Page 39 of Dane's War

“Rainy, you’re not responsible for what some jackass wants to do,” Lake states, taking my other hand in hers. “If we all took responsibility for what others do, then we’d be just as horrible of people as they are.”

“She’s right,” Karsyn agrees. “Trust that everything is falling into place.”

The words barely leave her lips when the front doors are opened so suddenly, they’re nearly ripped off the hinges by Dane. His eyes are glittering that sapphire blue whereas just a little while ago, they’d been closer to what was his normal brownish color. It’sweird how his eye color changes so suddenly. Something must have happened. That or he found out what was going on here before he even got here. Either way, he was looking pissed, and I meanseriously pissed.

Dane’s gaze comes directly to me, nostrils flaring.

“Oh boy, someone is pissed,” Lake utters quietly.

“Considering where he just came from, I don’t blame him,” Karsyn remarks, almost like she was talking to herself. Looking briefly in her direction, I wonder if she is. She has this far-off look in her eyes that I can’t decipher.

Focusing on Dane, I get to my feet just in time for him to engulf me in his arms. My body snags against him, a sudden sense of warmth flooding me.

Dane is here. He is holding me. I am safe.

“Are you okay?” I murmur the question, all while tilting my head back in order to see his features.

“Was gonna ask you that. Soon as we got close, I felt your fear. I knew something wasn’t right. What’s goin’ on?”

My heart flutters in my chest, and I want nothing more than for all the bad things just to go away.

“Brother,” Corbin growls. I didn’t have to look at the man to know he was downright furious, and not in a little way. “We’ve got a situation. Gonna need you with us.”

“What’s goin’ on?” Dane demands.

“Got a threat against our women to take care of,” Corbin answers.

“Brady called,” I also add.

“The fuck?” Dane snarls, his arm around me going tighter.

“We don’t have time to discuss this, Dane. Coby tracked his cell to just outside of town,” Corbin says. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him move toward Karsyn. He dips his head down, kisses her, and curls a hand around Asher’s head. “Big Daddy is bringing Sage back here.”

“Okay,” I hear Karsyn murmur. “It’s all going to be okay. Just watch for any tricksters he might have out there.”

Tricksters.

I’d heard that before. Brady used that same word while talking to his friends. Always when I knew they were talking about business, but I never knew what exactly he was talking about. Tricksters. What’s something you call a trickster?

“Brady said that while talking to his friends.” I find myself saying aloud.

“It’s the fox shifters,” Coby remarks far too quietly and with a grim expression on his face.

“What about the fox shifters?” Dane growls,shifting to face Coby. “By the way, brother, you and me, we’re gonna have a talk about what the fuck you sent us to that area for? You had to know why it wasn’t a route we’d take.”

“Had to, brother.” Coby grimaces again.

“What are you talking about?” Corbin demands. “We don’t have time for bullshit right now. We’ve got other things to deal with.”

Coby swallows, his face lowering, and he shakes his head. “The other day, I found my mate,” he mutters, not seeming to want to be sharing this. “She’s a fox shifter.”

“Oh no,” I whisper.

“I didn’t say anything because I knew something wasn’t right with her. She wanted to know things. Things I wasn’t going to give her. Then she shared a few things, and with that, I was going with the only play I could. That’s how I got the intel I did about Raine. She shared about that area. Something about what she said about it didn’t sit well with me. I planned on going with you, but then she called and said she wanted to see me.” Coby shakes his head, lifts it, and glances around at each of his brothers. “She’s my mate. I knew it wasn’t going to work between us, but still, a part of me needed to see her. To know her. Went to see her, and she rejected me. Laughed about itand danced away. But only after she said she got what she needed from me.”

“She got what she needed from you?” Corbin looks ready to murder someone.

“Corbin,” Karsyn murmurs, a hand sliding up to curl right over his heart. “Remember what I said to you this morning. Things will happen to make you question those close to you.”

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