Page 7 of Wolf's Gambit

Grant gave me a flat look. “As if, Kez,” he admonished me. “Cassandra? Are you well? Will I need to get your father?”

Cassandra’s nose wrinkled as she thought about it.

“Cass!” I warned her. “No, Grant, she does not need the Pack Leader. She’s overreacting.”

When Cass gave a noncommittal shrug, he pulled the door closed behind him as he left, but I noticed he left it off the latch. His “as if” didn’t sound so reassuring when he left the door open.

“Are you okay?” I asked my friend dryly. “It’s not my fault, Cass,” I tried to placate my best friend. “If my heat is coming, you know it’s out of the question for me to be in a crowded environment. I’m unmatched and a virgin…it’s considered too dangerous.”

Cass’s eyes narrowed as she listened, even as her bottom lip pouted out fuller. “If? You told me it was definite.”

“When?” I protested. “I said he wasn’t sure, but it could be anytime. If the shaman says my heat’s coming, he would know. The poor guy licks my blood every single time I leave and return to this town.”

“Ugh, that’s just disgusting,” Cass said as her face screwed up in displeasure. “I mean, is it like a fetish?”

Blinking rapidly, I stared at her. “What? Ew, no! The shaman tests my blood each time I return. You know this. Why are you making this weird?”

Cass grinned at me as she played with her hair. “Because watching you squirm is funny.”

“You’re twisted.”

“I know. It’s why you love me.”

Huh, that’s what her brother said to me too. I sometimes wondered if I was merely a source of amusement for the pack leader’s children.

Cass went to speak again, but her sudden huff of annoyance was quickly followed by an eye roll as she marched over to the bedroom door and opened it with a flourish. “Why are you such a creeper?” she demanded as Landon brushed past her and threw himself onto her bed.

“You had the door open. The door’s never open, so, of course, I’m going to listen after you screamed like you were being murdered,” he told her as he winked at me, and I turned my face away so Cass didn’t see me laughing. I was glad it wasn’t only me who was a source of amusement.

“We could have been discussing private things,” she declared hotly.

“You were talking about Kezia’s impending heat and the fact she’ll miss the Luna Ball,” Landon drawled. He gave me his full attention, and I felt a shiver of anticipation as he looked me over appraisingly. Well, that was new. “Do you need a bodyguard?”

“Landon!” Cass yelled at him. “You can’t miss the ball too! I won’t allow it.”

I saw his pleading look before he returned his attention to his sister. “I think she needs me.”

Cass stomped her foot as her hands fell to her hips in indignation. “I need you!” Cass, realizing what she sounded like, tried to pull back some dignity. “Anyway, you are male. Kris will never in a bazillion years allow any male within a yard of his sister during her first heat.”

Which was true. My older brother was protective of me, which was understandable sometimes, if not a little overbearing. Okay, it was a lot overbearing, but as much as I resisted his urge to control my life, I was still incredibly grateful I had him. Losing our parents left us both with a hole in our lives, and I knew he did his best to fill it. I just wished he went about it differently occasionally because it seemed like his aim in life was to ruin mine.

“They will need Kristoff at the ball. He’s the head of pack security. You think our dad is going to let other packs here and not have Kristoff on hand?” Landon said as he looked between us before his gaze settled on mine. “I’m just as good as your brother. I make sense to be his backup.”

I could see his sister’s eyebrows rising higher into her hairline the more he spoke, and I knew we were very close to Cass and Landon fighting. As a loyal friend in these situations, I did what I did best.

“Speaking of my brother,” I said hastily as I got to my feet, “I need to get this pie home before he gets home for dinner.”

“You’re leaving me?” Landon asked as he shook his head. “With her? When she’s about to screech?”

Patting him on the shoulder, I grinned at him as I passed. “You did it to yourself, my friend,” I whispered.

“Screech? I do not screech!” Cass screeched, and I threw him a sympathetic shrug as I darted out the door.

I was a good friend, but after all these years, I knew the best thing to do when Cass and Landon started squabbling was to leave them to it. If I stayed, they would drag me into it, and since it was technically about me, I was more than happy to escape any uncomfortable situations.

CHAPTER 3

Kezia

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