Page 51 of Howling
The silence stretches for nearly an hour, the hum of static in the air letting me know the guys are mentally discussing different scenarios that might convince Francesca not to kick them out of her life. I observe them carefully and begrudgingly acknowledge that they are strong shifters—maybe not as strong as the Orion, but that could change with training.
Something tells me that war is on the horizon, and Francesca is in the middle of it.
She’s going to need all the help she can get.
Mentally rolling my eyes at myself, I sigh, then focus on Francesca…not that I’ve really let her out of my sight since laying eyes on her earlier this evening. Just being this close to her is soothing in a way that makes me shift uncomfortably.
I survive by always being on edge, always watching and listening. Even when I sleep, I don’t allow myself to rest completely. Kyperian is a cutthroat place, especially in the barracks. Though we should be working together as a team, many of the fuckers would cut the throats of their brothers just to get ahead.
Trust no oneis my motto.
So I can’t believe that I’m actually going to advocate for the others.
My mercy is probably a colossal mistake brought on by a lack of oxygen. It doesn’t matter that they tried to kill me and will probably try again.
What matters is that she stays alive.
I check with my dragon again, wondering if this is wise, but the big lizard just nudges me so hard that scales push against the underside of my skin, like if I’m not going to do it properly, he’s determined to take over and do it himself.
Sighing heavily, I focus on Francesca and ignore the idiots in the back seat. “There are going to be repercussions for what happened tonight.”
The glare she turns on me is harsh enough that my dragon ducks his head, but a little huff escapes him. The giant beast likes her sass, secretly pleased that she’s not afraid of us.
I hastily hold up my hands, shaking the chains until they clank. “Not from me,” I reassure her, but the way her eyes narrow, I suspect my reassurance didn’t work.
“He’s right,” Tyler admits reluctantly, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “Simon isn’t one to forgive and forget. He will want vengeance.”
Dante shoots me an assessing look, suspicious of my cooperation, but he quickly joins the discussion. “Trent is one of the biggest alphas in this territory, and he’s doing everything in his power to weed out his competition. He wants to rule it all. After the display tonight, he’s not going to let you slip away without doing his best to lay claim to you.”
A growl rumbles from the alpha they call Garth, his blue eyes glowing brightly with his beast. Feral energy, barely contained, radiates from him, and fangs flash when he speaks. “Women are not worth anything in his pack beyond their breeding capabilities. They are seen as property. Now that he saw what you can do, he will pursue you. You’re valuable to him,” he spits out, a glower darkening his face, like this is her fucking fault. “He will not stop until he claims what he wants. It doesn’t matter who he has to kill to get it.”
“Fucking psychopaths,” Francesca says under her breath. “Do they grow them on trees or some shit? They’re everywhere!”
She unconsciously presses harder on the gas but easily handles the car, despite speeding over seventy miles an hour on the gravel. Since shifters heal fast, I’m not really worried about an accident. Actually, I blink in surprise when I realize that’s not the reason why I’m calm.
I trust her.
My muscles relax, and I slump against the door with that revelation.
Over the last century, I’ve only trusted Givvens, and that was only after he worked his ass off to prove his worth. I shouldn’t be surprised that he raised Francesca with the same values.
“I should have killed that little pissant when I had the chance, but I didn’t want you to take the blame.” She drags her hand through her hair, pulling it away from her face, completely missing the way the guys blink in shock.
It’s not the violence that surprises them, or her willingness to kill, but that she held back to protect them. As the knowledge sinks in, I see them fall even more under her spell.
Dante gathers his wits first and presses home his point. He clears his throat, his voice gruff when he speaks. “You can drop us off at the next town—it’s coming up in five minutes—but that won’t stop Trent and his men from hunting us. They saw you with us. They will assume we have information.”
“Yeah,” Tyler says, nodding sagely when he catches on to Dante’s scheme. “While we won’t betray you, I doubt that will stop them from torturing us. With nothing useful to share, he will kill us. We’ve been a thorn in his side for too long.”
Francesca twists the rearview mirror, bringing the men back into view. Her scowl indicates that she knows what they’re trying to do, but…
“They’re not wrong,” I say, nodding to the men in the back seat. “If the alpha doesn’t hunt them down to demand answers, the Orion will.”
I barely hold back a wince at the glare she shoots my way, but I won’t sugarcoat the truth. Instead, I raise a challenging brow. “After the way you were raised, you probably know how we work better than anyone else. You had more than one chance to kick the men out, but you’re trying to put more distance between us and the wolf pack to keep them safe.”
I rest my elbow against my upraised knee, the chains clinking. “If you drop any of us off, we’re as good as dead. The only way to remain safe is by sticking together.”
The men in the back seat narrow their gazes on me, obviously unhappy about the fact that I included myself in their numbers, but they keep their mouths shut. They know that I’m right, and I push home my point. “The only way any of us are going to survive is if we work together.”
