Page 26 of Roaring Flames

“It doesn’t matter because it doesn’t concern you,” Desiree tells us firmly.

“But it concerns Izzy?” I ask, though I already know the answer to that.

Desiree flinches nearly imperceptibly. “Yes.”

“What did you see?” Emery’s suddenly in front of Desiree, desperation painted across his features. He grabs her shoulders and gives them a shake. “Is she in danger? What?”

Very slowly, Desiree flicks her eyes towards the fingers crinkling her snow-white blouse. They frost over, turning glacial. “Remove your hands from me before I cut them off and feed them to you.”

“It seems as if it’s a trend to threaten bodily harm today,” I murmur, thinking of Jake’s threat from earlier.

Both of them ignore me.

“Tell me,” Emery growls, baring down on her.

A low chuckle sounds from behind us, just as a camera clicks ominously.

Oh…fucking ducks.

All three of us whirl towards the intruder standing in the now opened doorway, a shit-eating grin on his face and his camera phone held directly in front of him.

Kain smirks and lowers his gaze to his phone screen. “I wonder how Izzy will feel when I send her this picture of the two of you alone in a classroom with Desiree.”

He tsks his tongue in mock disapproval before turning the phone in our direction.

The picture… It looks damning. All I can see is Emery’s back as he towers over Desiree, who’s perched on the desk looking up at him. His hands are on her shoulders, and their faces are so close that only a few inches separate their lips.

Emery growls so ferociously I wouldn’t be surprised if half the school heard it. “Delete it!”

Kain flashes him a smug smile, types something in his phone, and then responds with a flippant, “Fine. It’s deleted.”

Suspicion hovers in the air, a needle-sharp blade.

“You did?” I ask.

“I did,” Kain confirms, running a finger over his jawline. He pauses for a moment before adding, “After I sent the picture off to the lovely Isabella, of course.”

He releases a low chuckle that makes me want to rush forward and slam my fist in his face. I’m not a violent person by any means—I’ll save that for the other members of my pack—but just now, I wish for the ceiling to freaking fall on his stupid head and bury him alive.

“He’s lying,” Desiree snaps. “He doesn’t have her number.”

Kain offers a one-shouldered shrug. “I don’t…but Jake does. And it was surprisingly easy to snag it from Jake’s phone when he wasn’t paying attention.”

“What thefuckis your problem?” Emery snarls, advancing on the other wolf shifter.

Kain holds his ground, appearing oddly unbothered by the imminent threat. If anything, he almost seems amused.

“I just think Izzy should know that her mates are cheating on her with her new friend.”

His claim—as ridiculous as it is—isn’t what stops me dead in my tracks.

No, it’s his use of the word “mate” that causes the fine hairs on my arms to stand at attention. Emery goes perfectly still, his head cocked to the side with rigid tension.

“What did you just say?” I ask, panic crashing through me.

How the fuck does he know? He couldn’t. It’s impossible.

“You must think I’m an idiot, don’t you?” Another chuckle escapes him. “I would have to be blind and stupid not to realize that Isabella—a human, might I add—is your fated mate. At least…for now.”

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