I back away. “Yeah, no, I’m sorry. Go ahead.”
He doesn’t move a muscle. Still contemplating me with solemn eyes. “It won’t go away, you know. In fact, it only gets worse. No matter how strong or how fast or how clever, we are none of us impervious. If Henry Stadther can fall, then how much easier a siren, or, easier still, a human? How foolish, then, to attach ourselves to such fleeting beings? Fools, all of us.” His eyes twinkle, and one side of his lips curves up in a sad smile. “But what a beautiful risk.”
His words pierce me with more bite than the cold. I can hardly form words. “Isn’t it?” What a surreal shock, to be standing here in the cold dawn, bonding with my vampire boss over a feeling of romantic existential dread. It occurs to me that the haunted yet hopeful look in Reed’s eyes reminds me so much of Brenner. Of all Nora’s men, I think I’ve found a favorite.
A loud car horn makes me jump. In the intense discussion with Reed, I hadn’t noticed the Cadillac leaving the compound, driving straight through the imaginary gate. Rook Winters—Nora’s wolf—is behind the wheel. I haven’t seen him since he made an appearance with the Huron River pack at my birthday party. Stopping the car, rolling his window down, he speaks to Reed without acknowledging me. “I’m making a food run for everybody. Add something to the order for you?”
“Not necessary. Thank you.”
“I told them you’d say that.” Rook shifts in his seat and clears his throat. After stealing a self-conscious glance at me, he says to Reed, “She’ll be glad you’re home, Parker.”
Reed plays with the slightest hint of a smile. “I won’t delay another second.” He gives me a parting nod. “Agent Davies.”
“Deputy Director.”
As soon as he drives away, I whirl on Rook with a sickly-sweet voice. “Oh, she’ll be soooo glad you’re home. She simply can’t bear another second out of your arms. Bunch of limpdicks, you’re whipped!” As the words fly out of my mouth, I feel a flash of heat in my face. I know Rook, but not well enough to joke around like this. We’ve definitely never been alone together. His dominance is overpowering. But that’s not why I’m nervous.
He doesn’t laugh at my teasing. “I had a good talk with Nolan the other day.”
That’s why I’m nervous. How did I know he’d mention this? My defenses go up. “Oh? Nolan who?”
“That’s not funny, Shayne.”
I know that. It’s not fair to Nolan, either. His behavior—his persistence in making a claim on me—would have been nothing but endearing to other shifters. It’s not his fault I’m so independent. “Oh, don’t give me that look,” I say. “Nolan’s a top dog. He can get any woman in the county.”
Fuming, Rook throws the car in park and snaps, “You’re even dumber than I thought, do you know that?”
I literally flinch at his words. Rook and I definitely don’t know each other well enough for that kind of abuse. Part of me wants to bite his head off, but the other part—the part that is cowed by his dominance—wants to run with my tail between my legs. “Excuse me?”
“Nolan’s not the one I’m worried about. Do you even know—are you even the tiniest bit aware—that he’s been in love with Darby Monson since he was a teenager?”
“Who? Darby…who the hell’s Darby Monson?”
“Uh-huh, that’s what I thought. That’s exactly…” Shaking his head, he squeezes the wheel with white knuckles. “This is not my thing, Shayne. I should not have to be telling you this. I’m not even pack anymore. It’s out of line in every way. But you’ve burned your bridges, haven’t you? Which means if I don’t do it, nobody else will.”
Okay, leaning more toward biting the head off now. Of all Nora’s men, I’ve definitely found the one I like least. “Spare me the lecture, Rook. You’re right about one thing: you aren’t pack. You haven’t got a damn thing over me. Am I really getting chewed out for leaving my pack by the guy who left his pack?”
“I don’t give a shit about you ditching your pack. Like I can talk. But believe it or not, I do care a little something about seeing you make it worth something. Do you know how hard it is to find the thing we’ve found?” He runs a hand through his hair with a sigh, the storm blowing over as quickly as it came on. “Why you gotta make me say this shit? Maybe you’re right. I’ve gone soft.”
My head is spinning. I don’t dare say a word, for fear of setting him off again.
“Look. You found it,” he says calmly.
“I found what, Rook?” I know exactly what it is, but I want to hear him say it. “What’s this thing you’re talking about?”
He grinds his teeth. “Love, okay?”
“Limpdick.”
He pounds the wheel. “Okay, I don’t know what I was thinking.” He puts the car into gear.
“Wait, wait, no. What about it?”
“What about what, Shayne? Let’s hear you say it.”
Grinding my teeth. “Love.”
“Oh, love. Is that what it is? Am I wrong?”
This is so awkward. I should have kept my big mouth shut.
“Am I wrong?” he persists.
I fold my arms across my chest. “No.”
“Okay, so you found it. You fought for it. You won it. But now comes the hardest part: you’ve got to keep it. I’m trying to give you a heads up.”
My heart skips a beat. “I’m listening.”
Rook stares at the road, as though tempted by the idea of simply speeding away from this conversation. “Darby Monson is Manistee Forest pack.”
“I’ve heard of them. Coyotes.”
“Right? Doesn’t it make sense? You never wondered why somebody as dominant as Nolan would be mated to a fox?”
His words prick at my pride, but I have to admit he’s right. Nolan and I never made sense on paper. There was no benefit for him. I wouldn’t add to his dominance or expand his territory. Darby Monson, on the other hand, sounds like she would do both. “He used to go to Manistee all the time for fishing trips or work.”
“Yeah, he wasn’t doing either of those. He was spending time with his woman.”
“Then why chase me so much? I’d given him an out. He should have thanked me.”
“Because you’re family, Shayne. He wasn’t chasing you. He was protecting you. And he was willing to lose Darby Monson to do it.”
“Protecting me from what?”
He throws his hands up. “See? Dumber than I thought. Not protecting you from what. Protecting you from who.”
The whole truth drops on my head like an anvil. My mind reels in shock. The ultimate duh moment. “Ben,” I say.
“Ben,” he confirms. “If Nolan didn’t claim you, Ben would have. We all know that. Ben has literally salivated over you for the last ten years.”
I shudder at the truth. Ben the sadistic narcissist, Ben the psychopath, with a claim over me? “I’d have turned him down flat.”
Rook nods gravely. “We all know that, too. And what would Ben have done then?”