by Juniper Hart
“Can you cover me for a sec while I go to the bathroom?” she asked the other bartender, who nodded in response. Wren hurried toward the back hallway, her eyes still peeling through the joint. There was still no sign of Landon.
Maybe he wasn’t expecting to see me and got surprised and left out of respect. I should call him now. That seemed like the most plausible explanation, and she reached for her cell inside her handbag. but as she passed by the office, she caught a glimpse of movement and paused instinctively. Wren raised her head and looked at the couple pressed up against the wall, her hand falling from the phone at her fingertips and clattering to the floor.
Instantly, Linda and Landon fell apart, shock coloring his face while the manager smirked at Wren. The redhead’s lipstick was smeared all over Landon’s face, and Wren watched the scene in disbelief.
“Don’t you have work to do?” Linda demanded.
“Wren!” She spun, a haze staining her vision, and she fought through the crowd toward the front door, her heart hammering wildly in her chest. “WREN!”
Wren made her way into the chilly December air, running as fast as her hard-soled shoes would take her, and didn’t look back once. She didn’t care if she was fired. In fact, she hoped she would be. It would save her from having to show her face back at The Quarry to hand in her resignation.
How long has this been going on? He’s been cheating on you the entire time with Linda, right under your nose. You knew he was that kind of Alpha prick, and you let it happen.
Her lungs were ready to burst, but Wren did not slow down, not for one second. She could no longer hear Landon calling for her, though she sensed he was still close behind, and she feared what she would do to him if she saw him face to face. He wasn’t worth dying for; not some cheating pig. He would probably put her up against the Council if she shifted and tried to gouge out his eyes.
What a mistake she’d almost made, giving herself to him entirely, forsaking her doubts and fears, betraying her own pack. Hers might be scoundrels, but at least they didn’t lie about it. More than anything, Wren was furious with herself.
You’re a fool. You’re a damned fool. Why did you ever believe that you deserved to be happy?
All she knew was that she would never make the same mistake again.
16
Fury drove Landon’s legs faster, but Wren was far too quick in her hurt for him to catch up. She didn’t even look behind her as she ran, though that didn’t stop Landon from chasing after her.
“WREN!” he yelled again, but she had already disappeared around a corner, and by the time he got to the street, she was lost in the afternoon bustle. He stood helplessly looking around for her like a fool, knowing it was futile. She had seen Linda and him together.
He’d left his jacket at The Quarry with his cell inside, and he knew he had to go back for it, but in his anger, he was worried what he would do to Linda when he saw her.
I shouldn’t have fallen for her stupid trick, following her into the office.
He’d gone to The Quarry on a whim, remembering that Wren had told him earlier in the week that she had a day shift, and when she wasn’t at her apartment, he’d thought she might be there. Linda had cornered him before he’d found her, and the rest was history. He needed to speak with Wren and explain what had happened, but that would require first going back to the bar.
Landon gritted his teeth and knew he had no choice. He made his way back to the bar slowly, willing himself not to shift in his anger. Even as he thought about it, he felt the unmistakable throb of his canines threatening to elongate through his gumline.
The first person he saw when he re-entered the bar was Christiana.
“What the hell happened?” the tiny server demanded, looking confused. “Why did Wren run out of here?”
Landon ignored her, not wanting to drag any more players into the mess. Christiana, however, was insistent, hovering near him as he moved toward the seat where he’d left his jacket.
“What did you do?” she snarled angrily. “She bared her soul to you, and you kicked her when she was down, didn’t you?”
He paused and looked at her. “What?”
“It’s not her fault that Jordan came to her! She can’t just turn her back on her people like you can!”
Landon’s blood ran cold, and he gaped at the girl in disbelief. “Her brother came to her? Where is he?”
Christiana blinked and looked at him, realizing her mistake instantly.
“I-I have to get back to work,” she stuttered, trying to turn away. Her face had gone unusually pale. Landon grabbed her arm before she could make a move.
“Tell me what you know about Jordan Archer,” he hissed, and Christiana shook her head.
“I don’t know anything. You heard me wrong.”
“Christiana, tell me what happened,” Landon growled, his fingers tightening around her. “Or you’ll be in just as much trouble for harboring a killer.” Christiana’s face was almost opaque.
“How can you say that? I thought you loved Wren!” she whispered. “No wonder she doesn’t trust you! You’re willing to turn on her because she’s protecting her family!”
“I’m not turning on anyone, Chris. I just need to know what’s going on with her.”
Christiana eyed him contemptuously.
“Well, you do get around, don’t you,” Linda jeered, her eyes flashing with annoyance as she moved toward them. “Does anyone in this place actually work?”
“Christiana is coming with me,” Landon told her. “And you best stay away from me if you know what’s good for you.”
Linda’s mouth curled into a smirk, but before she could say anything, Landon permitted his face to shift, his snout overtaking his firm jaw, a yellow haze overshadowing his green irises. Fear lit up Linda’s face. She gaped at him but didn’t have a chance to say anything. Landon regained his mortal face, and Linda was left with the idea that she had imagined the entire scene.
