Page 13 of Clash of Kings

“I figured this day would come, but I can’t say I blame you. If Kingston could take no for an answer…”

“I’ll be back. I just need to put some space between us for a little while. I already talked to Noah. He’s got my shifts covered.”

“And Wade can fill in if Noah needs a day off.” When Dakota raised her eyebrows, Vernon gave her a sad smile. “Like I said, this doesn’t really come as a surprise, and Wade’s been bugging me to work the bar. He’s been practicing after hours.”

“I’m gonna miss you, Vern. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

“Now don’t go making me cry. Just know your job is here when you do come back.”

“Thanks. I’m gonna…” Dakota thrust her thumb over her shoulder.

“Be safe out there.”

“Always.” Dakota blew her boss a kiss, then left his office beforeshecried. The Depot had been her second home for years. Instead of going out the front where everyone could see her, Dakota left via the back door. She jogged across the parking lot, but when she got close to her car, she froze. Nix was leaned over, peering inside.

When he sensed her presence, Nix stood and asked, “What’s all this?” He gestured to the back where her things were stored.

“Donations. I’m running out of room in my closet.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the pack house for that meeting?”

“Yes, and I’m late. I had to fill in for Noah.” Dakota clicked the fob to unlock her car. “Gotta go.”

Nix moved aside and let her get in. When she went to close the door, he stopped it. “Dakota—”

“I’m late, Phoenix. Move your hand,” she growled, using her alpha voice. Her brother was also an alpha, but most days he didn’t act like it. He stepped back, and she slammed the door harder than necessary. Dakota started the engine and pulled out of the parking space, keeping one eye on her brother and the other on the lot. She drove slowly, giving Nix time to get inside. As soon as the door closed behind him, she turned right, headed out of town instead of left toward the pack house. Dakota kept to the speed limit. She didn’t need anyone, especially the sheriff, who was King’s cousin, to slow her down.

Once she was on the highway, Dakota let out a breath. Then she let out a loud whoop! She turned up the radio and sang along as she put Panther in her rearview mirror.

Chapter 8

Sebastian didn’t realizehow small Panther was until he searched for a nearby hotel. He booked one over an hour away, which meant Anthony had to drive farther north. Bas was waiting in the small hotel bar when his cousins arrived. Lydia, looking gorgeous in a long sweater over jeans tucked into knee-high boots, walked straight up to Bas for a hug. Anthony was dressed down in faded jeans, a black T-shirt, and his biker boots. He followed Lydia, wearing a shit-eating grin.

“What’s wrong with your face?” Bas asked.

Anthony pulled him into a crushing embrace, slapping his back. When he stepped back, Anthony said, “I still can’t believe you want to move here. There ain’t shit for miles, man.”

Sebastian signaled to the bartender for his tab, then polished off his beer. “The places I’ve looked at aren’t that small. Carlton has almost a thousand residents.”

“Ooh, a thousand. You’ll know them all by name within a week,” Anthony joked as Bas placed a couple twenties on the receipt to cover the tab and a sizable tip.

“Does that mean you’ve made your choice?” Lydia asked.

Bas stood from his stool, tucking his wallet in his back pocket. “I want to go back and revisit the area around the Wellis Lodge, but the other two locations are definitely out. Titus was nice, but it was in a valley. Southville was on a mountain, but the lodge was one strong wind from collapsing. I’d have to demolish it, then rebuild from the ground up. Carlton’s lodge has good bones, and the view is amazing. There were ski slopes back in the day, so that’s an option for in the future. Are you driving, or am I?” Bas asked as they stepped outside.

“I’ll drive so you can relax.” Anthony pointed his fob at his SUV and unlocked the doors. Lydia climbed into the back seat, and Bas took shotgun. Once they were buckled, Anthony went back to their conversation. “You could always open the slopes for mountain bikes in the meantime. If you’re serious about this one, I want to go check it out after we meet with Bridgewater.”

“I am serious. It has a lot of potential, including all the land surrounding the lodge. I’ve already asked the realtor to check into ownership.”

“I can see it now – the Stone Mountain Kingdom.” Anthony spread his hands out in front of him.

Bas smacked his cousin’s shoulder. “Shut up and drive. And Stone Mountain is already taken.”

Anthony cackled as he pulled out of the parking lot. While he drove, Sebastian put the address into the GPS. The electronic voice informed them the drive would take one hour and four minutes. Sebastian got comfortable, chatting with his cousins, and Anthony got them there fifteen minutes sooner than the GPS originally stated. Sebastian understood why there wasn’t a hotel in Panther. It wasn’t a town but more of a community. It was comprised of moderate housing with a few small businesses scattered along the way. There were several churches, but none of them appeared to be in good shape. Seeing as this was wolf shifter territory, that made sense considering they worshipped a goddess.

Surprisingly, there was no gate guarding the drive to the pack house. There were also no wolves waiting to question them. Anthony pulled down the long gravel road, then parked in front of a nice-sized lodge. Sebastian studied it with an architect’s eye, and he liked what he saw. Several pack members stood on the long porch, and in the middle was a male Bas assumed was the Alpha. He had that air about him. The male walked down the steps, flanked by two other males.

“Alpha Stone?” he asked as he approached the vehicle.

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