Page 76 of Elven Crown

A week ago—hell, even a few days ago—Rebecca would have left it at that, secure knowing that the shifter’s problems were his own and not her responsibility.

Her opinion hadn’t changed since. The difference, however, was that now Rebecca felt capable of improving his mood even slightly, and that made it feel less like an obligation as his superior and more like something shewantedto do.

She wanted to help him.

It took all the way until she’d caught up with him to realize how odd that sudden change of heart truly was. By then, Maxwell had already noticed her approach behind him. If she turned away now, that would only make things far more awkward.

“Hold on a second,” she said.

He stopped in his tracks, his back and shoulders growing rigid as he stared straight ahead and said nothing. But at least she’d gotten his attention.

“Listen,” she began, “we had no idea Eduardo was packing something like that laser gun in there too with everything else. I honestly thought he was out of the really heinous weapons after I blew the last one to bits the other night.”

“Obviously not,” he grumbled, still refusing to turn around and look at her.

“Well the point is we still got him.”

“Sure.”

Blue Hells. What else could he possibly want her to say right now?

What elsecouldshe say?

She didn’t get to test it before he stalked away from her, clearly on his own mission, and headed toward the open rear of the same transport trailer where the rest of their team had gathered.

By the time Rebecca realized what he was doing, Maxwell had already marched through the gathered operatives and right up into Rowan’s face.

She thought he might even attempt to walk straight through the elf, but Maxwell stopped inches from Rowan and let out another feral growl as he leaned closer. “If Ieversee you sitting around on your ass like that on a mission, I swear to whatever you believe in, I willend you.”

The rest of the team felt deadly silent.

Nyx sucked in a sharp breath, held it, and took two large steps backward.

Rebecca watched yet another standoff between them, on high-alert and ready to insert her new authority as commander if another fight broke out.

Rowan didn’t seem remotely put out by the shifter’s threat, nor did he pull away from Maxwell or try to regain his own personal space. In fact, it looked like he rather enjoyed receiving the shifter’s threats up close and personal like this.

Even covered in griybreki blood and brain splatter and other random debris from the battle, the Blackmoon Elf held himself as if he had dressed for a special occasion, ready to meet any hands-off and diplomatic challenge head-on.

That wasn’t this.

Rowan stared back at Maxwell, then nodded once. “That’s fair. You know what? How about I accept your gratitude in return, and we call it even?”

Oh for fuck’s sake. Why couldn’t he just let this go?

Maxwell scoffed, his constant scowl unchanged. “What the hell would I thankyoufor?”

“Oh, you need me to spell it out for you? I’m talking about saving your life, first of all, and for bringing down that giant freak of nature before he blew you to bits. You’re welcome.”

Maxwell’s entire demeanor darkened and narrowed in as he leaned farther toward Rowan. Snarling again with a glint in his silver eyes that looked a lot like a thirst for revenge.

Or for plain old violence. Or maybe even an attempt to save face after the Blackmoon Elf had one-upped him in the ‘bringing down the biggest enemy target’ department.

Rebecca took a small step forward, ready for the moment they tried to tear into each other again so she could intervene and put them in their place. Again.

But then Maxwell froze, darted a quick glance toward the rest of the team, and seemed to realize everyone was watching. And, most importantly, that the entire team was already listening to every word exchanged.

A shock of something Rebecca didn’t recognize and couldn’t quite name jolted through her when those silver eyes turnedonto her next and she watched the instant change take over in her Head of Security.

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