by Layla Nash
Henry glanced toward the door before he eased to sit in the big armchair near the television, like he wasn’t supposed to be on the furniture and didn’t want to get caught by the boss. “Did you make him feel the burns on purpose?”
“No.” I shook my head, uneasy all over again. It shouldn’t have happened at all. I’d never created a magical bond with anyone, though I’d shared one with my mother due to our blood relationship. Not even my aunt could feel my pain or share hers with me—except by calling and unloading all her drama on me before demanding to know why I didn’t visit her more often or call to check on her. I had no interest in opening myself up to someone like Evershaw, not when he seemed to crush and overwhelm and dominate everywhere he went. “I don’t know what he felt or why. He should talk to Smith about that.”
“You think it’s because of what Smith did?” Tom scratched at his beard, studying me with an inscrutable expression. “Seems like an odd thing to do.”
I frowned down at my legs, wondering if the burns would scar. Maybe I could have them bring me loose leaf tea so I could create a paste and spread it around the worst parts to minimize any scars. There wasn’t much else to do for them unless I tried to heal them magically, and since the wounds started with magic... there was no telling what adding more magic to the situation would do. Mother would have told me to let it be and just live with the pain for a couple of days until nature took its course. The certainty of normal healing was preferable to dumping magic into the mix and potentially making everything a hell of a lot worse—and then having to deal with more pain for longer. So better just to suffer a bit and hope it made me stronger.
“What did Smith do?” This from Henry as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and stared at me with an unnerving intensity. The force of their attention made me miss Mercy just a touch, since she at least could have distracted them or moved around like a shiny object until they blinked.
“The old name for it is a geas,” I said. I held the empty coffee cup out and Henry jumped up, obediently taking it to the kitchen to refill, then returned it to me. Something tight in my chest started to unravel. All the questions didn’t feel like a trap or an effort by Evershaw to figure out what I knew so he could use it against me. It looked and sounded and felt like normal curiosity. “It’s a way of binding someone to do something, like a compulsion but older. He tied my life to Evershaw’s. I don’t know that he intended it to work in reverse, but there is much I do not know about the ErlKing. He was known for being a cruel and heartless ruler and leader of the Wild Hunt. He set people against each other for his own entertainment. Though he has... relaxed with age, perhaps the proclivity for causing trouble remains.”
Tom’s smile widened a touch. “You think he’s playing a joke by making Evershaw feel what you feel?”
I shrugged. At least they had really good coffee. “I would not be surprised.”
“So the price of Evershaw surviving the poison is to put up with feeling what you feel.” Henry shook his head and started to grin. “I didn’t think I’d like Smith, but that’s pretty funny.”
“I’m glad you find it amusing,” I said. I slid to the edge of the mattress and debated whether I wanted to try standing. “Since it’s not your life on the line, I’m sure it’s pretty entertaining. Is there any chance of getting normal clothes, or should I plan to wear these for the duration of my stay?”
Henry’s head tilted at he studied me. “I’m sure Mercy can find you something. We’ve got a clothes closet for pack to pick from; she can take you there when she’s done making lunch for the alpha.”
“She cooks for him?” I rolled my eyes and pushed to my feet, limping toward the bathroom. “Unbelievable. He can’t be bothered to even make his own lunch? Why the hell do you put up with such an asshole?”
“The alternative is far worse,” Tom said without inflection. “And he’s got his reasons for being how he is.”
I put the coffee on the counter on my way to the bathroom, and leaned against the wall for a minute to reconsider asking for those painkillers. Holy crap. I’d forgotten how much burns hurt, the constant pain radiating from all over and pounding in time with my heart.
“We all have reasons to be jackasses, Tom. Everyone has something that can turn them cold and distant and bitter. The rest of us manage to maintain the veneer of civility and decorum. Why the fuck can’t he?”
