Page 84 of Bitter Discord

“Maybe in a safe location where the werecat doesn’t need to worry about him revealing the entire plan.”

“Fenris could smell this werecat, though. Would he be that obvious this time?” I didn’t see the plan. If this was our killer, how had he expected this to work and hide everything the way it worked with Mason? I didn’t know how he’d gotten ahold of Arlo, to begin with, or where the teen was.

“I can’t read his mind, Jacky, and I’m not a kidnapper or serial killer,” she said, crossing her arms as her heated look further chastised me.

“Sorry. Heath?”

“I don’t want you going there alone,” he said, the growl in his words barely concealed.

“Fenris will know I’m in the building. You can mobilize half the pack a few blocks away, and everyone will go on high alert. Zuri will be here in case the killer attacks somewhere else and will mobilize with the BSA with the other half of the pack. We can make this work.”

“Are you serious?” he demanded, his frustration bleeding through.

The last time I’d heard him this frustrated with me was the evening we found Gwen, my human twin, at Everett’s home. I knew it was born out of his worry for Arlo, his anxiety over the entire situation, and his need to protect me as the Alpha of a pack and the man who loved me. He’d been on edge all day, even with our plan. Someone in his pack was already in danger, a child at that, and now I was asking him to let me walk into a potentially dangerous situation.

“If this is our killer, maybe I can get him to lead me, you, and Fenris to Arlo,” I said, a plan forming. “I could save Lonan’s life, and we might get Arlo back. There has to be some reason this werecat is here. Either way, he’s a massive wrinkle in the plan for tonight. If he’s not the killer, he and Lonan are at risk, and we know nothing about this werecat. No one here does. He could kill Fenris with ease. Not even he wants to pick a fight with both of them.”

“If he can kill Fenris with ease, he can kill you,” Heath snarled. “Then Hasan and Callahan will get the war they want but avoid every day because I will destroy everyone involved in your death, and it’ll take your fucking family to stop me.”

“Oh, I would help,” Zuri said fiercely, teeth bared in a grinning snarl. It was an expression I had never seen on her, as though she had stolen Jabari’s face and wore it. It was a stark reminder that my political, witchy eldest sister was also a warrior who had met her husband by killing him. A woman who once hunted on the plains to feed herself, who fought in wars without her magic, using brute strength and weapon expertise.

“Then help me talk her out of this,” Heath snapped.

That deflated Zuri’s passionate warrior expression as she shook her head.

“I can’t. The plan works,” she countered. “If we accept the risk to Jacky, which I know you don’t, you’ll be close. Pick your best werewolves to go with you to back her up. Leave the others to respond to me if necessary. You have my word I’ll keep them safe.”

“I—”

“Heath Everson, you wonder if our family will ever accept you and Jacky. I do. Fully. Seeing how you’ve behaved over the last few years, seeing how protective you are of her now, I know you’re genuine, a good man. Your quick thinking this week and the precautions you took for the safety of the pack and our werecats have been noticed. You have a wonderful home and lovely children, so lovely, one of them captured the heart of one of ours once again.”

Zuri’s speech resonated with me, but I knew it really rocked Heath. I desperately wished to see his face for a moment, just a second. What a face it would be.

“Because of all of that, and my knowledge your pack is part of your family—a close, tight-knit group of people willing to go rogue with you—I will keep them safe. All of them. I am ancient and powerful, even if I don’t always know what to do with that power. I will, however, use all of it to keep them unharmed, if it comes to that.

“I am trusting you with my sister’s life tonight, though you havealreadyproven yourself capable of protecting it, treasuring it, and honoring it. Allow me to prove that my family is worthy, or just prove that I am worthy of being part of this growing family you both have created.”

“Okay,” he said after a long silence. “It’s not like I could stop her. I asked her to marry me, knowing she was going to do what she wanted, so long as she felt it was the right decision. So, I’ll trust you with half my pack while the rest of us make sure she survives the night. I can put it together in ten minutes. You’ll also have my son. I’ll have Fenris, so I’m leaving Landon with you. He’s the same… type of werewolf as Fenris, but more in control and my second, willing to work in the pack rankings and manage those I leave to him. He’ll keep any of our werewolves from causing you trouble if they feel so inclined. Tensions are high.”

“I welcome Landon’s strength and expertise,” Zuri said diplomatically. “Jacky, go do whatever you need to prepare. It would look poorly on you to take a weapon. Don’t reveal the werewolves unless you’re certain it’s what you need to survive. Heath, we’ll meet you outside in ten minutes.”

“I’ll be there.”

The night was taking a bad turn—I could feel it in my gut and was certain Zuri and Heath could as well.

31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Iwaited outside, wearing comfortable jeans, boots, and a t-shirt. The leather jacket, which I wore less and less in recent years, was back on. It was chilly, but the jacket wasn’t for the cold. If I ended up getting thrown around, it was a layer of protection.

Zuri made it clear any protections I took in human form would be seen as weakness. No bulletproof vests, no weapons.

“They won’t follow the same rules, though,” I pointed out as we waited on Heath.

“They don’t rule,” she reminded me. “Their honor and power aren’t in question. This is your city, not theirs. You’re the one being judged because you’re the only one with so many options to succeed or fail. They only have two options. Peacefully see you and explain themselves or attack you. Quite clear what type of werecats they are with those choices.”

“I have to walk a tightrope of being idiotic and not protecting myself properly, so I appear strong, and if I fight and win, I am powerful, but if I fight and lose—”

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