Page 71 of The Enemy to the Living
He goes tense for a second before he relaxes, still holding me tight. “Good. That’s good.”
“Did you… Did everything go okay with you?”
“Hm? I think so.” Asher sweeps a hand up and down my back and that sore spot I felt earlier in my chest pulses. I shuffle a little closer. “Still got a ways to go. Then all we have to do is work on getting your wolf back. I know I said I’d help with that. I’m sorry I haven’t.”
“It’s okay. You’re busy.”
Asher makes a quiet sound, but he doesn’t seem bothered about talking more, and neither am I. I want to kiss him again, see if he’ll kiss me back, but I’m also comfortable, even if we’re lying in the grass. I don’t want to move. I just want to enjoy this moment.
It’s broken when my phone rings. It buzzes against my hip and Asher laughs, hand sliding down my ribs and to the waistband of my joggers. I don’t feel any pain at all—the scratches are already gone.
“Fuck,” I mutter. All the worries I’d pushed away come storming back as one. “Fuck.”
Asher presses a kiss to the top of my head. “It’s okay. See who it is.”
My heart stops when I take my phone out of my pocket.
It’s Kieran.
I sit up, and Asher follows me, frowning when he studies my face. “If you don’t want to answer—”
“No, I-I have to.”
He wouldn’tcallto throw me out of his pack, would he? I know what I said about him, but—
I missed him too, after he left. I’m sure he never spared a thought for me, but he was always cool to hang out with when Drew and I were kids. And I was—sometimes still am—so, so jealous of the bond he and Drew shared. I know it wasn’t alwayssunshine and roses, but I don’t want the harsh words I threw at Drew to be all they think of me now.
I answer just before it goes to voicemail. “H-hello?”
“Quinn? Quinn! Thank fuck, where are you?”
“Out.”
“Yeah, no, I know, I know. Are you all right? Safe?”
I hear voices in the background, a panicked murmur. One sounds like Drew, and I shy away from the sound. Asher is still holding me. His chest is solid when I lean against it.
“I’m safe.”
“Look, I-I don’t know what’s going on with you, okay, but Ineedto be sure you’re safe. You heard about the wolf that was dropped off at Deacon’s pack house? Bryn?”
I swallow around the sudden lump in my throat, stomach twisting. Oh. Oh,no.
“Y-yeah, I did.”
“He died, Quinn. Earlier tonight.”
My lips wobble, tears springing to my eyes. I try to blink them back, but they’re already spilling, and I know if I make a sound, I’ll give myself away. As far as Kieran knows, I never met Bryn.
But I did. Ilikedhim. He looked out for me.
And I watched them hurt him. I saw them kill him.
Asher holds me against him and gently pries the phone from my grasp. Kieran’s saying something—my name, I think—but I can’t focus on that at all.
“Kieran? It’s Asher.”
I jerk my head up, but Asher shakes his own. He keeps the phone close so I can hear Kieran still, and I press my hand to my mouth in an attempt to stifle a sob.
