Page 9 of Season of the Wolf

She settled down a bit. “It never ceases to amaze me how arrogant you can be, and somehow manage to not come across as a total douche-knuckle.”

“It’s a gift,” I mumbled, holding my chin in the air while I eased the knot to my throat, immediately imagining the expensive silk being replaced by a noose.

“I’m sure you’re looking quite dapper, Prince Nick,” she exhaled, getting the last chuckle out.

I glanced up to the mirror, surprised at the broad smile she brought out of me. “There was once a time you called me that with hatred spewing from your mouth.”

She laughed again. “And there was once a time you deserved every ounce of it.”

I didn’t bother arguing with her. Mostly because she was right.

A moment or two passed and she asked, “Nervous?”

A good question, but one I couldn’t answer right away. While it was true I had no idea what this meeting was about, it was also true my brothers had seemingly been called in on the same matter. This one fact gave me hope.

“Nervous is the wrong word,” I breathed. “Curious is more fitting.”

“Well, either way, I still think you should have taken my advice.”

I stopped with one foot partially lodged in my shoe, all too aware of what advice Roz spoke of. The moment I called to say my brothers and the rest of us had made it back safely from our field trip to provoke the Sovereign, Roz began her campaign to convince me to leave here. She had a theory that I ought to take my release from that cell as a blessing and keep going.

Her exact words were,‘The Councils’ graciousness will expire as soon as you’re no longer useful to them, useful to Evie. Nick, get out while you still can, before they turn on you.”

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit the suggestion had a nice ring to it, but this town was still home to too many of the people I cared about.

Family.

Friends.

… Her.

Besides, I’d done enough running.

“I’ll be fine,” I lied, knowing there was nothing on which to base such a claim. In truth, she may have been on to something.

A deep sigh on the other end of the line did nothing to calm my nerves, but I understood her concern.

“I tell you what, if they keep me tonight, you can have first crack at my baseball card collection. Lucas might fight you over it, but just tell him I made you a promise.”

She didn’t laugh. Which, in turn, made my smile fade.

“Not funny.”

“I guessed by your silence,” I replied.

It wasn’t lost on me that tonight was heavy, but I’d come to terms with this being my cross to bear—more side-effects of my less than stellar behavior in the very recent past.

“Listen,” I sighed, taking a seat on the edge of Grandfather’s bed. “When this is all over, when your dad finally releases you fromhisjail … we’ll hang out, act like normal teenagers whodon’thowl at the moon and have tails.”

The laugh I’d been waiting on touched my ears.

“Don’t get cute,” she rebutted. “And don’t think me laughing means I’ve changed my mind. I still think you should make a run for it.”

I lowered my head, considering her suggestion one last time, but there was no chance of it.

With the state of things between us, with us just copping to our feelings, admitting what was really on my mind didn’t feel like an option. In truth, I couldn’t fathom leavingher.

If it was just up to us, now that we were no longer on the Council’s‘Most Wanted List’,I’d consider taking off with her after graduation. Without being in hiding, we could find work, meaning we wouldn’t be destitute like before. But … itwasn’tjust up to us.

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