They both looked at me, their eyebrows raised, and I wondered if the animals were required to attack me if I disparaged their leader. Instead, Henry took a deep breath and refilled his coffee, not quite looking at me. “Well, you were pretty scary and cold when you walked into the warehouse the first time. Where’s your veneer?”
“It cracks when people trying to kidnap me,” I said. My cheeks burned as I ignored their very faint amusement.
Henry shook his head. “No, you were pretty cold just walking in there. Completely aloof when Smith and Todd asked you to save the alpha. It seems kind of odd when you’re normal here.”
“That’s different,” I said. I wished Mercy would interrupt and distract everyone with her running monologue. “Who I am then is just different.”
Tom shrugged and moseyed toward the door. “It’s probably different for Evershaw, too. Everyone’s got their reasons, Deirdre.”
I really didn’t want to talk to them anymore. I didn’t want to think that the asshole Evershaw was walking around with his own protective cocoon, just like my ice-queen witch persona, when he’d been such a complete dick. Not that I’d been particularly nice to him. He’d never given me a reason to be nice, and with what Smith did...
I shook my head and focused on making it to the bathroom. “I’m not the one being poisoned. Maybe he should think about how he treats people before it gets him killed.”
Henry was still smiling as he fussed around in the kitchen, rattling pots and pans. “Right. I’ll have Mercy find you some clothes.”
“Great,” I muttered. I needed an actual shower, or at least the chance to wash my hair, and enough peace and quiet to try and figure out who poisoned Evershaw. I wouldn’t be free until I fixed that, regardless of how much I thought he deserved it. Who knew I’d have so much in common with an attempted murderer.
Chapter 15
Evershaw
Edgar Chase called right before dinner with an offer to make peace with the coyotes. Apparently the coyote alpha, John, had reached out to resolve some of the lingering issues between the coyotes and the rest of the shifters in the city. The coyotes aligned themselves with the BadCreek pack outside the city early on, before the true extent of BadCreek’s evil was known, but Evershaw still had his doubts about whether the coyotes changed their spots.
Evershaw had accepted responsibility for the coyotes after a deal gone bad, and banished them to the outskirts of the city, and that was the last time he stood up for anyone outside his pack. He’d never make that mistake again.
Despite Todd’s rolling eyes and his lame attempts to dissuade Evershaw from meeting with the coyotes, Evershaw wasn’t about to put it off. He wanted to look John in the eyes and get his scent to figure out if the bastard was trying to kill him. Evershaw wasn’t going to sneak around in the shadows like those fucking coyotes did.
Which is how he found himself at the over-decorated building that looked more like a fucking courthouse than an office building, where the Alphas Council met. The coyotes hadn’t been allowed to sit with the Council since they started working on behalf of BadCreek and undermined the peace and stability that the rest of them had achieved. As much as Evershaw wanted to cause a bit of trouble for the lions and the other wolves and the bears and everyone else, he didn’t want another territory war or to end up outed to the humans. They’d have to retreat to the wilderness somewhere if the humans figured out shifters existed. And no one needed that.
But to his surprise, it wasn’t John who met him in the giant echoing room where the Alphas Council met. Instead, a young woman with long black hair and a natu
ral tan stood near the table where the coyotes used to sit. Edgar Chase sat at the lion’s table, looking just faintly amused, though he stood as Evershaw and Todd walked in. “Evershaw. Glad you could make it.”
“Chase. Thanks for the call.” Of all the lions, he disliked Edgar least. The security chief knew how to keep his mouth shut and never got irritated about anything. Which made him pretty easy to get along with, since Evershaw wasn’t tempted to fuck with him just to get a reaction. Evershaw’s attention strayed to the woman who definitely wasn’t John. “What’s with the chick?”
“The chick,” the woman said, folding her arms over her chest. “Is the new alpha coyote.”
Evershaw smirked. “You deposed John? How’d you manage that? Tits or ass?”
She wasn’t amused. “A knife, actually.”
Chase’s eyebrow rose. “We didn’t hear there was a transition.”
