Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109329 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Ulric flew me as fast as he could, half the speed of Tristan, and that was fine. I wanted a moment to assess the situation and get my head in the game.
Cyra and Hollace had made quick work. A lot of shifters had retreated into buildings or under porches, hiding from the lightning and fire. It had mostly cleared the streets.
Another crowd of people were centered around Austin’s bar. I recognized quite a few alphas.
I wiggled to get free and brought the gargoyles in closer, leaving Tristan in the sky with them. Watch. Guard.
I didn’t want a sudden rush of shifters dodging fire and lightning to attack me. I might get nervous and overreact. Someone had been stabbed already—I didn’t need to explode anyone.
I landed, still holding my muumuu. I hadn’t even noticed that when facing off with the Elder. That had probably looked weird.
I shifted and slipped the muumuu on, slowing near the door. Waves of stay back emanated from the bonds with Austin. Danger. Worry.
Ah. He was worried for my safety. Or maybe worried someone would call me a name and he’d lose what little control he probably had over his beast. He always tried to keep me from the fight, and I hadn’t been here to argue with him about that.
I was here now.
Drex, the shifter we’d visited on the mountain, stood in the doorway. He had his arms loose at his sides with aggression pumping all around.
I let magical calm emanate around me.
“Why are you standing there?” I asked him, stopping.
Hostility sparked in his eyes. “We got generational shifters throwing their weight around in there. Austin is worried it’s going to kick off. I’m providing a buffer.”
“Thank you.” I put a hand on his arm. He flinched at the contact. A line formed between his brow…and a little fire leaked from his eyes. “You can go now. I’ve got it.”
He started to shake his head.
“It wasn’t a request, Drex,” I said, still calm, but now speaking with force. “You can go now. If you want to stay close, you can go dodge lightning and fire with the others.”
The line between his brows deepened into a frown.
“Go.” I prodded him with my magic. “You can challenge me later, if you want.”
A smile wrestled his lips. “No, thank you.”
I patted him and waited for him to step away. With a deep breath, I entered the bar.
It was too early for patrons, but Niamh sat in her usual seat anyway, fingers around a glass of cider. How she always managed to get a drink, I didn’t know. Nessa sat beside her with a blank face. I could read the worry in her posture. Sebastian sat beside Nessa, and his face relayed his downright fear.
I could feel why. This room held only a quarter of the usual crowd, but five times the power. It pumped from the collection of alphas divided into two sides, growling back and forth at each other. Aljoe and Sue stood to one side, looking at me with tight eyes. Austin stood just in front of Kingsley, with Aljoe’s sisters, some of Kingsley’s friends, and a couple other alphas.
Across from them was Armendale and a collection of alphas, their faces blank but their bearings hostile. Another few stood around, uncomfortable, wanting to weigh in, maybe wanting to fight, maybe ready to run. Judging by their body language, they weren’t sure themselves.
In the middle of the groups was a man on a barstool. Calvin, I thought his name was, the alpha who’d lost an enforcer, one who happened to be a brother-in-law. Or mate-in-law, whatever.
The voices reduced to a murmur as I walked forward, my gaze on Calvin.
“This is a shifter matter,” Armendale said, but I ignored him. Aggression surged from Austin, and he stiffened, barely stopping himself from reacting. I sent him calm, along with reassurance.
Calvin startled when he realized I was approaching him. His face and body lost any and all expressiveness quickly, but not before a little grief and confusion had seeped through. And wariness. He did not want to be in the middle of all this. I did not blame him.
“I just heard about what happened,” I said softly, stopping in front of him.
“Some co-leader to just hear—”
I turned and stuck out a finger, cutting Armendale off. A little magic had probably escaped, which would explain his suddenly tense frame.
“I am not speaking to you. This is a convocation matter, and yes, I am a co-leader. Which is why you will stop talking until I am ready to address you.”
I didn’t beat my stare into him like a shifter probably would. He would follow my command or I’d make him. Simple as that.
Turning back to Calvin, I leaned in a little. I lowered my voice.
“I am so sorry for your loss. Please give my condolences to his family, to yours, and to your pack as a whole. If you’d like to come to Ivy House for dinner tonight and maybe tell stories and drink too much, we can make time. Regardless of how it happened, and we’ll be trying to figure that out, it shouldn’t have.” I put my hand to my heart. “That’s on us, and I apologize for having failed you and his family.”