Page 213 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

“Ugh. Take her to the prison.” Erin waved her off. “Now I’m going back to my date.”

“And we’re going to head back to our packs to help bury our dead,” Griffin said tightly.Azbogah and Erin hadn’t counted on a real council meeting. They wanted the vote done quickly, thinking there was no way we could come out of this ahead.

I know.They had made that clear.

As we walked past Alex, he whispered just loudly enough for me to hear, “That’s three favors now, silver wolf. Remember that.”

My stomach dropped at the implication.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Though I wantedto ask what the vampire meant, I refused to give him the satisfaction of letting him know that his statement bothered me. He could try to turn this around on us, but at the end of the day, the damage was done. Even if he tried to take back his support, he’d obviously still claim that I owed him for the time they’d voted to hear me out when Griffin had been on trial by Dick, and then for helping us fight Saga. What was one more favor at this point?

Forcing my legs to continue to move without faltering, I pretended the prince hadn’t said anything. If he saw that his words affected me, there was no telling what he’d do.

Vampires enjoyed manipulating and messing with their victims.

And the king and prince were just like all the other vampires I’d met or heard stories about, which had been my fear. I should’ve known that they weren’t any different and would want something in return for their help.

Rosemary rushed after me and touched my arm, making me still. She said softly, “I’ll fly back over there. You two go on without me.”

“Okay, be safe.” I nodded. She’d been spending most of her time with us, so I understood. “Let me know if you need us.”

“I will.” She patted my arm awkwardly, then headed back to her mother.

It might be better if she didn’t try to be affectionate.Griffin chuckled as we stepped into the lobby.I think she feels more uncomfortable trying than just being her standoffish self.

Donotsayanything to her.For her to want to connect with me in a more human way meant so much to me. It emphasized how important I was to her, and she probably didn’t even realize it. I tried not to push her too hard, either, because even though I was more affectionate to her, I understood not wanting to be too touchy-feely. I was only comfortable hugging those who were close to me.

Griffin rolled his eyes but kissed my cheek.Fine, but only because you enjoy it.

When we stepped outside, the sky was still dark, but I wasn’t tired at all. Adrenaline still pumped through me.

The sickly sweet scent of vampires hit my nose from where the king and prince had walked in moments ago. The unease I’d felt flooded back.

Griffin walked to my door and opened it.Hey, are you okay?His concern washed over me like a wave against the sand.

I’m just ready to go home and have you hold me.I’d tell him about the vampires, just not tonight. We’d already endured too much. All I knew was that with Griffin by my side and with our packs and friends, we could get through anything.

We had to.

I climbed into the car and tried to smile, but my mate studied me. He pressed.You avoided the question, so that worries me. What happened?He stood there, not budging.

He wasn’t going to let it go, so I filled him in on what Alex had said on our way out.

Damn bloodsuckers,he growled as he slammed the door and marched over to the driver’s side.Let’s get the hell out of this forsaken place.He jumped in the car and had us heading back to Shadow Ridge within seconds.

Shadow City was supposed to be this glorious place that people coveted, but the harsh reality was that it was cruel and the opposite of what it should be. Something had to change, but it wasn’t going to happen overnight. It would take time and, unfortunately, political strategy.

But until we could change things, I felt exactly like Griffin—I didn’t want to stay here any longer than we had to. All we seemed to have inside were enemies within the different races. Hell, even the shifters were segregated. We were supposed to represent the bears, birds, cats, and everyone else, but the only interactions I’d had were with the ones who had attacked us.

As soon as we pulled back onto the bridge heading to Shadow Ridge, some of the tension left my body. I hadn’t even realized how stressed I’d been until that moment.

The moon was high in the sky, and as we drove through the dark and bare downtown, it almost felt like Griffin and I were the only ones awake. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warmth of his hand on my thigh.

There was no telling what we’d be walking into once we reached the house, so I took advantage of the peace of the moment.

This is how it should always be.Griffin’s voice practically purred in my head.I don’t think I’ve ever felt you this relaxed before.

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