Page 41 of A Deeper Blue
Rafe raised his eyebrows—waiting for more.
“I believe she sent it back to the owner. Violently and at speed.”
Rafe grinned. Then frowned. “Punished?”
“It was like she got hit with a hammer. Scarlet says she’ll be OK, but revenge is not allowed.”
Rafe growled. “I dislike these rules.”
Liam shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “My pack doesn’t have much magic. Azure is the first real witch I’ve ever met. I don’t know why this is the way it is.”
Rafe grunted and picked at his food.This is the way it iswas a wolf saying that encompassed all things that were and had to be. Why do trees smell like this? Because this is the way it is. He hadn’t liked that answer as a pup, and he didn’t like it now, but he wasn’t sure he got a choice in the matter.
“Where’s Dad?” asked Rafe once he was halfway through his food. “I mean, Albert,” he added. He wasn’t sure what his pack standing was at the moment or if Liam was aware of his situation. “Shouldn’t more of the pack be around?”
“Albert and your pack went out to have some sort of pack discussion where the rest of us couldn’t hear. I think he’s finally going to tell them the truth about the super pack.”
Rafe snorted. Bad puns were very much in keeping with his father’s personality.
“Reading between the lines, he’s previously just been talking to people and building alliances, but he hadn’t told the pack he wants them to step forward.”
Rafe blew out a surprised breath. He wanted to ask what Liam thought, but he felt embarrassed to be having to ask about his own pack.
“I think they might actually go for it. They seem really energized,” said Liam, then he shook his head. “My pack is so… I don’t get out enough. I should have been doing more pack visits. I didn’t realize how many Albert had been doing and how far he’s managed to move this pack. Maybe I can send Paxton and some of the others. It would help broaden their horizons.”
“He’s been doing pack visits?” demanded Rafe in shock.
“Yeah, he visits us every five years or so. And apparently, he’s been visiting a lot of other packs across the entire US. He’s got representatives from six different packs here today.”
Rafe gaped in frustrated astonishment. “That was my idea! I wanted to do that. He said it was stupid. He said I was too human-centered. Fucking son of a goat monkey!”
Liam, mid-bite, choked and spit out eggs around a laugh. “Sorry,” he said, wiping his mouth.
“My idea!” yelped Rafe again.
“Mmm,” repeated Liam, looking sympathetic but also like he was still trying to hold back his laughter.
“I wanted… This was what I wanted, and he kicked my ass out.”
“I was kicked out for a while,” said Liam, scratching behind his ear. “When I said I wouldn’t leave Scarlet. It sucked. I’m really sorry.” Liam looked like he was genuine in his sympathy.
“They took you back?” asked Rafe. He knew a few others who had been rejected by their packs. He didn’t know anyone who had been taken back.
“My brother and Scarlet, they… I don’t know what they did, honestly. But they got my mom to reconsider. Plus, it helped that Scarlet says we can have kids. My mom was tweaking about grandpups. She still makes snide comments about Scarlet not being furry enough, but at least she’s no longer insisting that we break up.”
“I get that,” said Rafe. “The pup thing, I mean. It’s not like I don’t want kids. It just doesn’t seem like it’s in the cards.”
“Uh-huh. What does Azure say about that?” asked Liam, getting up and grabbing a glass from the cupboard and taking it to the sink.
Rafe blushed bright red. Liam’s smile in response was mocking.
“Haven’t talked to her about it, have you?”
“It’s only been a few days,” stammered Rafe.
“Mmm,” said Liam and took a sip of water. He looked out the window. “Pack’s coming back in. They look like they’re in a good mood.” He turned back to Rafe. “I’m younger than you, so I’m not as quick on the uptake about some things—I don’t have the experience. That and I lied to myself.”
Rafe looked at him, knowing that his head had cocked to one side in a purely wolf expression of confusion.
