Page 37 of Teeth To Rip & Tear

“Kaleb?” Dean quirked a brow.

Kaleb squeaked a laugh, placing both hands over his lips to hold in the sound. His wide eyes were manic as he looked at me. “Uh-oh.”

I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth, shaking my head.

“Mallory?” Dean prompted.

I licked my dry lips. “Kaleb told me about the Dullahan. He said that means the Huntsman is behind this.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed. “What I don’t know is why the Huntsman has taken an interest inyou. But I suspect that Kaleb knows.”

My lips mashed together, and I remained silent.

“Kaleb.” Dean’s Alpha magic thickened the air. “Leave us.”

Kaleb saluted. “Alright.” His voice thickened with an Irish accent.

I frowned, watching as Kaleb danced away—his attitude changed completely when he stood in Dean’s presence.

I’d noticed it before. The dreamy, jester behavior, but seeing Kaleb’s personality shift so drastically made my head spin.

Dean jabbed a thumb over his shoulder to the door behind him. “My room,now.”

Chapter Eight

Dean Hart’s room was on the first floor, expansive and well furnished—the opposite of my claustrophobic borrowed room.

Windows took up most of the far wall, extending from floor to ceiling, showing a view of the trees around us. With hardwood floors and paneling, we could have been in a woodland cabin instead of a werewolf stronghold.

The Alpha had his own kitchenette and an ensuite bathroom. A clawed tub was visible through the open door.

The bed was made without even a sock on the floor. Dean Hart was tidier than I could ever hope to be. Though the room seemed warm, something belonging to the cover of a housekeeping magazine, I couldn’t find a single personal effect. Nothing that would give me an insight into the man in front of me.

The bed occupied most of the room—which made sense considering Dean’s height. I’d never seen a bed so large; it looked almost indecent. Ten people could fit side by side, with room left over.

I cleared my throat and realized I’d been staring at the bed for several moments.

Dean watched me, silent.

I knew why he had called me to his room. There were too many prying eyes and ears on the other side of the tunnel.

That didn’t make it any less awkward.

Though the room was large, it might as well have been a closet for how trapped I felt. I pulled the neckline of my dress away from my collarbone, trying to loosen the tightness at my throat.

“Kaleb told me about the Dullahan,” I repeated, cutting the silence as I turned away from the bed.

“The headless horseman?” Dean replied benignly, his arms still crossed as he leaned a hip against one of the bed posts. “Rarely does the Huntsman use his second, but evil follows on his heels.”

My stomach soured. “Kaleb thinks the Dullahan has been sent to court me. Or at least, make me aware of the Huntsman’s intention to court me.”

“Kaleb knows more of the Aos Sí and its customs than I do,” Dean said simply. “I was a teenager when the Locket pack fell to ruin, and I was called into service. Our Alpha was killed by the Huntsman. Made an example of.”

“For what?” I asked, my voice wispy because I already knew the answer.

“We guard the Gate.” Dean rubbed his knuckles across the stubble on his chin. “We were told that the Alpha, Finnegan Wise, had colluded with a fugitive. He was—”

“I don’t want to hear anymore,” I whispered.

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