the devil.
“At least the Sillin isn’t in Aidan’s hands,” I mused, mostly to ease Liam’s lingering tension. “Can’t believe that the man who hates werewolves wasn’t interested in buying pills that can make us weaker.”
Matt crossed his arms. “My guess is he doesn’t know about them.”
“He hates us, Matt. Has entire files on us. The man surely knows about Sillin.”
“What I meant was maybe your cousin didn’t tell him about the stolen ones.”
I raised my eyebrows. Oh. After a beat, I said, “Can’t believe Aidan Michaels sold Everest out that quick.”
Lucas grunted. “The man has no fucking scruples.”
“Everest dying is in Aidan’s best interest.” Liam’s expression had gentled again. “The quicker it happens, the quicker he gets the deed to this place. That’s why he sent you the bike. He wanted to lead you, or one of us, back to him, so he could boast about his clever little deal.”
“How are we even sure he’s telling the truth? Maybe it’s a trap.”
Liam stroked a finger along my neck, leaving a trail of heat. “I left the bastard in the hands of Greg and two Boulders. They have orders to slow his healing process if he lied. So again, it’s in Aidan’s best interest that we find your cousin.”
I sighed. This was so many shades of messed up, but at least I’d gotten answers. “We should set out tonight.”
Liam frowned.
So I elaborated, “To recover Everest. We should head to Denver now.”
“I already told you. You’re not coming with us.”
I jerked back. “But I want-”
“No.””Liam-“”No.”
Lucas drew the door open. “I could use a beer right ’bout now. Matty?”
“Lead the way.” Before trotting up the stairs, Matt glanced at me, then at Liam. Wisely, the blond giant decided to stay out of our discussion.
I crossed my arms. “He’s my cousin, Liam.”
“Which is precisely why you’re not coming.”
“I won’t get in the way.”
“Ness, unless memory fails me, your hand wasn’t up earlier.”
“Just because I don’t want him dead doesn’t mean I’d interfere with a pack decision.”
“I’m still not taking you along. I don’t want you to witness this. Even if the person deserves death, it isn’t a pretty act.”
A sour taste filled my mouth as I remembered the smell of gunpowder, the gaping black hole in my father’s brown fur, the taste of metal as I tried to lick his blood away. Even though I’d thrown up the silver-laced blood, I’d had to get my stomach pumped. Had I been given Sillin then? Everything after the gunshot was such a blur.
I squeezed my eyes shut and shuddered.
Arms wound around me and reeled me in. “Let me spare you this, Ness,” Liam said gently, propping his chin on the top of my head. “As a wolf, you’ll see enough terrible things during your lifetime. Let me spare you one of them. Plus, I’d rather you don’t watch me exact justice.”
For a long moment, neither of us spoke. Memories of Everest crashed through me. Like the time he and I snuck around the inn, collecting pillows and comforters to construct a fort of epic proportion inside his bedroom. When Mom had found us hiding behind our fluffy cotton walls, she lay down with us and told us the story of two little wolves that went on adventures instead of going to school. I wasn’t yet a wolf, so I didn’t think the story was about me, but her tale had allowed me to dream that I might become one. After that day, Everest and I discussed at great lengths the adventures we’d go on if I were able to shift.
I bit my trembling lip as I realized there would be no adventures for us. A tear escaped, and then another, soaking the thin fabric of Liam’s navy V-neck. He was right. I shouldn’t accompany him. I might put myself between Everest and the weapon used to end his life.
“I can’t believe Jeb didn’t even fight to save his son’s life.” My words trembled like the rest of my body.
“Jeb knows the rules of the pack.”
“This will kill him,” I croaked, my voice barely louder than the whirring fan.
I waited for Liam to tell me that I was wrong, that my uncle was strong, that he’d get over it, but Liam didn’t say any of these things. He just held me, stroking my spine up and down, up and down, until my body calmed.
Come home with me tonight.
I peered up at him through watery eyes and swallowed. “Okay.”
As we drove over to his house, I realized the inn would soon belong to Aidan Michaels. Which meant I would need to find a new place to live. Maybe I could bunk with Sarah. She’d said she didn’t want a roommate, but I’d make myself tiny and burrow in a corner of her palatial apartment. Or Evelyn. Maybe I could move in with her and Frank. Or would I have to continue living with Jeb, my legal guardian? What if Jeb didn’t survive Everest’s death? What then? Would I be entrusted to Lucy… if Eric ever released her from his basement? Would social services come for me, or could Evelyn finally become my guardian?
In five weeks, I’d be eighteen. Until then, my life belonged to people who were in no way fit to care for me.
“What are you thinking about?” Liam’s voice made me look away from the star-strewn sky.