“It was recent,” she said. “And none of your concern. I’ve been told there was some unpleasantness between John and the rest of the shifters here. It will be rectified.”
“You’ve been told?” Todd frowned as he flopped into one of the chairs behind the SilverLine table. “You’re not from the pack?”
She flicked a glance in his direction then looked back at Evershaw. “No. Not originally. But I’m in charge and things will change. We expect a seat on the Council, just like every other pack.”
“John gave up that right,” Evershaw said. “He reneged on an oath and sent the coyotes into exile. It’ll take more than just a leadership change to straighten that out.”
The girl wasn’t impressed. “Great. Then show me the way to the time machine and I’ll go back to fix all that.”
Chase snorted, wiping his hand over his mouth to hide a smile, and stretched his legs out in front of him after he took the alpha’s seat behind the lion table once more. When the lion didn’t go on, Evershaw eyed the coyote. “Sarcasm isn’t becoming—“
“Time machine’s in the shop? Great. Seeing as how I can’t go back in time and fix all the shit that John broke, it looks like you’ll just have to deal with me. It’s a new day. The coyote pack will pay its dues and abide by the rules set forth by the Council. We’ll make restitution where we must.” She hardly blinked, unimpressed with any of them.
Evershaw had to work to keep from smiling, since he liked a girl with attitude. But not too much attitude. The way that coyote spoke reminded him of the witch. He banished the thought, since neither of those women were worth wasting his time on. “You’ve got a lot of debts to settle.”
“I’ll listen to the debts at the next Council meeting, and I will decide how much and to whom any repayment will be made.” She tapped perfectly manicured red claws against the shiny surface of the table. “Bring whatever evidence you might have so I can evaluate the veracity of your claims.”
“You don’t get to walk in here and start dictating terms, girl,” Evershaw said. He stalked a little closer, his wolf side irritated as hell at the young woman challenging him like that. She was a stranger and had no idea who he was and what he’d done to build the city up.
She studied her nails. “I’m happy to keep the coyotes outside of the city. We heard there’s some property that recently became available for purchase. Very cheap. But in the interest of maintaining harmony in the city, I thought we’d give living in the city and participating in your little council a shot. If you don’t want us, fine. It’s no skin off my ass.”
His wolf started to growl. Who the fuck did she think she was? “Where’s John?”
“Dead,” she said. “Well, near enough. I passed him along to a group who disposes of men like him. He won’t be coming back.”
A group that disposed of what? Evershaw’s hackles rose. That didn’t sound like anything they wanted in their city.
Edgar Chase took a deep breath. “I’m not sure we can abide by that sort of extrajudicial punishment.”
“Because what you were planning to do with him was so legal?” She smiled just a touch. “Come on. Give me a break. You weren’t going to pat him on the head and send him to the beach. Let’s just start over and we can all be friends.”
“Who’s your second?” Evershaw asked. He didn’t want to put up with a female alpha, except maybe the hyenas. The one who took over after Lacey Szdoka seemed all right, though he hadn’t talked to her much. The hyenas didn’t get on his territory, he didn’t mess with their business, and there wasn’t any other reason to interact.
“There isn’t one.” The girl sat up and pushed to her feet. “I speak for the coyotes. Only me.”
Evershaw scowled at her. “Where do the coyotes expect to make their home now? Since they were living in one of my buildings.”
She tossed a white envelope, fat with cash, onto the table next to Todd. “That will cover the six months of back rent the pack owes you, and the next three months. We’re looking for a new place, if any of you can recommend a realtor.”
Chase chuckled a bit, then got to his feet. “I’ll send you a name. Thank you for coming, Daisy.”
“Daisy?” Evershaw choked on a laugh, since that was the last fucking name he thought the prickly chick would have.
The temperature in the room dropped a couple of degrees as she eyed him, her lips compressed into a thin line, and the silence stretched until Todd cleared his throat just to disrupt the tension. The girl eyed him up and down, her upper lip curling in derision, then turned her attention to Chase once more. “I’ll be in touch. Just let the rest of the riffraff know there’s a new alpha in town, and I won’t put up with the shit that John did. Y’all need to up your game.”
