Page 183 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

It’s going to be okay.No matter what, I’d make sure we came out of this intact. Even if I had to be the one to take the blame.Rosemary will have something to tell us, and then we can build our case.

I hope you’re right.He opened his door and climbed out of the car.

His dismissal hurt, but I couldn’t be overly sensitive. He was going through a lot, and I couldn’t take it personally. I refused to add more worry on top of what he already carried.

I got out of the vehicle, slammed the door, and met him and Ulva in front.

“We need to go in as a united front.” I was sure they both knew that, but sometimes stating the obvious helped others feel more in control of a situation. I walked to the other side of Griffin so that he stood between me and his mother.

A few people walked past us, not looking our way. Yesterday, everyone’s indifference had bothered me, but today, I was grateful. If anyone tried to talk to us right now, I would likely come off as rude, which might hurt Griffin in their eyes.

We followed the walkway to the building’s front entrance. Griffin opened the tall hunter-green door and waved us in. My eyes scanned him as I passed by, enjoying the sight of him in his navy suit. The slacks were tight enough to show off his ass, and I had to restrain myself from pinching it as I brushed by. Now wasn’t the time for inappropriate thoughts.

His mom’s heels clicked on the beige marble floor, and I cringed as I strolled behind her, making the same type of noise. I hated wearing dress shoes and skirts. They were terrible for fighting, and I was raised to always be prepared for battle. Worstcase, I supposed I could try to use the slender heel to pierce the skulls of my enemies.

The entryway was huge and bare, ending with another hunter-green doorway midway through the building. The probably once-white walls were stained yellow from time and wear. On one side of the entryway, a man was sweeping the floor. He walked past us, and a whiff of decay hit me hard, making me gag.

What the hell is that?I’d never smelled anything like it before.

Griffin winced and blew out his nose.A vampire who’s being punished. For him to smell that bad, he’s gone without blood for a long time.

Wait.They smell sweet, not like that.

Unless they don’t feed,he replied.I’ve only ever come across one other person who smelled like that, and it was when Dad took me to see the prison when I was a little boy.“Hey, Mom.” Griffin snagged my hand and nodded to a coffee shop at the right. “Sterlyn and I are going to grab a coffee. Do you want anything?”

“No, I don’t think that would be wise.” She blew out a breath and adjusted the maroon jacket she was wearing over a matching dress. “I’m on edge enough without the added caffeine. I’ll go on in and save Sterlyn a seat.”

“I’ll be right there.” I tried to keep my attention on her, but my gaze flicked over to the small coffee shop. It was a stand built into a corner of the room with no tables. Obviously, people weren’t meant to congregate there, which was kind of problematic, as Rosemary was nowhere to be seen.Maybe we should wait a few minutes.

We can’t, Griffin said in defeat. He wasn’t even trying to hide his despair now that we were alone.The meeting will likely start a few minutes early in hopes that whoever they’re targetingarrives on time. Itgives the perception that the accused doesn’t care about punctuality. A little tip that Dad shared with me before he died.

These people were assholes. Someone needed to take them down a notch or two, and there was no time like the present.Okay. Hey, wait.I walked beside him as a thought unsettled me.Does your mom know to call me Dove and not Sterlyn?

Probably not.His body somehow grew even tenser.I’ll link and tell her now.

Thank God I’d realized that before it was too late.

We walked up to the cash register and placed our order of two black coffees. I usually got something sweeter, but my stomach was already upset. I didn’t want to put too much sugar in it and wind up getting sick.

As the man handed us our drinks, Rosemary’s scent drifted in our direction. I turned to find her walking over to us. Her long hair was pulled into a Dutch braid, and she wore a white sundress that made her skin appear to glisten. Her black wings fanned out behind her, contrasting starkly with her outfit and giving her sweet look an edge. Like me, she wore white high heels, but hers barely made a sound. “Hello.” She nodded formally as she ordered a coffee of her own.

The older fox shifter manning the coffee counter turned around to make her drink, and she took a step closer, speaking in a soft voice that only Griffin and I could hear. “So, we have a huge problem.”

“That’s kind of obvious,” Griffin bit out, letting his anxiety bleed through.

Babe.I chastised him.I know you’re upset, but being rude to her won’t get us anywhere. In fact, you could piss her off to where she doesn’t tell us anything.

Nah, she loves you too much.Griffin brushed off my concern, but I could feel a little bit of regret through our mate bond connection.

Needing to divert her attention from his rudeness, I tried to refocus the conversation. “Do you have anything specific to help us?”

“Yeah.” She scowled at Griffin before ignoring him and focusing on me. “Apparently, Griffin signed an order for the guards to attend additional training in case someone ever tried to attack the buildings.”

“That’s true.” Griffin shrugged his shoulders. “What’s the big deal?”

“Because you ordered all of them to go at the same time, leaving the crystals unmonitored.” Rosemary lifted a brow and stepped toward the counter, dismissing us as the fox shifter handed her the coffee.

I took a sip of my drink, and the bitter coffee burned my tongue. The pain was a temporary reprieve, giving me something to focus on for a moment. I could feel Griffin practically vibrating beside me.

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