Page 88 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

"Dude, what the hell?" Killian asked, alarmed. "Are you trying to wake up the dead?"

"The only thing louder than your walking would be someone playing the drums," Sierra complained. "I was almost asleep."

I realized I better get in there before Griffin did something stupid. I forced myself to get up and hurried into the living room, despite my legs feeling like they weighed a hundred pounds each.

"Sterlyn remembered something about her attackers in the coffee shop," Griffin rasped. "And we've got a huge problem."

I joined them in the living room as Sierra sat up on the couch and blinked, asking, "Sterlyn?"

Yeah…we had to be more careful, or we'd wind up having to tell her everything. "That's my real name."

"Thank God. Dove is atrocious. Sterlyn fits you so much better with your hair and silver-purple eyes." She grinned. "Your parents nailed naming you."

She had no clue how true that statement was.

"‘Attackers?’" Killian’s brows furrowed. "As in plural?"

"Yeah, I thought there was only one, but when I was dozing off, a memory came back to me." I dreaded telling Killian who it was. He and Carter had some kind of bromance I didn't want to interfere with, but we were working as a team, so they all needed to know.

He scowled at me. "Well, then who attacked you?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but Griffin cut me off, "Carter. Your bestie."

"What?" Killian scoffed and shook his head. "No way. He linked with me and told me that someone took her."

God, how many times was I going to have to hear the same thing? "Because the bear shifter took me. That was the only thing he could say without his lie coming to light. But he injected me with God knows what while I was in the pantry, getting the coffee beans thatheasked me to get. He even apologized before I completely passed out."

"That doesn't make any sense." Killian pulled his phone from his jeans pocket like he was going to make a call. He set it on the edge of the recliner and grimaced. "Look, I'm not trying to be a dick here—"

"Normally, when someone starts off with a comment like that, they're going to be a dick." Sierra placed her feet on the ground and got upright. "So don't even try to qualify it. Just own your damn statement."

Killian glowered at her. "You aren't helping."

"I didn't know I was supposed to." Sierra crossed her arms as she leaned back on the couch.

"Just say what you want to say." I wanted this conversation over with so I could go back to bed. I was struggling to stand on both feet at this point.

Killian scratched the back of his neck. "Are you sure it was Carter? If you were drugged—"

The question stung. "Do you honestly think I would accuse someone if I wasn't one hundred percent sure?" My feelings were hurt that he was second-guessing me. I got that he’d known Carter longer than me, but I thought we'd developed a bond. Maybe I'd misread the situation.

"Dammit, I didn't mean it like that." Killian ran a hand down his face. "You were drugged, and maybe your memory got distorted. That's all I'm trying to say."

"Dude, if Sterlyn says that he did it, then why are you trying to brush it under the rug?" Griffin wrapped an arm around my waist, glaring at his best friend. "Are you really willing to ignore what she remembers because you don't want to consider the possibility that your pack member hurt her?"

"I don't mean it like that." Killian groaned with frustration. "It's just…Carter and I have been friends since childhood. We grew up in Shadow Ridge together. I know his entire family, and that just doesn't sound like him."

"Maybe he didn't have a choice." Sierra lifted a hand, trying to be the voice of reason. "There's no telling what happened, and I agree with Griffin. Sterlyn is no fool, and if she remembers something, we need to check it out."

My heart warmed from both Griffin and Sierra having my back. Usually, I could count on Killian—but not now. My emotions were raw from the entire day, so I couldn’t help but feel vulnerable. Being objective wasn’t possible for me right now.

"You're right." Killian's shoulders sagged. "I'm being a dick and not thinking objectively. So, there's only one way to find out, and I want you all to hear what he says to me." Killian swiped his phone.

"No, don't call him." I understood that Killian wanted to confront him, but that wasn't the smart way to handle it. "If you call him and ask, he could disappear. We need to see him in person so we can get a good read and he can't hide, lie, or warnwhomever he might be working with. If he is involved, he won't hang around just because you two are friends."

"Then how the hell do we get him here?" Killian threw his hands up. "I can't wiggle my nose and make him appear."

"You do seem kind of witchy." Sierra stuck out her tongue at him. "Especially tonight, so maybe it could work."

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