"Not today, little wolf," he scolded lightly.

Orange rimmed her dark gray eyes and he chuckled again.

"Trust me, Lila.One day I won't stop you, but only once you’ve learned when it's worth the risk and when it’s not."

Lila's shoulders relaxed slightly.“Promise?”

Briggs nodded."I promise.For now, we play it smart.This reeks of a trap, and I want Turner Phelps to know his enforcers failed."

The teen huffed but didn't argue further.I marveled at her boldness, at the way she stood toe-to-toe with her Alpha.

"Fine," Lila grumbled."But next time—"

"Next time, we'll see," Briggs said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Our mate will be a good father, Rieka remarked from out of the freaking blue.

So not the time!I sputtered.

Unprepared as I was for my wolf’s assertion, I didn’t have an argument against it.I also didn’t have any defense against the warm gooey feeling it gave me.

As we rode back to the Alpha’s cabin, I couldn't get my mind off of Briggs.Or off of Rieka’s comment.

Before I knew it, my feet were stepping out of the cab.Colten had just gotten out when he blocked Lila from exiting.

“What the hell, bro?”

“Lila, I told you to stop calling me that.Baylor, take her home and make sure she stays put."

Baylor's head slowly turned towards his Beta."You want me to babysit?"

She paid the enforcer no mind."I’m not a baby.Therefore, I don’t need a babysitter.Bro.”

I grimaced.How many times had Caleb looked at me with that same stubborn defiance when I pulled the big-sis-in-charge card?

"This isn't up for debate, for either of you," Colten told them.

Lila rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.

The entire exchange was enough to remind me how much I missed my brother and Emery.Briggs had yet toallowthem to visit.

The burn of that recent memory seared my brain.Why did everything have to be so damned complicated with that Alpha-hole?

Chapter 20

Ivy

Briggs halted behind me.I craned my neck, watching as he leaned close to one of the guards, speaking low.

Colten put a hand on my shoulder and steered me into the cabin.“Head to the kitchen.”

"I’m not sure I’m allowed in the kitchen."The sarcasm was so strong even I could tell how juvenile I sounded.

Oops.There was a serious situation at hand and I shouldn’t let my disappointing thought over being separated from my family overtake the reality that Colten’s sister could have very easily been killed today.

Well, maybe not easily.Her brother and Alpha obviously trained her well.

Colten shot a glance at Briggs before prodding me forward again."It's fine."