Yeah, it's her creepy-ass way of handling difficult information. Liam shook his head and tugged me over to the couch beside him.
"I can't believe this." Bree shook her head and took in a deep breath. "Maybe Nate isn't all that crazy after all."
Liam placed his arm on the back of the chair, around my shoulders. "What does that mean?"
"He said that the council had changed, especially in the last year or so." Bree sat in the recliner and wiped away a tear that had rolled down her cheek from her laughing fit. "More and more, people are unhappy with how they are being led. Their hardships and needs are being ignored."
"And that's why you don't need to be around him," Liam growled deep in his chest.
I turned around and smacked him hard. "You don't get to say shit like that."
"Uh, yes, I do." He nodded toward Bree. "She's my sister and kind of has to listen to me."
"First off, you're her brother, not her father." I held up two fingers. "And secondly, how did you like it when people were trying to break us apart?" I arched an eyebrow.
"But, what they don't know is you're the overseer." He smirked as if he thought he’d won the argument.
"When you claimed me, you had no clue I was the overseer." I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "But it's cute that you tried winning."
He frowned.
"I'm so glad to have you here in our life." Bree's smile lit up her entire face. "Maybe, for once, I can spend more time with Nate."
"But he knows about the rebellion." Liam's brow furrowed. "That can't be good."
"Nate's a great guy. He's my brother's best friend." My phone began buzzing in my pocket, and I pulled it out. "Speak of the devil." Max's name appeared on caller ID. "Let me take this."
I stood and headed to my bedroom. He still hadn't gone back to school yet after what had happened Sunday. We dropped him off at our parents' house, and they told him everything they'd told me. I wanted to stay, but considering what was going on back at the academy, we weren't able to stay long. "Hello?"
"Hey." Max's strong voice filled the line. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay. Are you healed up yet?" We'd only texted since the news dropped, making our conversation seem a little off.
"Yeah, I'm heading back to school now. Coach has been blowing my phone up, but I needed time to process everything." He took in a deep breath. "You know that you're my sister, and it doesn't change things between us, right?"
It hurt that his tone was so unsure. He should know me better than that. "You're my brother, and your father is still my dad. This changes absolutely nothing. You are still the boy who'd bring me chicken noodle soup when I felt bad." He and his dad had been there in all the ways that mattered and counted as family. "You're still the same guy who would sneak out and shift, running to our favorite spot to talk. I love you, and nothing has to change … unless you want it to."
"No, I'm so glad to hear you say that." He chuckled. "I know Mom and Dad said that's how you had reacted, and we talked via text, but I needed to hear you say it out loud. I wanted to hear it without our parents' prying ears around."
That I understood all too well. "Maybe we can see each other one weekend. Hell, maybe this weekend, but let me check with Liam."
"You can't go anywhere without his permission now?" His tone was a little deeper as if he didn't approve of it.
"No, but he has a football game I need to be at too. Maybe we could meet up Sunday, and I'll bring Bree along so she can see Nate." That sounded like fun and a good opportunity to get Liam to warm up to Nate.
"You're going to bring Liam with Bree and expect Nate to be around too?" He didn't sound convinced.
"Yup. You'll see." I’d always enjoyed a good challenge. "Let's plan on it."
"Sounds good to me." He chuckled. "If anyone can make it work, it's you."
Liam walked into my bedroom and headed straight to me, pulling me into his arms. "Okay, I'll see you this weekend, I've got to go."
"All right, I love you." He hung up the phone.
And at that moment, everything felt like it might work out.
I hurried over to the football stadium bright and early Thursday morning. Evan had told me to wear something comfortable for sparring, a change of clothes, and to wear my hair up. I found it oddly specific that he even went as far as to address my hair.
Liam had tried going with me despite Evan's insistence for him to stay away, so it was fun leaving the dorm without him. I’d bet he was still standing at the door scowling. He didn't like to lose. However, when I pointed out it was for me to learn how to fight and defend myself, which couldn't be done with him growling every time Evan got near me, he conceded.
He made me promise to make it up to him for all the emotional turmoil it would put him through this morning. I had a very good idea about what kind of compensation he wanted, and my body warmed at the idea.
When I reached the doors Bree and Kai had taken us through at the football game, I paused. There wasn't a guard outside, so I wasn't quite sure how I'd get in.
"You didn't take my advice." A deep voice came from behind, startling me.
I spun around and came face to face with the football coach.
He narrowed his honey eyes as he adjusted his Wolf Moon ball cap on his head. He was wearing the standard blood-red jersey with Wolf Moon written in silver, and black shorts. He had to be in his forties but looked like a man in that age range, unlike the youthful-looking council members.
"What advice was that?" He scared the crap out of me, so my mind wasn't functioning right yet.
"To stay away from them." He shook his head and blew out a breath. "But according to what I've heard, instead, you've wrapped yourself more into them than even I am. Good luck with that." He reached around me, using his badge to unlock the door. "Let's go. He's already in there."
He held the door open for me, and I passed through, still reeling from that odd conversation. Why would he say that to me if he thought I was so entwined with them? Wouldn't he be afraid that I would tell Liam?
When we reached the split, instead of going left as we had for the game, he took a right, heading down to the door on the left.
"Wait, isn't that the men's locker room?" There were some things I'd rather leave to the imagination.
"Yeah, but you walk into the football team’s private gym first." He grinned at me. "Afraid you might see something you like or don't like?"
Okay, this guy officially gave me the creeps. "Uh... I don't think Liam would take me seeing anything all that well." That was the best thing I could come up with at the moment.
"Oh, yes. Your mate." He headed down the hallway and opened the gym door for me. "After you, princess."
I hurried into the gym and almost sighed with relief when my huge-ass trainer came into view.
He was lifting some free-standing weights. It looked like he was lifting three-hundred pounds without breaking a sweat or straining at all.