Page 55 of Midnight Whispers
“I guess it is.” Iven followed him to the back of the station.
The alpha sat on the cot. When they walked in, he stood up. His expression hardened. All the charm he usually had was gone. “You betray the pack by mating with that…that thing.”
At first, Cass took the bait at least in his own mind. Anger washed over him. Cass wanted to react, but he stopped himself. A reaction was what the alpha wanted.
Iven had a similar response. When he stepped toward the cell, as if to go inside and punch Miller’s filthy mouth, Cass held him back.
Cass shook his head, which was all it took for Iven to back off, although he seethed as he leaned against the back wall.
Cass focused on Miller again. “Gregory May and Quincy Barr were the first, right? Not the women and the old man in the woods.”
Miller clammed up. He averted his gaze.
“That’s okay. You don’t have to answer. I’ll wait for the coroner’s report.” Cass knew why Miller had Krieger kill them. Miller said he wanted to increase pack numbers, but he also wanted only wolves in the pack. “Those women. One of them was human, weren’t they? And the old man was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Cass and Riley were just like those women. They would have been next on Miller’s victim list. Except something happened with Krieger, and that changed everything.
Miller smirked and stepped closer. He’d never seemed more sinister than in that moment. “Warlocks should mate with warlocks—wolves with wolves. You’re tainting the pack. I hope they finish making you pay.”
Riley came around the corner. “You were going to torture my mate to death.”
Every word created a wave. They stilled as they bounced off the walls as if waiting for Riley’s orders. It bent to his anger, ready to strike at Miller if he said the next wrong thing. Itwas visible. Tangible. Cass could touch them, but he couldn’t manipulate them the way Riley could. He couldn’t even push them away. They held him in place, but he had his wits about him. He didn’t feel as if he were sleeping.
Miller sucked in a breath. “What the hell is this?”
“You’re a monster.” The sound waves cut through the air at a faster speed. The tension increased in Riley’s body, and it was as if he were a bomb ready to explode.
“Riley.” Iven’s tone held a warning. He expected Riley to kill Miller.
Cass was a little worried about it, too.
“Baby, look at me.” When Riley didn’t avert his gaze from Miller, Cass tried again. “Look at me. Not him.”
Riley glanced at Cass. Their gazes met and held.
Riley could kill just by speaking, if he wanted to. Yet he still looked to Cass for protection. “Do you see how I’m okay?”
Riley nodded, but the sound waves from Cass’s words bent to his will, stilling in the air. Riley raised his hand, and all the waves stood at attention as though they were soldiers ready for the next command. When he flicked his wrist and pointed at Miller, the waves turned into thousands of deadly needles.
“Riley Cameron Palmer. Stop it, right now.” Iven’s voice was sharp.
“The world is better off without him.” Riley wasn’t backing down.
“You don’t want to save the world, Riley.” Cass expected him to deny it.
“Fine. You’re right.” Riley met Cass’s gaze. His chin wobbled. “I don’t want him to hurt you again.”
“You see me. I’m right here.” Cass reached out his hand, wanting to touch Riley, but he was too far away. The waves were razor thin. Sharp and deadly. Cass couldn’t move for fear of getting cut.
Riley pushed the waves out of his way, flicking his wrist so some of them let Cass and Iven move, too. As soon as Cass had him in his arms, he turned them away from Miller. “You saved me already.”
“If you hurt him, it would be for revenge. Is that a good enough reason to kill him?” Iven’s tone seemed to work. Cass could feel Riley’s resolve slipping through their bonding link.
“Maybe.” Riley’s hold tightened. When he sighed, Cass heard the resignation in Riley’s tone. “No.”
The waves crashed to the floor, shattering like icicles.
Iven put a hand to his chest and shut his eyes, sagging against the wall.
