At the mention of gagging, bile rose anew in my throat. “You were right. I shouldn’t have come,” I murmured against August’s chest.
He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “At least now you know.” His mouth brushed the top of my head while his fingers brushed down my spine. If anyone had lingering suspicions as to whether he and I had crossed the line between friendship and more, I imagined our present proximity obliterated them.
“You should take her away from here, son,” I heard Nelson say.
I peeled myself off August so fast I must’ve left a couple eyelashes behind.
Nelson’s mouth was pressed into a grim line. “That was awful, wasn’t it?”
“Y-yes,” I stammered.
I forced myself to meet Nelson’s deep-brown eyes, dreading the disgust I expected, but there was no disgust. Just wariness. I tried not to wonder if his wariness stemmed from what had unfolded down below or from what had unfolded up on the deck between August and me.
I pushed the bra strap that had slipped down my arm back under my tank top. “What’s going to happen now?”
Several Boulders were speaking in hushed tones behind Nelson. I heard the words: Cassandra, duel, Liam. I feared that those words might belong in the same sentence.
“Now”-August’s father inhaled a grave breath-“the Creeks will probably extend their trip in Boulder. The time it takes to acclimate the newest members of their pack.”
James, the blond with impeccably coiffed hair, came up behind August. “It’ll be good for business.”
“You can cut and style their hair all you want, but we won’t be doing business with the Creeks,” August said.
“We lived alongside the Pines for almost a century and we did business with them. Why wouldn’t we take Creek money?”
August’s jaw hardened, as though he were holding back a biting retort.
Nelson touched his son’s forearm. “Let’s see what happens. There’s no point forecasting what we will and will not do until we understand what it is they want.”
“What they want is to take our land,” Rodrigo said, coming to stand by James’s side, “and our men.”
I didn’t even bother sticking my hand up to remind him that I wasn’t a man. It was really beside the point.
“How do you know that, Rodrigo? Did you have yourself a little chat with Cassandra before the duel?” Nelson asked. I’d never heard him be so short with anyone. I didn’t even know he was capable of such curtness.
“No, Nelson, I didn’t,” Rodrigo bit out. “But why else would they have all come? Why else did they have Aidan observe us for so many years? Liam said there was a missing packet of Sillin. I bet they got some pills in Julian-”
“He wouldn’t have been able to shift. Besides, he didn’t drink or eat anything last night,” James said.
“How do you know? Were you with him all night, Jamie?” Under his breath, he added, “Again.”
James backed away, shaking his head. “You can be a real ass sometimes.” He turned and headed toward another group of Boulders.
“Liam told Robbie they should have Julian’s blood analyzed for Sillin.” The dark-haired, dark-tempered firefighter tipped his head toward the lawn where Liam was talking with Robbie. “But Julian’s body belongs to the Creeks now that Nora refused to fight. If they so much as allow him a burial, I’d be surprised.”
“Will Robbie challenge Cassandra now?”
“Possibly,” Rodrigo said, “but his odds of winning against an Alpha would be shit.” He slanted his dark eyes on me. “You have to have a screw loose to challenge an Alpha.”
I recoiled, because that last part felt personal.
Nelson’s fingers tightened around August’s arm. “That was out of line, Rodrigo.”
“My father could’ve won,” I murmured.
“Odds are-”
“Enough!” Nelson said, still gripping August’s arm. “That’s enough.”
Rodrigo pinched his thick pink lips closed.
“It takes courage to fight for what you want,” Nelson said. “What takes no courage is denigrating others.”
Rodrigo lowered his eyes, chastised by Nelson, but too proud to apologize for having insulted my family.
“August, we need your help with something.” Cole cocked his head toward Matt and Dexter.
When Nelson released his son’s arm, August turned toward me as though worried to leave me alone.
I flexed my lips into a smile I wasn’t feeling. “Go.”
Reluctantly, he left with the three other Boulders.
I stepped a little farther from Nelson, who was still giving Rodrigo a tongue-lashing. I tried to glimpse Sarah down below. If Liam was down there, it was probably safe-
“You and August a thing now?” Lucas asked.
He stood next to me, forearms propped on the railing, gaze sunk on the field below, or rather on the crumpled girl with the lustrous blonde hair. Margaux placed a kiss on the top of Sarah’s head, then, cradling her abdomen, she stood and walked over to an older man-her father perhaps.
“Yes,” I finally said.
Lucas pivoted toward me, leaning against the balustrade. “Is it serious?”
Margaux made her way over to Robbie next. Although he was still deep in conversation with Liam, Robbie tugged his pregnant mate against him.
I sighed. “I stayed.”
“You were really going to skip town?”
“Yeah.””Where would you have gone?”
I shrugged. “Maybe back to LA. I couldn’t feel the pack’s pull out there.” The idea of returning to Los Angeles made my stomach churn. LA reminded me too much of Mom. “Or maybe I would’ve tried my luck on the East Coast.”
“You know he feels like shit about everything, don’t you? The recording. Tammy.”
I returned my gaze to Sarah, who was alone now. “I’m sure he does, but it’s not really my problem anymore, is it?”
“He’s our Alpha, Ness.”