Page 53 of Rook

“Yeah…was wondering about that,” I mutter, my brows knitting together. “Since when is Inari working with them?”

“Been a few weeks now.” Luna eyes me with the kind of look that could cut steel. “They’re up to something, and it doesn’t sit right.”

“Can’t say I’m surprised,” I reply, mulling over the pieces of this puzzle I didn’t even know I was part of. “Inari’s always playing chess while the rest of us are stuck on checkers.”

“True enough,” she agrees. “But it’s their leader, Isla Connolly, that really has me on edge.”

“I know her—from a long time ago,” I admit. “What about her has you shaken?”

“Let’s just say she’s not one to play nice in the sandbox. The woman’s got ambition that could choke out the sun, and I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her—which, considering I’m an alpha, says a lot.”

“Think she’s planning a coup or something?” The thought alone is enough to make my skin prickle.

“Could be. Or maybe it’s something else entirely.” Luna’s voice is low, almost conspiratorial. “All I know is, when Isla Connolly wants something, she’s not above stepping over a few bodies to get it. And with Inari getting cozy with them, well…” She trails off, leaving the sentence hanging like a guillotine blade.

“Dammit,” I mutter under my breath. Trouble is brewing, and here I am, caught in the damn storm without an umbrella. “Thanks for the heads up.”

But then something clicks.

The hit on the Mojave Skyway…Gunnar’s denial, Nero’s ignorance. Could Isla have something to do with it? Is she trying to curry favor with the new leaders of the Angels and the Eclipse?

I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her—which isn’t far.

“Listen, Luna,” I lean in closer, lowering my voice even more, “You heard anything about Inari or Isla wanting a pack dead?”

Her sharp gaze cuts to me, and for a second, the usual smirking confidence in her eyes flickers out, replaced by something colder, more calculating. “Rook, that’s dangerous talk.”

“Can’t help where my mind goes.” I shrug, trying to seem nonchalant despite the way my gut tightens. “With everything that’s been happening, lines are getting blurred.”

“Things like what?”

I tense, frowning. I know I shouldn’t spread this around…but Luna’s a longtime friend, and you have to trust someone. “A group of assassins tried to take us all out on the Mojave Skyway. Me, Aisling Faye, her pack…and Vance Solace, too.”

She hisses out a breath. “Jesus, Rook. Could’ve led with that.”

“Inari’s the one who invited us out here. Isla knows me from…from before. Gunnar and Nero are in town. It could be any one of them.”

Luna takes a slow sip of her drink, eyes never leaving mine. She sets down her glass with a soft clink that seems too loud in this moment of tension. “You’re not the only one who’s noticed things are off-kilter. But digging into this? It’s like playing with fire—and not in the fun way. Inari has eyes and ears everywhere.”

“Never pegged you for someone who’s afraid of a little heat,” I tease, but my heart isn’t in it. The stakes are too high.

“Me? Never.” A ghost of her typical smirk returns. “But for you, I’ll ask around. Just keep your head down, Rook. This city chews up truth-seekers and spits them out.”

“Appreciate it, Luna.” I nod, grateful despite the unease gnawing at my insides. “Just be careful, yeah? Inari’s got a long reach, and Isla… she’s always played a different game altogether.”

“Always am, darling.” She winks, but there’s a seriousness to her tone that tells me she understands the gravity of it all. “Stay safe, Rook. Oasis is a storm waiting to burst, and when it does, it won’t care who gets swept away.”

“Never do,” I reply, forcing a grin as I take another swig of my drink. But inside, I know this conversation has changed the game.

And I can’t shake the feeling that we’re all pawns on someone else’s board.

Chapter twenty-four

Aisling

I hover outside Gunnar’s suite, the sense of Luka and Gunnar thick in the air beyond the door. It’s like a siren call that’s hard to ignore, even though I’m not sure what I’m walking into.

Then the door opens…and I see him.

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