Edgar just smiled, unwilling to get energized, and watched as the girl turned on her heel and strode out. She didn’t look at either of the wolves again. After the door swung shut behind her, Todd exhaled and leaned back on the rear legs of his chair, shaking his head. “Damn it, man, are you trying to get killed?”
“If she wants to be alpha, she has to be able to deal with the rest of the alphas,” Evershaw said. “I’m not going to hold back just because she’s a chick. It doesn’t work like that.”
The lion ran his hand through his hair, looking half-asleep as he propped his boots up on the table. “That doesn’t mean you have to deliberately piss her off, man. I thought you wanted to make peace with the coyotes in order to resolve at least one of the feuds you’re in the middle of?”
“Not exactly,” Evershaw said. He traded looks with Todd and eventually flopped into one of the empty chairs. He really needed a drink. Maybe more than one. “I’m trying to narrow down a list of suspects. The coyotes were at the top.”
“Who else is in the running?”
Todd shook his head, staring up at the ceiling, and pulled a flask from his back pocket to take a swig. “BadCreek. Or what’s left over from them. They made an overture.”
Chase started to smile. “I wondered how long it would take. They want to join the Council?”
“That’s the rumor.” Evershaw held out his hand for the flask, grateful that Todd at least believed in buying the good scotch. “I’ve yet to discuss it with the O’Sheas. I don’t think we need three packs in the city.”
The lion’s phone rang and he glanced at the screen, then pushed to his feet. “And that’s my mate. Gentlemen, as always, it’s been a pleasure. Try not to get yourself killed, Evershaw. Logan and Natalia are having a big party for all the kids in a couple of weeks, and they intended to invite you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Evershaw said, trying not to let irritation overwhelm him. “We’ll be in touch, Chase.”
“Great.” Edgar nodded to Todd on his way out the door.
Evershaw waited until the door shut to exhale and take a few more swigs from the flask before he handed it back to his cousin. “Just fucking wonderful.”
“So it’s not the coyotes.”
“I won’t count them out just yet.” It would have been easy for John to have started the poisoning, then end up de
posed by his own pack before he could see it through. Of course that new alpha wouldn’t know anything about it, or at least she’d have the opportunity to deny it. “But you’re probably right that they didn’t do it. Which leaves...”
“RedCloud,” Todd said.
“Or the pack.”
His second scowled. “It’s not the pack, asshole. It’s got to be RedCloud.”
Evershaw frowned and leaned back in the chair. “But when? And how?”
“Ask the witch.” Todd shoved to his feet. “Over dinner, if possible. I’m fucking starving. Next time try to schedule this shit between mealtimes.”
“Your waistline would thank me for skipping a couple of meals,” Evershaw said under his breath. He heaved to his feet and started for the door. “And you’re slowing down. How the fuck are you supposed to help me fend off challengers if you can’t even drag your bloated corpse through the door?”
Todd followed him into the hall and toward where their SUV waited. “Look who’s talking. You’ve got an impressive beer gut.”
“Fuck off.” But Evershaw smiled as he climbed into the SUV’s passenger seat. At least he could strike one group off the list of people who wanted him dead—for the time being, anyway. There was always the possibility that Daisy chick would come for him just from sheer orneriness.
He could figure out his own process of elimination, and the next up to eliminate was RedCloud.
Chapter 16
Deirdre
I spent most of the day limping along after Mercy, with Henry trailing silently behind us. I couldn’t tell if he was meant to prevent me from escaping or to guard me from all the curious pack members who occasionally appeared out of the woodwork like ghosts. There didn’t seem to be a lot of members of the pack in the giant warehouse they’d turned into apartments and living quarters, but the ones who appeared out of nowhere definitely fit the description at least two of the wolves had given me—misfits and outcasts.