Page 17 of Sasha's Wounded Wolf

“We tried to reach out,” E continued.

“I went off grid,” Nico said, confirming what I’d known. “Needed to get away for a bit. Lay low while I figured out some stuff.”

He’d needed to protect Sasha. He wasn’t fooling me one bit.

Nico stepped back, scanning his gaze over our group. He paused briefly on me but moved on until he’d looked at all of us.

“Why are you here now?” Lincoln asked. “Have you joined with the James Pack?”

“I came to see a friend.” He nodded toward Anthony then, and I had the information I needed. Sasha was at the home Anthony shared with Donovan. “When I heard you were here, I decided to stick around. It’s been a long time.”

“How did you know we were here?” Lincoln questioned.

“You know how pack’s work. Word spread as soon as you hit the city limits,” Bastion chided.

We couldn’t argue that. Wolves were attentive by nature and loved gossip as much as our human counterparts.

“I mean here. Now. In this meeting that was to be kept quiet,” Easton reminded the room.

“To find out what you know about Rowan’s death. His accident took place the same day my sister was attacked. You have to question if the two were related,” Nico noted. “Then when you’ve worked that out, move on to the why and who of the equation.”

We didn’t play dumb. Not everyone in the room understood my connection to Sasha, but at this point, they’d obviously worked out we’d known each other. Otherwise, Nico wouldn’t be here.

“First, let’s get to the point of this meeting. Tell us what happened with Rowan,” Bastion demanded. “As far as we were told, the truck flipped then caught fire. Is that not what occurred?”

“It did,” E admitted. “But it had help.”

“Fuck,” Hannibal muttered. “Bee was right.”

“She usually is,” someone else commented. I was certain it came from Simon.

“What do you mean help?” Raina demanded, those fists clenching at her sides again. There was something in her expression that gave me pause as if this wasn’t the first time my death had been questioned.

E and Lincoln shared a look, and I knew both fought the urge to turn and look at me.

“We’ll tell you everything, but only you,” Lincoln explained.

“Not going to fucking happen,” Bastion warned.

“The two of you with the two of us.” Easton nodded toward Lincoln then waved his hand between the two of them and Bastion and Raina. “After you hear what we have to say, we can decide what needs to happen next.”

Raina didn’t even pause. “Clear the room.”

“Raina.”

She pushed out of her mate’s arms and turned to face him.

“Bastion.”

I couldn’t see what took place between them, but I had experience dealing with my sister when she wanted something. Apparently, Bastion caved as easily as I always had.

“Clear the room,” he ordered, and though there were growls, everyone moved.

I stayed in the center of the group, unsurprised when Nico veered away from Anthony and toward us. This was what I’d waited for. What I’d planned for. I drew to the front of our group, meeting Nico and maneuvering him the way I wanted.

“Come with me and don’t say a fucking word.”

He flinched, head jerking up, but he hid it quickly, moving with me without question. Neither of us said anything until we were in the back of the second vehicle my group had taken here. Only then did Nico turn to me, shock on his face as he took me in.

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