Page 87 of A Lesson in Obedience
I ran a hand through my hair. “Who knows, maybe Riley will discover something massive while she’s gone.”
Mateo snorted. “You, my friend, are very cute when you are optimistic. I am happy Riley is going to be there withmi amor.”
“It would be odd if Chancellor Fowler doesn’t have his hands in more things or have gotten to people much closer to Riley. You guys are one thing, but I mean he seems like a guy who finds his way to get people to his side. The way he just wrapped up Riley’s dad’s death, I mean….” Ike started, but a group of men and women came in through the back door and the air in the room became tense.
I flicked my eyes to Mateo who had their eyes trained at the door,following the group. Their body was relaxed but it was almost like they had trained their body to react that way for this very moment.
The man at the front, clapped hands with one of the people sitting down, giving them a toothy grin. His hair was a dark brown, meeting right at his chin in spiraled curls. His skin was brown, the same as his eyes and he had a scar that sat just above his lip.
He stared at me intensely and I hated that I had looked away, but even though his eyes were just a normal brown…there was something about them.
Mateo cleared their throat. “Dante.”
Dante tipped his chin up to Mateo. “Good night?”
Mateo swept their hand towards the room. “Clearly.”
Dante huffed, snapping his fingers. “That attitude of yours can fuck off. I can easily take this bar away and you’ll be forced to find something else to fill your time.Como suena eso?”
I could feel Dante’s presence behind me and it was heavy. It felt almost like my dad’s and I wanted to get it the fuck away from me. I understood alpha’s gave off an aura, but the way Dante displayed it was too much and it didn’t feel natural. I was damn near forcing myself not to get into his head because I knew it was a place I didn’t want to be.
Mateo sucked their teeth, but rolled their eyes, muttering, “You wouldn’t have any customers if it wasn’t for me,cabrón.”
Dante smirked, granting us his attention. “And who are your friends?” He nodded towards Ike. “Well, I know you, but I don’t know—” he wagged his finger at us, “you.”
Grayson ran a finger over his top lip. “I’m Grayson and this is River. We just came to have a drink, that’s all. No trouble.” He sounded clear and casual, then again, if Grayson really wanted to, he could cloud this entire room in shadows and get us the fuck out of here.
Dante pursed his lips. “Of course, no trouble. Magic wielders respect my establishment, and you all are welcomed here at any time.”
“How do you know…” I started, but he scoffed.
“Well, I know you aren’t fucking human that’s for sure.” He gave me one of his toothy grins and looked at Mateo again. Another wolf shifter came up, grabbing his arm and whispered in his ear.
Mateo cocked their head to the side. “Ariella, what are you doing here? You are supposed to be watching Mrs. Monroe’s house.”
Dante reared his head back. “I pulled her off. I let you delegate every now and then, Mateo, but you don’t tell this pack what to do. When I want them back at this bar, they come. Besides, our job is not to play fuckingguardaespaldas.” He walked around the bar and stepped up to Mateo, who straightened their spine. “We are about to come into a lot of power pretty soon and I need the pack united. Ariella will go back out when I tell her too, but for now, I think that woman will be just fine. Trust me.”
My ears perked up.
Mateo shrugged past him, walking around to our side of the bar, shaking their head. Dante grabbed their shoulders roughly, turning them around. “Hey, I let your sibling go to Napa Valley with that girl. I could have said no. We arefamily, Mateo.”
Family. That was such an odd word. It seemed like everyone that used it had no idea what it even meant anymore.
Mateo’s eyes started to flicker to a golden color but then returned back to normal. Their hands balled into fists at their sides. Dante got his phone from his pocket and put it to his ear. He started to walk out. “One of my wolves is with her, yes. I’ll send Ariella to brief you on everything about the other.” Dante clucked his tongue. “No, they’re friends, she won’t be harmed. I’ll let you know when she’s back.”
Grayson and Ike both looked at Dante’s back as he walked out the door.
Mateo’s eyebrows furrowed, blinking their eyes over to me. He whirled around, grabbing the one named Ariella by her bicep. “What the fuck is he talking about?”
She widened her big brown eyes, startled. “I-I…” she stuttered.
I stalked over to them. “Who are you briefing?” I got closer to her and so many snarls echoed in my ear. I looked up to see the wolf shifters pining their gaze on me.
Ike and Grayson stepped up behind me, but Mateo created a space between us and their pack. They stared down at Ariella. “Who is he talking to, Ariella?”
She narrowed her eyes at me, but blinked over to Mateo. “I don’t know. Dante asked me about that girl’s mom and I told him what I’d observed. The last I heard when I was there she was talking to her kid on the phone, something about a coven, someone named Teresa…”
“He’s gotten to the wolves,” Ike explained, running a hand over the back of his neck.