“Don’t test me,” he breathed, yanking Christiana out of The Quarry, his jacket in his free hand.
“Let me go!” Christiana spat. “I could report you for showing yourself to a mortal!”
“And I could have you executed for harboring a fugitive,” he retorted coldly. “Let’s call it a quid pro quo, shall we?” Christiana didn’t reply, but she stopped struggling and let herself be led to his waiting Tesla. “Where would Wren go?” Landon demanded once they were inside the car. “Back to the apartment?”
“I’m not telling you anything,” Christiana replied petulantly. “I thought you were different, but you’re not. I gave Wren bad advice.”
“Christiana, you’re trying my patience.”
“What are you going to do?” she snapped. “Make me cry like you did to Wren?”
Landon felt a stab of shame, but he didn’t answer as he pulled the car out of the lot and headed toward their apartment building.
“She didn’t tell me about her brother,” he said after a long silence. “She’s upset about something else.”
Christiana cast him a sidelong look. “What did you do?”
“Why are you assuming I did something?”
“Because I know Wren, you ass. She wouldn’t just run out of work in the middle of her shift unless something happened.”
Landon chewed on the insides of his cheeks and debated whether to tell her what had happened. Wren will tell her, anyway. I might as well get my side in before she hates me more than she already does.
He wondered why he cared what Christiana thought about him. Two months ago, none of it would have mattered to him, but Wren had changed him. He wasn’t the same being he had been before he’d met her.
I told her I wasn’t going to let her go, and I meant it. She belongs with me, no matter what.
The problem was what he was going to do about her betrayal. If she had been hiding Jordan all along, it meant Wren had been lying to him, and that wasn’t forgivable, was it?
“What are you going to
do to her?” Christiana asked quietly. The concern in her voice was evident.
“I just want to talk to her, Chris. I’m not going to do anything to her.”
“She didn’t want to tell you anything. She was only trying to do the right thing,” she muttered, shaking her head woefully. “I told her that she needed to worry about herself and not her riffraff family.” Christiana was speaking more to herself than she was to him, but Landon was hanging off her every word. “It’s her family, you know? I mean, I don’t get the loyalty, but she feels responsible for them, and her brother… well, I don’t know what the story is with him.”
She looked up at Landon suddenly, as though she’d forgotten he was there. “Can’t you cut a deal for Jordan? Even if he is guilty of everything they say?”
“I’ll make sure that he’s treated fairly,” Landon assured her. “I don’t know the whole story, either.”
“It’s not up to you, though, is it? You’ll bring her before the Council, and they’ll decide, right?”
“I’m the councilman for the Lycans, Chris. I am the go-to guy for what happens with the packs.”
Christiana looked at him with distrust, and Landon wondered if he hadn’t opened a can of worms he couldn’t close. It was true—he had brought the matter of the criminal packs before the Council in an effort to unify them, but instead, he had managed to alienate his mate.
There’s a way out of this. I just need to make Wren understand we’re on the same page. I did all this for her, after all.
He pulled up to the building, and Christiana barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out. Landon almost didn’t catch up with her before she disappeared into the building, locking him out in the entranceway, but he was faster than she had anticipated. Christiana glowered at him silently until they reached her floor, and she shoved past him toward the apartment.
“Wren, if you’re in here, I have Landon with me! He forced me to bring him here!”
But only silence met her announcement. Chris paused to look back at him. “She’s not here. You can go now.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I speak with her,” Landon told her. “And I’m not convinced she’s not here, either. Go check everywhere.”
“You can’t force her to speak with you, Landon Burke!” Christiana yelled at him. “I know you’re used to getting your own way, but Wren is special. Your usual tactics aren’t going to fare well with her.”
Landon stared at her blankly for a long moment, regret filling his gut.
“If she wants to be alone, the least you can do is respect that for two minutes,” Christiana continued furiously. “You’ve already got everything you want. You’re rich, a member of the Council of Seven, an Alpha of the most powerful pack, and that’s still not enough for you! You won’t rest until you control everyone and everything!”
“That’s not true!” Landon barked back in shock. “I just want to talk to Wren, to understand what’s happening!”
“And yet you can’t accept that she doesn’t want to talk to you!”
She’s right, Landon thought. I shouldn’t be here. I should be giving her time to cool off so we can have a discussion rationally. It’s been a confusing day for us, starting with whatever happened in the car last night.
Christiana seemed to realize he was relenting, and her tone softened.
“Listen,” she said reasonably. “Why don’t you let me find Wren and talk to her? When she’s a bit calmer, I’ll have her call you.”
Landon knew it wouldn’t be that simple, but he also knew that fighting with Christiana wasn’t going to improve matters, either.
“All right,” he sighed, turning toward the hallway. “But make sure she calls me. Tell her… tell her that everything is going to be fine, that she’s not in trouble.” He inhaled. “And tell her that whatever she thought she saw wasn’t real.”
Christiana’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What did she think she saw?”
