Page 24 of Wolf Roulette

She hesitated. “It must be hard to stay here when everyone you care about is on the other side.”

Not everyone I cared about, but most of them. “It is.”

I caught sight of Axel watching us from the grass. Setting the saxophone case on the ground, I flicked the catches back and opened the lid.

My mouth dried.

I hadn’t looked inside this case since Herc died. I’d last played when we scattered Ragna’s ashes at the red oak in her meadow.

How did the instrument look the same? Gleaming brass and the same shape. I bet it even felt the same.

How,when I’d changed so much?

Aware of Jemma’s attention, I focused on the pounding approach of the seven hundred grid Luthers, my eyes on Axel’s wiggling approach.

He wormed closer on his belly while we pretended not to notice.

Bounding up at last, he peered into the case, cocking an ear.

“This makes music,” I told him. “Do you know what music is?”

“Like The Wiggles,” Jemma said.

Werewolf pups watchedThe Wiggles.Okay.

The pup stared at the saxophone and rested a paw on top of the bell.

I scratched his back. “You need fingers like mine to play it.”

He pushed the case toward me with his nose.

My chest tightened. “Oh. Not right now. I—”

“Andie is tired, Axel. Maybe you can ask her to play another time.”

She heaved him up. “Goodnight, Andie. Sleep well.”

Wolves raced from the forest, sprinting between the bungalows. They poured onto pack lands, yippingand snapping at each other’s feet in play.

The tribe lost Sandstone. Unless the fisherwolf played me, I couldn’t see how they fucked it up. The counter-strategy wasn’t complicated.

I texted Wade.

What happened?

A huge brown wolf padded to my side.

I regarded Greyson. “Congratulations. That’s three grids.”

Not only that, Sandstone was one of the harder grids for the pack to win. This wasn’t good for the tribe. It wasn’t good for Rhona either. I understood more than anyone the amount of pressure on her as the new head steward.

Greyson sat and rested his chin on my head.

Did he know I’d passed on pack strategy? His scent was pure happiness and pride. Sascha either didn’t care because they’d still won or Rhona disregarded my tip entirely.

“You’re dribbling in my hair.” I shoved him away, keeping my tone light-hearteded. “Go celebrate with your pack.”

After licking my cheek, he trotted away.

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