Page 5 of Never Submit

I lift my glass. She’s not with us. Yet.

Noble gets to his feet. “Andras and his wolves have made a calculated move not just against the Steel Claws but against Grey Valley as well. They took Ren for a reason. What’s the reason?”

“I don’t know. We need to weigh it all up, the risks?—"

“I gave up so much for you,” he says with careful, cool control.

Narrowing my eyes, I step away from the bar. “I didn’t tell you to give up shit.”

“You didn’t have to ask. You called for me, and I came. I dropped everything, changed my entire life, to come back to this hellhole. Because you needed me.” Noble bites through every word. “Do it for me, if anything.”

I had needed him, and I’d never forgive myself for dragging him back into a life he’d hated.

A position he’d never asked for but no one else was qualified to take after my father?—

“This is like your father. Money and power over everything else. Everyone else.”

“That’s not what I’m doing. But storming in unprepared isn’t the fucking answer. We need to take time and think it through?—”

“And what? If she’s not worth it, leave her?”

“That’s not what I said. This, right here, is why I didn’t want tofuckingtalk.”

“Ren isn’t a deal or transaction. Don’t act this way, Torin,” he says, like he can read my mind. “Don’t be like Sullivan.”

I round on Noble. Hearing my father’s name draws a snarl from me. “Shut your mouth.”

“Make no mistake,Alpha.” He emphasizes the title to push me. “You might be the leader of this pack but Ren’s on the line. And where she’s concerned, I’ll do anything to get her back safe. Anything. I’ll walk. I’ll go to Mathis. Don’t fuck with me on this.”

Noble turns and storms out, slamming the door behind him.

The bang seems to echo in the empty room. I pick up my glass. “Well, that went well.”

I blow out a breath, but I don’t feel any better. That empty sick feeling still grabs at me, and I know I could order him back. He’d come. He’d have to.

Ready for another round of “save the girl here and now.” But I don’t want that.

To him, she’s not a commodity. To me, she’s… I don’t know what the hell she is.

I don’t have to like her to want her back. To understand that no matter how complicated she makes things she’s worth something to him and to the pack.

Noble’s bullheaded. He compared me to my fucking father.

I’ve always done whatever it takes for the good of theSteel Claw pack.

I’ve never treated Noble with such disdain either. Because he’s right. He’s done so much more for me than I can ever repay. He’s been my constant ally and friend.

Then again, I didn’t say no. I said we need to plan it out, weigh up everything to go about this in the best way. I’m right, too. Half-cocked is what they want, and it’s suicide. It’s weakness. It’s just stupid.

With a sigh, I pour another drink.

I’m right. This needs to be done with caution. With our enemies pushing the boundaries of the territory and getting into open displays of aggression, I have to make the hard decisions. I need to plan carefully. Then hit them. Hard.

At the same time, I need to get Ren back. And the stone.

I pause with the glass hallway to my mouth, knowing what I have to do, even if I don’t like it. Not one fucking bit. “Fuck.”

Chapter 2

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