“I’m his Second. I should get to make these calls without being undermined by someone who has no rank in the pack.”
His jaw unhinged.
“Now let’s get out of here. We’re making a scene. I bet Liam would hate that even more than his Second coming to negotiate on his behalf. And even though you didn’t ask, the duel’s still on.”
I started walking around the inn. There was no need to go through the deck where more wolves had come out to eat breakfast.
Lucas fell in step beside me. “Wasn’t sure if we’d get you back in one-” A soundless snarl contorted his lips.
I followed the direction of his stare. Sitting at one of the picnic tables was Sarah, and next to her was another blond: Alex Morgan.
“When did that fucking happen?” Lucas said through gritted teeth.
“Sarah eating breakfast with her pack?” I knew that wasn’t what had gotten his boxers in a twist.
“He’s playing with her fucking hair,” he hissed.
Alex caught us looking his way and smiled wide, and inside, I cringed, but outside, I glared. Sarah said something that made the Creek in front of her chuckle, and that deepened Lucas’s scowl.
I touched his arm that felt like steel rigging. “She’s a Creek now. It’s only normal that she tries to fit in.”
“Fit in?” He sounded like he was choking.
I pulled him around the building, straight into the employee parking lot where I’d left the van.
“How come you’re so chill about this, Clark? Isn’t she your bestie?”
“She’s nineteen. She knows what she’s doing.”
Lucas’s lips curled in disgust.
I scanned the parking lot for Liam’s car. When I didn’t see it, I asked, “You have a ride or do you need one?”
Barely opening his lips, he said, “Liam dropped me off but was worried what he’d do if he stuck around.”
To me or to Cassandra?
I beeped the doors open. “Well, get in then.”
During the drive into town, he didn’t say a word. Just simmered quietly. I almost confessed that Sarah was putting on an act, that she hadn’t turned on us . . . on him . . . like Taryn had. But I clamped down on the truth. Lucas was trustworthy, sure, but the more incensed my pack seemed with Sarah, the more believable she’d be to the Creeks.
At a traffic light, I asked, “Where am I dropping you off?”
“The gym. But you’re coming in with me.”
“I thought we weren’t working out.”
“We aren’t.”I raised an eyebrow.
When we arrived, Lucas texted Liam. A moment later, the heavy doors were unbolted. The vast space was as dark as a cave, and it took my eyes a moment to adjust.
Liam’s face sheened with sweat, and his knuckles bled from pummeling the punching bag that still swayed in the back of the room. “Do you have a death wish, Ness?”
I squared my shoulders. “No more than you do.”
“Do you know what they could’ve done to you?” Even though his voice was still loud, it had lost some of its venom.
The realization that he’d been afraid for me softened my stance. “I wanted to see if she’d agree to cancel the duel.”
“Cancel the duel?” Liam sputtered. “What makes you think I’d want to cancel the duel?”
Had the thought not crossed his mind? “I thought that after-”
“Yesterday changes nothing!”
“You’re going to be a father, Liam. Don’t you want to be there for your kid?”
His eyebrows hugged closer to his eyes. “You know what the odds of shifter babies making it to the end of the first trimester in a human womb? Fifteen percent. But even if it were a hundred percent, it wouldn’t change anything. I still want to destroy that woman, so you had no right to make this call without consulting me! I’m not interested in a treaty.”
I crossed my arms. “She said no anyway.”
His chest heaved. “Good.”
“You could lose.”
“I could also win.”
A beat of silence echoed like an ominous drumroll between us. I was angry about his reaction. I glanced at Lucas, wishing he’d weigh in and tell Liam he was being a stubborn ass, but Lucas was too busy sulking and glaring at the weight rack.
“There are more important things in life than winning or losing, Liam.”
“Not for an Alpha. Besides, I already have a family, Ness. The pack is my family. And I need to protect them.” His voice had quieted. “You all think I’m doing this to prove something. I’m not. Sure, I could’ve taken that treaty, but once Cassandra gets replaced or dies, her successor would’ve challenged us. We’d only be pushing back the inevitable. I’m young now and in way better shape than she is; Julian was old and slow.” His breathing deepened, his chest growing calmer with each passing minute.
Even though I was disappointed, a part of me also understood his reasoning.
“Did you learn anything interesting at least?”
Sighing, I let my arms fall back along my sides. “She can read lips.”
“She can read lips?” Lucas asked, finally popping out of his daze.
“Yeah. Her sister was mute. So start watching what you say around her.”
Liam dragged his fingers through his sweat-matted hair. “We don’t need to watch what we say around her, because the next time we see her will be at the duel. Am I making myself clear?”
“Crystal,” I said a tad frostily because I sensed that was directed only at me. “I also learned she took an extremely high dose of Sillin when she was younger to cure herself of toxic waste poisoning. Which might mean traces of Sillin remain in her body.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “So maybe taking tiny doses of the stuff is pointless. Maybe I should take a huge dose and see what it does.”
Liam went as still as the punching bag behind him.