Page 65 of Fate Awakened

They don’t know she isn’t just a human.

Dante must send Erik a mind-link message because he removes the bag from Kole’s head and begins untying the gag from his mouth.

“We will trade at the same time. Kole will remain in his silver cuffs. I’m sure you will find a way to remove them. This will prevent him from shifting and even the playing field,” Dante says, not mincing his words as the urgency of this trade looms over us.

Big Tony pauses, his face showing confusion momentarily before turning unreadable.

“Just a moment,” he says, turning his back to us and walking back toward the center of the field.

Dante’s face turns to mine, and I can tell he thinks the same thing I do.

Marlo just gave the order to wait.

Before returning to his line of pack mates, I see Big Tony whisper something into one of the guard's ears. Without hesitation, the guard runs out of the clearing, most likely to escort their Alpha.

Fuck. This isn’t good.

“My apologies. My Alpha has found time in his schedule to join us, and as that’s who you wanted to speak with in the first place,” he finishes throwing on a shit-eating grin.

“Oh, I wasn’t aware you needed Daddy to finish your deal. Absolutely, we can wait for him, but I do have a flight to catch, so if we could get these two sorted out while we wait,” Dante says, pointing between Kole and Brielle. His comments make Tony clench his jaw at the insinuation that he isn’t capable of finishing this on his own.

Before he can respond, I see movement from the opposite side of the clearing. The Reno Pack members, Hudson, and Brielle, all turn to watch as Deacon Marlo, flanked by two shifted guards, strolls into the clearing casually carrying a small backpack.

Deacon’s eyes lock on Dante as he moves, and everyone in the vicinity can feel the pure hatred that radiates from him. He smiles. It’s dark and cold, not coming close to reaching his eyes.

He says something I can’t understand that sounds like Italian, and everyone freezes as the wolf guarding him on his left shifts back into his human form.

An audible gasp resounds from both groups, and a knowing look passes across Deacon’s face as he hands the guard the bag which contains his clothing.

My eyes immediately seek out my Mate, looking for her reaction to seeing our world and trying to gauge her thoughts. Her back is to me, but her stiff posture and hanging jaw reveal her shock.

Well, I guess they kept our world a secret until now.

My jaw clenches, and I feel my teeth on the verge of cracking as I look to Dante, hoping his composure can get us through this. His jaw is also flexed, and his nostrils flare as he scowls. At his sides, he stretches and fists his hands in an attempt to control his rage at Deacon's carelessness.

“Apologies for my late arrival, gentlemen. I was traveling and didn’t hear about this little trade until recently.” His accent carries the words making him sound every bit the slick businessman he pretends to be. His eyes slide to Tony in almost an admonishment for him not relaying the information sooner, and Big Tony, to his credit, drops his gaze in a submissive apology.

“Now, what did I miss?” Marlo asks, his attention sliding between us as he waits to be filled in.

It’s then I chance another look at my Mate. My Mate, who just saw a wolf turn into a human man right before her eyes. My Mate, who, without any choice, was just thrown into this world against her will.

I’m so sorry, Firefly.

My heart clenches as I see the horrified and shocked expression she wears as her eyes remain locked on the face of the guard, who’s now fully clothed and standing next to her again. Even from this distance, I can see the wheels turning in her mind as she tries to put some logic together to explain what she just witnessed. Some reasonable way this man could also be a wolf. After a moment, I see her eyes flash to each of the men around her, and her throat bobs as she swallows nervously. Hudson’s hand moves to the back of her arm, and my wolf growls in response as she yelps, trying to pull away from him in fear.

Don’t touch her.

Logically I know he’s stopping her from bolting, which would inevitably mean her death, but on a much more primal level, I want to rip his hand from his body for daring to touch her without permission: hers or mine. He leans down, whispering something to her I don’t hear before she takes a large inhale, releases it slowly, and repeats the process several more times.

Dante speaks, pulling her attention to him.

“We were just concluding our trade,” he says through gritted teeth, all semblance of his calm demeanor extinguished.

“Oh, wonderful of you to return my nephew to us in exchange for… a member of your pack?” he asks, his eyes searching the group behind him for her.

Before Dante can confirm that, Big Tony speaks up.

“No, just a human girl,” Tony recites, proud of himself for putting together such a lopsided trade, in their favor, of course.

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