Page 56 of Elven Shadow

“This isn’t about me,” he growled.

“Maybe it should be.”

This was good. Now she’d made him uncomfortable. At the very least, she had him in a standoff, and that was a hell of a lot better than him thinking he could squeeze whatever he wanted out of her just like that.

“Maybe, instead of nitpicking every little thing you don’t like aboutme,” she continued, “you should work on gettingyourstory straight. You heard Diego, right? I’m not the only one who wouldloveto know why you disappeared in the middle of a firefight last night.”

The shifter’s nostrils flared again, and he sucked on his teeth through his grimace with a little squeak.

Yeah, now she had him.

“Which means I’m probably not the only one wondering why the hellyoushowed up for this little meeting in the library.” Rebecca stuck a hand on her hip and cocked her head.

He could try to play the intimidation card all he wanted, but in her experience, the ‘recklessly ambivalent’ act generally did more to incite an unexpected reaction. If it happened to piss him off in the process, all the better.

“Itisa little odd,” she continued. “Head of Security sitting in on a secret brainstorming session. Everyone knows how seriously you take your job, Max.How loyal you are to the guy up top calling the shots. How dedicated you are to the chain of command.”

Maxwell let out a disgruntled huff but didn’t interrupt, so she just kept going.

“And you know, the first thing that went throughmyhead when I saw you here was, ‘I wonder how long it’ll take him to bring his report right back to the top so he can rat us all out.’ Wouldn’t even surprise me if you offered it upwillingly. Kinda makes it feel like maybeyou’rethe spy.”

Maxwell surged another step toward her, his growl doubling in intensity as he practically spat at her, “I’ve done more for this organization than you willeverunderstand.”

“Oh, I’m sure you have.” Her tight smile widened, and she spread her arms. “But you can’t have it both ways, Maxie. Either you’re a stickler for the rules and, by default, the guy who’s gonna go squeal to Aldous about what’s going on here, or you’re playing the long game.”

His snarl snuffed out, and Rebecca could have sworn the shifter leaned ever-so-slightly away from her.

She must’ve nailed his existential crisis right on the head.

“Which would make you just as culpable as every other person who was standing in this room today. Technically, I guess that would make you a traitor too, wouldn’t it? But hey, at least you won’t be alone.”

Maxwell clearly tried to stare her down, but when his silver gaze flickered around the library—which had now emptied entirely except for Leonard, Diego, and the rest of the shifter’s security team waiting around for their next orders—that told Rebecca everything she needed to know.

This little wolfie had his secrets too, didn’t he? Well, then, Game On.

“Honestly,” she added with a forced chuckle as she tossed a hand toward Leonard and Diego still huddling across the room, “I’m surprised they didn’t kickyouout before that meeting started. Maybe everyone else knows something I don’t, butIstill can’t figure out whose side you’re really on. The changeling’s, or Shade’s?”

“Oryours?” he asked with a snort.

Just like that, the figurative spell of doubt she’d been weaving around him disappeared like a burst bubble. She might’ve opened that door for him without thinking, but he’d jumped right through it.

A harmless mistake. Hopefully.

Rebecca forced another careless-sounding chuckle and swept her gaze around the back of the library. She needed to end this now.

Because Leonard and Diego had reached the pat-each-other-on-the-back stage of their private huddle, and her window was closing.

“I’m in this for the team, Max,” she told him. “Just like everyone else. You don’t have to like it, but I’m here. And I’m staying.”

“You’ve clearly made that your priority.” Fighting back another snarl at the nickname, Maxwell looked her up and down, slipping right back into his Head of Security role and all the obnoxious scrutiny and suspicion that came with it. “Even when your being here endangers this entire task force.”

Damn. He had no idea how right he was.

“You know it. I know it.” He stepped toward her again with another flash of light behind his silver eyes, then stopped beside her, his presence a shadow blocking out everything else. “And I won’t stop until I find outwhy.”

“Careful,” she murmured, tilting her head just enough to meet his gaze. “You might not like what you find.”

As he leaned in close, Rebecca stiffened, resisting the urge to step back before his lips barely brushed the edge of her ear and threatened to make her shiver against him. “Well if you think this is your chance, Knox, don’t waste it.”

---