“Never mind that now,” Landon said quickly, heart burning through his cheeks. “Just tell her that we can work it out. I meant what I said.” He faltered, not wanting to relay such an impassioned message to Christiana.
“You’re making it hard to fight for your cause when I only know half the story,” Christiana intoned. Landon, though, was done talking.
“Chris, will you tell her or not?”
“Yeah, I guess I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
He didn’t answer and stepped from the apartment reluctantly. He didn’t want to leave knowing that he had nowhere else to look for Wren.
She’s bound to come back here eventually. I’ll just wait for her downstairs, he thought, starting toward the elevators.
“Don’t even think about hanging around!” Christiana called out to him as he made his way down the hall. “If she’s avoiding you and she sees you lurking about, she might run again.”
Landon didn’t bother to respond. He didn’t care what Christiana said. He wasn’t sure he entirely trusted her to relay his message to Wren, and he wasn’t about to leave his fate in Christiana’s hands, especially when he had no idea how she felt about him.
“Landon, did you hear me?”
“I heard you,” he replied. I’m just not heeding you.
Landon sat in his car for two hours, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. He’d tried calling Wren’s phone several times, but each of his calls had gone straight to voicemail, and his texts went unanswered.
This is ridiculous. I can’t sit here all day. Someone is going to call the cops on me for sitting out here like a stalker. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to leave, as if driving away would indicate that he was giving up on Wren. He needed her to know that he didn’t care about Jordan and that Linda had tricked him.
His cell rang, and Landon snatched it up hopefully. It wasn’t Wren, but instead, it was a member of his pack who he’d asked to help him gain information he needed.
“This is a bad time,” Landon answered.
“Sorry, Landon, but you told me to contact you if there was any news about the Elliot Bay Pack, and I have something that might interest you.”
Landon’s heart pounded in his chest. Could the timing be any worse? I need to call off this entire witch hunt before I lose Wren forever. Let the packs sort it out like they always have.
“This is a really bad time,” Landon repeated. “Whatever it is will have to wait.”
“Okay,” the Lycan on the other end of the phone agreed slowly. “But we have Jordan Archer in custody. What should we do with him?”
And just like that, Landon knew that things had gone from bad to much, much worse.
“Landon?”
“Where?” he breathed. “Where do you have him?”
“At our den in Madison Park.”
Landon closed his eyes and exhaled. “I’ll be there in forty-five minutes,” he managed to say. “Don’t harm a hair on his head.”
“Uh… okay.”
He opened his eyes and stared helplessly at the entranceway, silently willing Wren to appear. Of course she didn’t.
It’s too late to call off the wolves on Elliot Bay now. Wren is never going to forgive me for this.
17
“You can come out now. He’s gone.”
Wren stepped out of her bedroom and looked gratefully at her roommate.
“How did you know I was here?” she asked.
“Your work shoes are right there,” Christiana said, nodding toward the doorway. “Men aren’t nearly as perceptive.”
“Did he tell you what he did?” Wren asked, falling onto the couch and tucking her feet beneath her. Chris peered at her.
“I thought you told him about Jordan and he reacted badly,” she confessed. “I think I sold you out.”
A spark of fear lit Wren’s face, but she dismissed it as quickly as it had come. “It doesn’t matter. He was always looking after himself, anyway. I caught him making out with Linda in the office.”
Christ
iana’s expression turned into one of disgust. “What?” she choked. “Are you kidding me?”
Wren shook her head and dropped her chin, willing away the fresh onslaught of tears filling her eyes.
“We were both wrong about him,” she murmured. “I feel so stupid for letting my guard down with him. It just felt so… right, you know?” Christiana was quiet for a moment.
“I don’t know, Wren,” her friend said softly. “He looked devastated. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s sitting out in that fancy car of his right now, waiting for you to come home.”
Wren’s head moved up, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Didn’t you tell him to go home?”
“I did. You heard me. But I don’t think Landon Burke is the kind of man who takes orders well.”
“I can’t deal with this now,” Wren muttered. “It looks like we’re both going to need new jobs after this. I can’t bear the idea of looking at Linda again after what I saw.”
“We both know she’s the devil, Wren. Are you sure that Landon was a willing participant in what was going on?”
Wren thought of the night she’d seen him in the car with the redheaded manager, and she nodded. “They’ve had a thing going on for a long time. It doesn’t matter.”
Wren knew she was lying to herself as she said it. It did matter to her. Her heart was shattered by what she’d seen, but she also knew she was much stronger than that.
“What are you going to do if he brings you before the Council for harboring Jordan?”
“They’ll have to prove it first,” Wren said defensively and stared meaningfully at Christiana. “You aren’t going to sell me out, are you?”
“You really need to ask that? I’m sorry I told him anything. I misunderstood the entire situation.”
“I need to rest,” Wren said suddenly. “I’m not going to get anything accomplished without energy. I didn’t even get my tips for the day.”
“That makes two of us. We should send Landon a bill.”
“And Linda,” Wren said from between clenched teeth.