Page 78 of Magic in the Woods
“So, Kleio can join me in hell the next time she chokes on her spit?” I asked.
Jack made it over to his mate in record time, eyeing her up and down before pulling her against his body possessively.
“I wouldn’t go to hell!” Kleio sunk into his side as he wrapped his arm possessively around her waist, digging his fingers into her hip. “I’m a good girl—and good girls go…somewhere nice.”
“That’s not where she’s going,” I growled.
Elise’s eyes widened right before I bent down and threw her body over my shoulder, her hands pounding at my back and her feet kicking my chest. Her and Kleio—the fucking duo that caused the most chaos in the packhouse. I should have never put Kleio in charge of Elise during the tournament. It had caused…this.
“Put her down, Everett! You can go all caveman on her later. Remember—they’rehere.”
Shit. My lyka had a hold on me that made everything else disappear. I’d forgotten thatthey,whoever they were, were downstairs asking to see my father. The man who’d been dead since I’d killed him for trying to kill Elise. What could they want?
“Who’s here?” Elise asked, her voice strained from the pressure my shoulder was putting on her stomach. I set her down on her feet, but not before I let every inch of her body slide down mine.
“People looking for my father,” I said as I grabbed her hand, pulling her close to me. There weren’t secrets between us anymore. We’d made an effort to be open with each other, no matter how hard it might be.
“Why would they be looking for your father? He’s dead.”
Kleio almost choked on her spit again as she laughed behind us. “Elise’s so blunt—I love it.”
“That’s what I’m going to find out,” I said as I tucked my mate behind me.
We were on the third floor, high above where the guards had the intruders corralled on the main floor, but I wasn’t taking any chances. Kleio stood at my side as we reached the wooden railing and peered over the edge, down to the main floor, at a hodge-podge group that looked like they’d went unprepared for a hike and gotten lost for days in the woods. They were dirty—their skin and clothing brown with earth, everyone’s hair plastered to their heads from a mix of oil, sweat, and dirt.
Elise popped her head around my side, peering over the railing. “Pumpkin! Is that you?” Everyone in the group turned around, looking between them.
Elise pulled her hand out of my grasp, running toward the stairs. A growl left my throat as I followed her. She was always running toward danger.
“I mean Dafni! Dafni? Is that you?”
The group parted, revealing the woman with green eyes. I followed Elise down the stairs, keeping my eyes on the group.No one had better move a muscle in the wrong direction.The closer I got, the more I could see that her hair wasn’t the muddy brown that I’d seen from the third floor but a red color, almost orange, underneath all the filth. She walked forward toward Elise, reaching out to touch her extended hands.
I growled, the entire group paused before taking a step back. The whole group except the tan wolf, who growled right back. Fur sprouted from the back of my neck; claws extended from my fingertips.Was that a challenge?
“What are you doing here?” Elise kept her hands extended, even though Dafni pulled her hands back once she caught a glance in my direction. A brown-haired girl standing next to the wolf petted its hackles flat, trying to calm it.
“We’re here for you…there are witches out there that need your help.” Dafni glanced behind her at the door they’d just walked through.
“Witches?” Elise asked.
“I’d like to see the True Alpha.” An older woman stepped forward a single step, separating herself from the small girl trembling at her side. The little girl looked pale, her face gaunt.
“Who are you? And why do you want to see the True Alpha?” I asked. If they didn’t know he was dead, we’d pretend he was alive until we got the information we needed from them.
“Everyone here is in need of shelter.”
“Who’s everyone?”
“It doesn’t matter who?—”
“It does matter who. Who am I providing shelter to?” I didn’t need an outside pack or Matilda to come knocking on mydoor, challenging my pack. It’d been a hard enough year as it was.
She shook her head, as if she was clearing it before she continued. “He said that if there was ever an emergency, the pack would take them in.” She motioned to the little girl and the wolf standing behind her.
“Who did?” I asked.
“The True Alpha.” She lifted her chin, maintaining eye contact with me. She was brave, I’d give her that. Not many would look me in the eye.
