“Good. Then I’ll do that.”
“I’ll pay,” I bit out.
“You can pay their fees for tonight,” Max replied. “I’ll pay the rest, for I intend to make sure I earn back every cent from them in the future. It’s the way I work. I’ll deal with them. Then Harrison, Victor, and I can deal with the body. Kyran, you deal with Everleigh, and it sounds as if the townsfolk have everything else in hand.” He studied me with a rare sympathetic smile on his face. “Her uncle is in good hands. And Savannah proved her worth to me tonight. To us all. She’s a good mate for you.”
“One who’ll have to bear the burden of killing the asshole I should have taken out.”
“A woman like her needs vengeance. Let her have it. You beat him in a challenge for the second time in a row. That speaks volumes in itself.”
“I need to go to her.”
“Then go. We’ll handle the rest.” Max addressed Victor. “And you. If you wish to travel back with me in the morning, you can stay with my pack for a while. There’s a neighboring pack whose alpha needs retiring through a formal challenge soon. You might be worthy of winning.”
“I don’t wish to be an alpha,” Victor said, the hurt in his eyes swept away by fury.
“You may not wish it but what else do you have now? You’re strong, and honorable, and I believe you’d be a good addition to our Alpha Wolf Alliance.”
“Alpha Wolf Alliance?” Harrison scoffed.
“Sure. It needs a name. AWA can be the way forward.”
“Yeah,” Kyran laughed. “Assholes With Assholes. Great name.”
Max ignored him and told Victor, “We can talk further when you return with me. Or you can skulk into the night. Your choice.”
Victor, unable to help himself, glanced over at me. And for a second, I let it in. My brother had been protecting me all this time.
“Take the deal, brother,” I managed to say.
Something glimmered in his eyes, as if he’d suddenly woke up from the cold, and he replied, “I’ll take it, brother.” He turned to Max. “I’ll take it.”