Page 83 of Broken Wolf

I wasn’t sure that was true, but I knew my guilt and fear were eating me.

“Don’t,” Sander snapped. “You’re not welcome here.”

Carter. I could feel Carter there. I hadn’t even seen him really, and part of me wanted to blame him too, mock him for suddenly caring about me again now that we took his wolf away—everything hateful.

But none of that would help the situation we were in.

“We checked this building,” someone said. “We checked. There wasn’t just roof access and—”

“Well, clearly, they got it,” Axel snapped.

I glanced up and focused enough to see him talking to Reagan. Then I realized he’d said it. “You checked the roofs?”

He locked gazes with me and nodded. “Yeah, any around that were taller than this building, and it’s only a few.” He wiggled the photo. “This shot is no joke, and it’s not regular roof access or just some locked door any asshole could just bust open.” He held up his hand when several people tried to argue.

“Anything can be broken into with enough determination,” Brian said, his gaze on the picture of me holding Topher that was on the table. “We know that. Fuck, the guy could have parachuted onto the top of the building if he was durable like you guys. How this other one got up there and a body down—you all can do crazy shit.”

“Good point,” I muttered, several of us agreeing. “What do we do now? No one uses the damn pool? I never do? Walls of bulletproof glass like it’s a fishbowl? I just don’t fucking—”

“Babe, you’re spiraling and haven’t been sleeping enough,” he said gently. “Right now, no one goes up there. That’s it. We get answers and—” He nodded when tears filled my eyes. “I’m right there with you. I’m spiraling too, but fuck the fucking pool. We’ll figure it out. We leave a damn thank-you present for this guy and figure it out. It’s what we do.”

“Thank-you present,” I muttered, bobbing my head.

Then I jumped to my feet and went to the kitchen, grabbing a basic plain glass vase before a sharp knife from the butcher’s block. I sliced my wrist open before anyone could say anything and bled into the vase.

“Sera! Are you out of your mind?” one of them bellowed, but Eva blocked whoever tried to reach me first.

“She’s giving a thank-you to a very old vampire,” Eva told them, meeting my gaze. “You’re right. This person is watching. They would want to see the reaction and how you handle it.”

I nodded. “I want cameras and sensors on those rooftops. We’re not getting caught off guard again. If the shooter got up there, so can we, and we know what we’re doing. Any that are higher than ours. That’s where we start.”

“Good,” Eva praised. “I’m calling my daughter and your uncle on the council. I want answers and people to know. The threat is probably a vampire if a vampire got the information and was able to thwart it. But to be safe.”

I nodded as my wound closed and I had to cut myself again. “Because if I was going to take out a hit and not implicate myself, I would hire a vampire.”

“As would I,” she agreed.

“The picture is weeks old,” I muttered, thinking about what I was wearing in it. “At least two. That was the last time I wore that coverup at the pool with Topher, but I don’t remember what he was wearing. It could be older, but I doubt it because why hold the proof of what he did?”

“For there to be a crack in your security or some issue he’s been waiting for to doubt our usefulness to you,” Sander muttered. “It could be someone who doesn’t like your coven of ancients.” He shrugged when I looked at him. “Just because he hasn’t made a move or took out a shooter, don’t assume he’s really a friend, Sera.”

I nodded. It could be someone who wanted to take the ancients or Noah from me, and if I was dead… That made things more complicated.

It took two more slices of my arm, and then Dain stopped me before I was too weak from blood loss in my current state.

“I’m sorry,” Carter whispered.

“Don’t, just don’t,” I bit out, everyone in the room going tense. “No, I’m not blaming him for this. Reagan said it, and you guys checked those roofs, the shot is—someone can always get us. We do better, but I—don’t speak to me unless you want to lose more power.”

And no one else wanted that. I needed a new head of my coven of ancients, and Carter was the best choice.

Or had been to me but still was to others.

“This brings me to the point that I want to go over all of the security of everything with your fiancé, Helmer, and Noah together,” Mauro told me. “And that you not finish the transition of this ancient coven no matter who pressures you as I’m sure they will.”

I went to agree, but several of the ancients started to argue. “Then leave.” I stared them down, even Sander… Though tears filled my eyes when I looked at him. “Haven’t I been good to you guys? I’m thirty and felt like it was all breaking before this and now that asshole over there is trying to bond with other wolves. Stop asking me to do everything others can’t!”

Tears filled his eyes as well as he came closer and took my arm in his hands, licking the few drops over the closed wound. “I’m not arguing that you need time or you deserve it. I’m arguing the impression it could give others and it being dangerous. I think more needs to be discussed. We’re always here for you too, Sera.”

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