Page 23 of Clash of Kings

Arthur shoved a finger at Dakota. “You watch your tone.”

“I’ve done nothingbutwatch my tone, and it hasn’t done any good. I’m finished with this discussion. You either let me live my life without demanding I bow down to King, or you lose me for good. Your decision.”

“Why are you so adamant about not being King’s mate? And don’t give me that fairytale bullshit about waiting for some kid who’s dead. Even if he did live, the chances of you ever meeting him again are beyond astronomical.”

“Even so, I’m not interested in being the Alpha Mate. The world’s a big place, and I want to see it, not be stuck here pushing out pups left and right because it’s what’s best for the pack. You like to forget I’m an alpha, not an omega, just because I’m female. And this female is done. Like I said, it’s your decision whether you push me further away than you already have.”

Arthur let out a low growl, then turned and stormed out of the cabin with Nix following. Her mom hesitated. “Give him time, Honey. I’m trying to talk him around, but…” Diana held her arms open, and Dakota walked over to give her mom a hug. Dakota didn’t say anything because she was all talked out. Her mom brushed a kiss to her cheek before releasing her. When Diana was outside with the others, Dakota closed the door, not bothering to watch them leave.

“I need a drink.” She strode to the kitchen, opting for vodka instead of a beer. If there was ever a time for day drinking, this was it.

“That was tense, but I have something to take your mind off your father. Guess who I met?” Jolee asked as she joined Dakota at the counter.

Dakota took a gulp and hissed at the burn of alcohol in her throat. “No idea.”

Jolee reached for the bottle. “Sebastian Stone.” She took a smaller sip than Dakota had.

“No shit? What’s he like?”

“Gorgeous. He and his two cousins came into The Depot when the meeting with King was aborted after you skipped town. One of his cousins is a beautiful female named Lydia. The other one, Anthony?” Jolee fanned her hand in front of her face. “So fucking hot. And” — Jolee took a longer pull from the vodka — “the things that male can do with his tongue? Girl.”

“What? Jolee Rogers!” Dakota snagged the bottle. “You slept with a stranger?”

Jolee grinned. “Oh, there wasn’t much sleeping.” When Dakota stood there with her mouth open not sure what to say, Jolee continued. “Yes, the sex was out of this world, but he’s sweet. We spent most of the night talking and cuddling.”

“Sure, you did,” Dakota drawled. “What exactly did you talk about?”

“At first, he asked about the pack, and he even wanted to know about me and my life in Panther. It wasn’t until after he left that I realized we mostly talked about you.”

“Me? He doesn’t know me,” Dakota argued. When she offered the vodka again, Jolee waved her off and got a beer out of the fridge. She held it up, and Dakota declined.

Shrugging, Jolee screwed the cap off the bottle, tossed it in the trash can, and took a swig. “He knows who you are because you were supposed to be in the meeting. And Sloane made an ass out of himself storming into The Depot asking if I knew where you had run off to. He called you a bitch, and I thought Sebastian Stone was going to take a swing at him.”

“Damn. A stranger protecting my honor? That’s kind of hot. Now I have to go to the meeting if for no other reason than to thank him.”

“Hey! I protested too, thank you very much.”

“Thank you. What I can’t figure out is why Sloane questioned you when they already knew how to find me.”

Jolee propped her hip against the counter. “Because he’s a dick with anger issues?” Jolee took another swig of beer and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. “I figure he was testing my loyalty.”

“He didn’t hurt you, did he? Is that why you ended up with this Anthony guy?”

“Nah. He grabbed my arm, but there were too many people around for him to do any real damage. The reason I ended up with Anthony is because he’s fucking gorgeous. And funny. And sexy as hell with his auburn hair and bright green eyes. He’s as built as Sloane, but he doesn’t use his size to intimidate, at least not that I could see. What he isn’t is one of us. I don’t know what he and his cousins are, but they aren’t wolfkind. He smelled different. Unlike anything I’ve ever encountered.”

“And you took a stranger who isn’t a wolf back to your place?” Dakota opened the fridge to find something to eat, but she’d tossed everything perishable the day before. Moving to the cabinets, she opened one and pulled out a box of macaroni and cheese along with a can of tuna. It wasn’t gourmet, but it was simple and filling.

Jolee talked while Dakota filled a pot with water to boil. “I can’t explain why, but Anthony felt safe. My Wolf recognized him as something different, but it never once protested.”

“Huh. I wonder what they are then.”

“Maybe you can find out when you meet Sebastian. He’s got dark hair and these intense blue eyes.”

Dakota trusted her best friend with everything, so she admitted, “I know. When King first mentioned Sebastian, the name sounded familiar for some reason, so I came home and looked him up on the internet. His headshot is on the company’s website. The man was born to wear a suit.”

“Really? He didn’t strike me as a suit and tie kind of male. More like your grungy flannel twin.”

“It makes sense he wouldn’t wear a suit when meeting the Alpha of a small wolf pack. And there’s nothing wrong with flannel.” Dakota couldn’t help sticking up for the stranger. She opened the box and dumped the noodles into the boiling water, giving herself a few seconds to calm down.

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