“Even more so than the Rivers’ compound. Was your trip to their domain enjoyable?”
Sarah had shared the info I surmised. I found myself gaping up at the small balconies in front of each room, wondering if my friend was standing on one of them.
When Cassandra raised her head to study the log façade, I shot my gaze away. I couldn’t have her wondering what or who I was looking for.
“A walk sounds good, but not in the woods. Right here in the clearing.”
The Creek Alpha turned the full force of her blue gaze to me. “I got no plans on murderin’ you, Candy.”
“My name’s not Candy.”
“Sorry. Must’ve slipped my mind.”
I doubted it had. As we walked side by side toward the stairs built into the porch, I heard footsteps behind us and glanced over my shoulder. “Tell your cousin not to follow us.”
“Aidan. You heard the girl. Leave us be.”
After a beat, I asked, “Where’s the rest of your pack?”
“Some are runnin’. Some are sleepin’.”
“They’re all still here?”
“Not all of them, but most stayed. They like how fresh the air is here.” She tipped her face toward the sun and inhaled slow breaths. “What’s the nature of your visit, Ness?”
“I wanted to know if your offer to sign a peace treaty is still on the table.”
She closed her eyes and pulled in another breath. “Is Liam gettin’ cold feet?”
“Liam doesn’t even know I’m here.”
Her eyes opened and set on me again.
“But my uncle knows I’m here,” I lied so she didn’t do away with me. “So . . . is your offer still available?”
Her light-brown hair, which was cut within two inches of her scalp, appeared grayer in the sunlight. “Why didn’t you become Alpha? Everest all but handed it to you.”
“Handed it to me? How did he all-but-hand it to me?”
“Liam cares for you. He wouldn’t have fought you.”
“If we hadn’t dueled, Lucas would’ve been Alpha, not me.”
“What I meant was if you’d actually fought, Liam would’ve let you win.”
I blinked as I understood what she was insinuating. “Winning would’ve meant killing him.”
“Your pack’s soft, Ness. They surely wouldn’t have required death.”
I didn’t think the Boulders were soft. Unless by soft, she meant civilized, which hadn’t been my first impression, but now that I’d met the Creeks . . .
“You don’t know that,” I ended up saying.
She clasped her hands behind her back. “Did it even cross your mind to fight for what you wanted?”
“I didn’t want to become Alpha.”
“Then why did you enter the trials?”
“Because I didn’t want a Kolane to become Alpha.”
“And yet a Kolane became Alpha.”
“Look, I’m not here to discuss the past. I’m here to discuss the future. Is your offer still available?” I asked for the third time.
“We agreed to duel.”
“Agreements change all the time.”
“You’re obviously not well-versed in pack politics.”
Her condescension stung.
“When duels are agreed upon, they can no longer be annulled.”
“Why not? No one’s forcing you to fight another shifter to the death.”
“I offered him peace, and he didn’t want it, so-”
“That’s why I’m here.”
“Listen,” she hissed, which made my wolf bristle. Not that she could get out from her Sillin-cage. “Alex is always cuttin’ me off before I can finish explaining things.”
“Don’t compare me to your son.”
“When an Alpha expresses a desire to kill another, it’s never taken lightly. If Liam had accepted my treaty, I would’ve spent my life lookin’ over my shoulder, which would not have been ideal, but would’ve been worth it, because it would’ve meant saving my son’s hide and my own.”
Niggling guilt filled me . . . We should’ve kept Alex locked away.
“It wouldn’t have been the first threat I’d have had to learn to live with, but that’s neither here nor there. Anyway, Liam wasn’t content with my offer. Your Alpha thirsts for more, which is a dangerous trait in a leader.”
“You thirsted for more. You took over the Aspens.”
“You think the Aspens were innocent? They killed off most of my pack.”
“No, they didn’t. You’re the one who walked into their camp and challenged their Alpha.”
“Your truncated comprehension of my pack’s history is alarming. I can’t tell if you’ve been fed wrong information or if you’re lacking information.”