I felt my eyes widening. “You think she’d attack us before the duel?”
“If she senses her chances of winning aren’t that great, then yeah. She wouldn’t do it herself, of course. She’d get someone else to do her dirty work.”
“Like she sent her son to kill my cousin,” I said.
“We heard.” Zack exchanged a look with Sam. “Got anyone in the Creek Pack you trust, Ness? Nothin’ like an insider to get a clearer picture.”
“I do, but she was a Pine before, so I doubt the Creeks will trust her with anything.”
“Yeah.” Zack rubbed his beard, picking a twig out of it. “I doubt her new wolves will be given any classified information.”
Sam’s eyes widened. “Will’s brother. He could help ’em. I can email him tonight.”
Zack’s dirt-and-blood flecked hand stilled on his beard. “Avery hates Morgan, son. I doubt he’s privy to pack intel.”
“It’s been four years. He must’ve learned something in four years.”
“Have you two kept in contact?” Zack asked.
“I think Ingrid did.”
“Ask her to message him to see what his thoughts are on his Alpha.”
Samuel turned and scanned the room.
“I believe she’s with Poppy and your ma.”
Once his son stalked away, Zack said, “Hopefully he’ll be able to help us.”
It was strange to hear him say us and not you. Strange, but oddly comforting. I liked that our small pack wasn’t quite as alone, that we had allies. Sure, they were halfway across the country, but that didn’t mean their influence and backing couldn’t stretch over the thousands of miles.
“Ness, you mind if I take Liam aside for a bit? He and I need to discuss some personal matters.”
“Of course not.” My gaze skipped between the two Alphas. “I’ll see you back at the cabin, Liam.”
“I’m not kicking you out of the grub hall, Ness.”
“I know, but it’s been a long and eventful night. Plus, I’m pretty sure I’m still covered in bear gore.”
Zack grinned. “‘Kay then. See you in a couple hours for brunch.”
As I strode through the long building, I wondered what he and Liam were going to discuss-the selection stick, perhaps? I couldn’t imagine Zack, father of so many girls, wanted that thing anywhere near his pack.
A brief moonlit walk later, I was back at the guest cottage. I took a long shower, then put on my sleep shorts and a clean tank top. Before getting into bed, I checked my phone for a signal, but found none. I went into the living room and held up the device; I wasn’t sure why I thought elevating it could help snag a network.
The front door opened then, and Liam came in.
I yanked my arm back, hoping he hadn’t seen me acting like a human antenna. “What did Zack want?”
He eyed my phone. “He wanted to know my stance on inter-pack marriage.”
I frowned. “He wanted to marry you off to one of his daughters?”
“Not exactly.”
“Who then?”
Liam’s gaze climbed up to my face.
“Me?” I squawked.
“No. Not you either, Ness.”
Relief crept over me, but then it crept away, because Liam’s expression remained serious.
“He’d only be interested if we won the duel, though.”
“Just spit it out, Liam.”
“He said Ingrid expressed interest in seeing August again.”
The missing tether felt like a phantom limb-absent but forever there. “Did you tell him August wasn’t on the market?”
“I didn’t tell him anything.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t think it’s a good idea that people know my Second has a fated mate. I wouldn’t want anyone to use him against you.”
“Oh.” I dragged the fingers that weren’t clutching my cell phone through my damp hair.
“And because a lot can change between now and the Winter Solstice. Look at how fast it changed between us.”
“Whose fault was that?”
“Mine. It was entirely my fault. I let Aidan Michaels put doubt in my head. I regret every second of what happened, but werewolves can’t time-travel, so besides apologizing, there isn’t much else I can do to fix the past.” Several breaths later, he added, “Do you miss him?”
I bit my lower lip. I did, but I didn’t want to discuss August with Liam, so I kept quiet.
“Forget it. I don’t want to know.” He walked toward the bedroom. “I’ll grab a shower, and then I’ll be out of your hair for the night.”
“Will you tell August about the proposal?”
He stopped in the doorway and turned sideways but kept his gaze on the fireplace mantle. “I promised Zack I’d pass on the message, but I won’t force August to marry someone.” His gaze scaled up the bare wall. “You two have a history, I get that, but he’s a decade older than you. Doesn’t it bother you?”
My fingers squeezed around my phone. “Does it bother you?”
His mouth pressed into a sullen line. “You kept telling me he was like a brother to you, so yeah, I find your attraction . . . incongruous, but you guys have a mating link, and apparently, they blind people to what’s wrong or right.”