Page 40 of Clawless

I absorbed this without expression, though I knew my eyes were alpha gold. “You discussed my school’s security with the Marrow Alpha?”

She looked nonplussed by my reaction. “Only in the context of my sons’ safety. And the threat his granddaughter posed to every Hunter Moon pup…”

“She rescued Rowan, mom. She went out into the night and brought him home safe.”

Her eyes snapped with blue fire. “He was only in danger because of her.”

It was probably true. Barakat’s obsession was with Vail, and my brother had been a means to an end. But she’d still gone out after him, not knowing if she was walking into a trap. Or that’s what I wanted to believe, anyway.

I was mulling over the other, nauseating possibilities, when my mom said, “She’s not as helpless as you think, Jay. She bit one of your guards.” She gave a vague wave over her shoulder. “You told me she hadn’t shifted, but there were distinct canine wounds on his hand.”

I froze, my wolf suddenly so close to the surface I felt my gums throb. “That’s not possible.”

“I know a wolf bite when I see it.” My mom leaned forward to grip my shoulder. “This is a good thing, Jay. If she hadn’t, she’d still be our problem. Marrow would never claim a dud as kin.” There was a curl to her lip that was all for me, since I’d done exactly that. It didn’t matter Vail was now a Marrow princess; I’d claimed her before she had a bloodline to boast about.

“Then he’s a fool,” I said shortly, before an awful thought struck. “Did you tell him she’d shifted?”

“Of course.” She was completely oblivious to my mounting tension. “He was prepared to take her off our hands immediately, but I suggested we wait until the semester break. There will be the Marshalls to talk to, I suppose. Assuming Alana really did breed with that insipid West wolf.” She sat back and studied her nails. “She’s with the alphason now, you know. In his room. She’s been there on and off since Den Night.”

I looked at Liam for confirmation. He had drawn the two guards away and their body language confirmed they’d been following the conversation. Or that’s what I thought until I joined them and Liam showed me something on his phone. I stared at the little green dot, my stomach tipping into my boots. “That’s her?”

“She was tagged with a tracker at approximately five am. Carter Barren took her back to Alphason Marshall’s room and she’s been there ever since.”

I swallowed, and I felt all three alphas lean away from me a little. But it was the guard with the gauze on his hand who took a hasty step back. “I can smell her on you,” I told him quietly. “Her vomit. Her fear. Do you understand what you’ve done?”

“Yes, Clan Alpha. But…”

“You have one chance to get out of range of my wolf.” I looked at the other guard. “You’re going to tell me everything that happened. If it’s as bad as I think it is, you might want to report to my enforcer and take your chance, too.”

While Liam dragged the guards away, I looked from my sleeping brothers to my mom’s cold face. I knew in her mind, she’d engineered the only outcome that put her family first. But she’d fucked with me and mine in a way I wasn’t sure I could forgive. “No more meetings with Marrow, Mom. You’ve already caused more damage than you know.”

***

“You don’t want to go there right now, Clan Alpha.”

I turned on my heel and stared at Liam. We’d just reached the main academy building and students were starting to crawl out of their dorms. Everyone was giving us a wide berth, maybe because they’d heard of the security breach, but most likely because of the fury still rippling off me. If anyone else had tried to stop me in that moment, they’d be writhing on the ground. But my enforcer was standing firm, even though he could see my wolf peering out at him with murder in his eyes. I swallowed with effort. “Reed needs to be warned.”

“By you, or by Marrow?”

I gritted my teeth. “He needs to back off right now.”

My body language told him he was about to get the same message, but he just shrugged. “Think about it. Would it be so bad if she chose him?” At my glare, he held up a hand. “I mean the Marshalls already have a blood bond with her. If she and the Alphason were to enter into an arrangement, she’d be doubly protected. Reed could claim it was blood calling blood. Instinct over politics. And the Alpha Marshall is no fool. He’s not going to let an asset with her bloodline slip through his fingers.”

That part was true. Reed’s dad was a wily wolf in sheep’s clothing. “You heard your mom,” Liam went on. “Marrow is going to mate her off as soon as she’s eighteen. And you know his connections. It’s either going to be some shady outfit like the Denners for services rendered, or it’ll be one of his allies or competitors. The Crimson Claws. Or the First Ridgers. Maybe even one of the European packs. But if Marshall claimed her, she’d be safe. And still part of your clan.”

I tried to picture it, but my wolf was so twisted up at the idea, I was having trouble breathing. Liam clapped me on the shoulder, as close as my enforcer got to a show of sympathy. “Michael Warren’s plan still applies. We have to keep her away from Marrow, especially until she’s of age. This might be the safest way to do it.”

I tipped my head back, staring at the lobby roof. “How is it, I’m the Clan Alpha, and the only one who isn’t allowed to protect her?”

“You know why.” He thumbed on his phone, and with one swipe was on the email I’d received the same day Vail slipped through her grandfather’s fingers and ended up back on my doorstep. I didn’t need to read it. I’d already memorized every word. “This is the real warning,” he reminded me. “You claim her without Marrow’s blessing – which he’s never going to give - and it’s an act of war.”

Twenty-Nine – Reed

I was braced for a pissed-off Clan Alpha on my doorstep.

Jasper had always been obsessed with Vail, and now he could track her every move, he’d be well aware she hadn’t left my room. In fact, she’d spent the day passed out in my bed. And since she was curled up against me with her arm around my waist, I wasn’t about to move her. It was the first time I’d stayed in bed past noon. And the first time I’d slept with a female since I was young enough to be in a puppy pile. I napped for some of it, but spent the rest of the time just enjoying the experience.

She’d relaxed in her sleep, and when I’d rolled onto my back, she’d followed. It put her head on my chest, and her leg hooked over my hip, her toes curled under my thigh. It went way past the healing embrace she’d fallen asleep to, and I knew I should roll her away. But fuck it. My wolf was happy, and for once it wasn’t because someone was in pain, or dripping with terror.

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