Page 68 of What Fools These Immortals Be
“And what happens when you lose to a young wolf, Augustine?” I say, and this time I keep my voice mild. He blinks in surprise. “What? It is not beyond the realms of imagination. Quinn is young and strong enough that hesurvivedall that Tamesis did to him and his pack. And now he’s in a pack under an alpha who won a challenge against another, shifted, alpha with ease. What happens when you lose?”
Augustine has no answer to that; I doubt he has even considered it. He stares at me, expression hateful, and I don’t look at Deacon and Kieran because I don’t want to see the looks on their faces.
“We need another solution,” I say. “Something more civilised.” There is something else, some idea forming at the back of mymind, but not one I want to speak aloud just yet. I do not think it would be well-received here.
“I don’t wantanyof that,” Augustine snaps. “I want my vengeance.”
He storms past me and is out of the room before even Alwynn can shout for him to stop.
Have I made things worse? Perhaps. Though I don’t know that it would be better, either, to make Quinn face Augustine. I do not think Deacon or Kieran would push so hard for a lie.
“We’re done here?” Deacon asks, but when I look up, he is talking to Alwynn, not me.
“I suppose so,” she says with a sigh. “I’ll let you know if we hear anything else from him.”
Deacon nods. Kieran is out of the room first, not looking at any of us, but Deacon pauses when he reaches me.
“It was a nice attempt,” he says. “I don’t think he’ll be satisfied with anything we can give him.”
“No,” I agree. I know what he means. If Augustine becomes a threat… I think he could, but so far he has done nothing aside from run around and cause more tension between us all.
Tension we do not need.
“Good night, crai,” Deacon says and heads out of the room after Kieran.
Alwynn stares at me once they’re gone but doesn’t speak until their footsteps have receded far away. “Do you need help dealing with this vampire?”
“No,” I say, and it is only half a lie. What help can she give me? The hunters can likely hunt and kill him—thatispart of their job—but so far, he has done nothing wrong. “No, the clan can handle it.”
I glance over at Afsaneh for the first time, and she nods decisively at Alwynn when I do. “We have it under control, Hunter Alwynn.”
“See that you do,” Alwynn says. “If Augustine attacks Kieran’s pack, it will be our responsibility to step in. You know that.”
“I do.” I manage a faint smile. “Thank you for the reminder.”
Alwynn sighs again, leaning back in her chair. That’s as much a dismissal as anything else, so I incline my head to her and sweep out the door, Afsaneh beside me.
“We both know Augustine is not going to stop at that,” Afsaneh murmurs once we’re in the car, heading back to the clan house.
“I know.”
“Should we keep an eye on him?”
“Do you have anyone you trust to do so?” I do not know where Augustine goes when he is not at the clan house, and that in itself is a mistake, though he is not obligated to tell me, so long as he is not staying in wolf territory. I think I have been of half a mind that he is staying outside of London entirely.
“Yes,” Afsaneh says without hesitation. “Is that a matter to keep between ourselves?”
I consider the other chieftains. I trust them all. Still…
“For now. See if you can find out where Augustine is staying during the day and if he’s meeting anyone. If he makes any moves towards Quinn or Kieran’s pack, we need to know first, and we need to stop him.”
“Of course, crai,” Afsaneh says. She pulls her phone out of her pocket and begins typing.
I turn my head, watching buildings pass by as we drive. Maurice would have thought of that faster than I did, hunter that he is, but I cannot think of him now. I have been pushing thoughts of him aside all week because there is little point in dwelling; he is gone, dealing with something far bigger than we are, and I cannot afford to be distracted.
Still, I indulge myself for a moment and imagine him by my side. Imagine him swooping in and taking care of this problem, or at least giving me the tools to.
That’s all I have of him, at least for now. Imaginings. I huff and tear my gaze from the window, shaking my head when Afsaneh looks at me with a questioning expression.
