Page 36 of Season of the Wolf

That silence came again and I took it as a sign I was supposed to speak up, saying what I knew the guys at this table were owed.

“Thank you.Allof you,” I stated. “Evangeline made it clear she couldn’t have gotten to me without your help.”

Each one nodded.

“No problem,” Kyle grinned. “Gave us a chance to give the Sovereign a taste of what he’s got coming to him.”

Kyle’s confidence was admirable, but a sneak attack on Sebastian was one thing, facing an army of bloodthirsty mutts with an order to kill … that was another.

“We mostly just distracted the soldiers,” Ben added modestly.

“Well, either way, I appreciate it. She wouldn’t have even gotten close if it hadn’t been for you all being there to help,” was the last I planned to say about it.

But then, something else came forth. Something that made the world stop spinning the moment it was uttered.

“Can’t believe she tried to go back.”

It was Ben again, thinking what he just shared was common knowledge, but when I glared at him across the table, I was pretty sure he knew that wasn’t the case.

“She tried to go back? When?” My hands quaked with rage.

A curious gaze around the table and I guessed Ben realized he shouldn’t have said so much.

Dallas scrubbed a hand down his face with a sigh. “Don’t get yourself worked up,” he stated, so calm it only pissed me off more.

“Why wasn’t I told?”

Dallas sighed again. “Because it was before you were awake, and it seemed like a moot point after that. Besides, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Evie’s proudest moment. Hilda and Elise ripped her a new one once I brought her back.”

I tried to steady the rapid breaths that puffed from my lungs.

“Why was she going back?” I couldn’t fathom a reason she’d put herself in harm’s way for asecondtime, and in this instance, she intended to set out without anyone’s help.

The blank expressions around the table nearly drove me crazy.

When my fist slammed down on the hard surface, some of the peripheral chatter ceased, meaning I had the attention of a few patrons, but I didn’t care. I wanted answers.

“Because she thought it might help.”

I shot Dallas a look, one I would’ve followed up with a chokehold to squeeze the answer out of him. Good thing for him I didn’t forget I no longer had the upper hand—my strength compared to his was almost laughable.

“She thought it might help what?” I seethed, hearing the question escape my gritted teeth.

Dallas wore a pleading look, like he wished I hadn’t backed him into a corner, but I needed to know. What reason did she possibly have for putting herself in danger?

“She did it to save you,” he finally explained, making my thoughts go singular when he did. “She thought she might be able to find and capture the witch who …changedyou … and fix it.”

Fixme.

That’s what he really meant.

I said nothing, just let this new information sink in. Outbursts like this were exactly what I was afraid of. There was no telling how many times in the coming years she’d go on these excursions, all in the name of saving me.

I suddenly felt like I needed air.

No one followed when I stood from our table, keeping my eyes fixed on the door. I burst out into the night and knew I couldn’t continue on like this, as a human.

What no one seemed to realize was, with me stuck in this form, the Sovereign was no longer the biggest threat to Evangeline’s safety.

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