both looked at me, and I balled my fists and put on a fake smile.
 
 “You okay?” Zara asked.
 
 “Yup. Right as rain. Just had to gurgle some water.”
 
 “Great. Casey’s waiting outside. I’ll meet you guys in a few. Nice game
 
 tonight.” She turned to Sam. “Check ya later.”
 
 I didn’t wait for Sam to speak but beelined for the exit at the end of the
 
 warehouse that led out into the back lot.
 
 Sam appeared beside me. “What’s up with you? You seem…off.”
 
 “Maybe it’s because you just bodychecked me into the crowd. Or maybe
 
 it’s because your pack is a bunch of lying, murderous, psychos hellbent on
 
 destroying me and my family.”
 
 Sam chuckled. “You’re being dramatic, and you know it. Billy was a
 
 wildcard.”
 
 “Right, and the others he recruited? Lemme guess, they were just flukes?”
 
 “There’s a lot of bad blood, but only a few acted on it. Jaxson has hunted
 
 down anyone in the pack he thought would be a risk.” Her tone grew serious,
 
 and a shiver skated down my spine. What had he done to the traitors?
 
 “Anyway,” Sam continued, “sorry about your lip. I figured we both
 
 needed to blow off some steam tonight. Are we good?”
 
 I gripped the doorknob of the exit and glared at her but only saw truth in
 
 her eyes. Sam was the one member of the pack who I’d grown to like, though
 
 she was prickly as hell and our last conversation still stung because it was the
 
 truth: You and Jaxson can’t ever be a thing. Just stay away.
 
 I sighed and stepped out into the orange-lit parking lot. “Yeah, I’ve got no
 
 beef with you, just—”
 
 My breath left my chest in a rush, and my pulse quickened. Instead of the
 
 bodyguards Jaxson had trailing me, I saw him.
 
 “Jaxson freaking Laurent,” I hissed, my gaze locked on the devil beast
 
 himself. Six and a half feet of man-hunk under those blue jeans and dark V-
 
 neck. He was leaning against the hood of his truck with his arms crossed and