Page 52 of Scatter the Bones

“You grew up in the Wolf Knights, right? That’s how you know Teller’s ol’ lady?”

“Yeah, our dads patched in at the same time. Charlotte and I hung out a lot when we were kids.”

“So, why ask me instead of Teller?”

He tilts his head and widens his eyes to a cocky degree while staring at my own road captain patch. “RC to RC, I guess.” He shrugs. “Besides, I don’t know if Teller would be cool with it. He seems to be under the impression there’s more history between Charlotte and me than there actually is.”

“No offense, but I doubt he gives you much thought at all, bro.” Teller’s way too cocky to see anyone else as competition. “He and Charlotte are tight.”

“Glad to hear it,” he says in the least joyful tone possible. “Are you guys looking for recruits or not?”

“Maybe.” I study him harder. “You really want to jump clubs?”

“Told you, ain’t gonnahavea club pretty soon.” He shrugs. “We were always good with Lost Kings. I like your club’s structure. You still take riding seriously. Ulfric always had a lot of respect for Rock. Seems like it would be a solid fit.”

I’m suresomewherein the history of the Lost Kings MC, someone might have patched-in from another club. I’ve never heard anyone talk about it, though.

“You know you’d have to scrape your club ink if you jump.” With his long-sleeved shirt, no Wolf Knights insignias are visible but I’d bet my bike he has at least one.

He nods like he expected that and rolls up his left sleeve, revealing a faded black wolf head withWolf Knightsscribbled like an afterthought over the wolf’s ears. Some truly hideous line work.

“My prez said either way, I gotta do it before I leave. Got this.” He pats his arm and then his chest. “And another one incorporated into a larger piece here. I’ll probably laser this one and cover the other one.”

Makes sense.

“I got no idea if they’ll make you prospect the full term or?—”

“I don’t care,” he cuts in fast. “I’m not looking for special favors. I want to earn my full patch same way everyone else does. Want my new club to trust me—not worry that my loyalties might be somewhere else.”

That’s a good sign. Not a lot of guys who’ve been officers in a club want to get busted back to prospect.

“All right, yeah. Since we’re all here, you want to talk to Wrath?” Wrath knew Hudson’s old president pretty well. It makes sense for Upstate’s SAA to start Hudson’s vetting process.

“You rang?” Wrath’s voice booms through the corridor like a cannon.

He walks up, slaps a heavy hand on my shoulder and eyes Hudson for a second. “Was wondering where you disappeared to.”

I jerk my chin toward Hudson. “Talking to Hudson.”

Wrath nods and shakes his hand. “How’ve you been? It’s been a minute.”

Hudson meets Wrath’s stare head-on and shakes his hand without wincing. “Can’t complain.”

You literally just complained that your charter is closing.

“Actually,” I say, drawing out the word to grab their attention. “Hudson might be interested in trading in his patch for a skull and crown.”

Wrath’s whole vibe switches from conversational to hardened enforcer. He crosses his arms, body going still, face hardening into that quiet, lethal calm he’s famous for. “That right?”

To his credit, Hudson doesn’t flinch under Wrath’s scrutiny. Doesn’t even blink.

He nods once, then runs through the shorter version of the pitch he gave me. Wrath cocks his head, listening intently or running background checks in real-time behind his cold eyes—who knows.

“Yo, Hudson!” Merlin’s voice cuts through the hallway. “Get over here.”

“You sticking around for a bit after the funeral?” Wrath asks Hudson.

“Planning to stay with my mom for a few days. Help her out. Hang with my niece and nephew.”

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