Page 106 of Enspelled

“I hadn’t thought an alpha could be so scared of a fight.” My words provoke a wave of snarls and growls among the assembled shifters.

But from Liam Wolfe? Nothing. All he does is fold his arms across his chest, with no change to his expression.

“Briar’s aunt was the one responsible for the explosions in town,” Sera says, stepping up to my side. When Briar moves to do the same, I nudge her back behind me.

A hint of a smile touches the corner of Liam’s lips. “I’d assumed a witch was responsible. No doubt she didn’t like feeling left out, or they stole her grimoire, or some other witchy business that has nothing to do with me and mine.”

“If you honestly believe that the trouble is going to stay in town…” I pause. “Well, I hadn’t taken you for a fool, but I guess I was wrong.”

Another series of growls rises around him. Liam lifts his hand, and they all fall silent. “Those explosions were aimed at witches. From the sound of things, I doubt there’s a witch alive in Madden Grove. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have—”

“I’m surprised to hearyousay that,” Bodie calls out.

I glance over at him, but he’s studying Liam with a level of innocence that instantly puts me on high alert.

Liam peers over his shoulder. “Ah, the drifter who killed my beta.”

Bodie did what?

Bodie shrugs. “He picked a fight with the wrong wolf. I’d apologize, but I wouldn’t mean it.”

At no point does he lose the amiability in his eyes as he admits to killing one of Liam’s wolves.

Shifting my focus to Liam, I find he’s studying Liam curiously. “I underestimated you.”

Bodie nods. “Most people do. Anyway, I’d say you have more of a reason to want to intervene in events than the average wolf in this town.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse Sera briefly closing her eyes and mouthing what looks like a prayer.

“And why would you think that?” Liam asks.

“Well, the funny thing is that Sera and I were passing through town earlier and—”

“Bodie, stop,” Sera whispers. “Don’t you dare.”

Don’t dare do what?

But Liam must know, because his gaze sharpens. His growl makes Sera jump, but I don’t move, just watch as he angles his head to the side. “Inside. All of you. I’ll deal with this on my own.”

The pack turns and re-enters the house, closing the door behind them.

Either Liam believes he can handle us on his own, or he doesn’t want his pack to know what Bodie saw. Whatever it was, the dangerous light in Liam’s eye makes me seriously fear for Bodie’s life.

“I’m guessing you were a drifter for a reason,” Liam says, his predatory stare fixed on Bodie.

“A girl the alpha liked thought she liked me better,” Bodie says in that same friendly tone. “As you can imagine, that didn’t go down so well with the alpha.”

Silence reigns for the next several seconds.

I’m almost positive that a hint of Liam’s intense stare dims. “He forced you out.”

I glance over at Liam and, to my surprise, find him grinning. At least on the surface. I doubt he’s smiling on the inside. “Something like that.”

If an alpha was that insecure, I doubt the only thing he did was force out his competition. There was likely a beating or an ambush, followed by threats of more to come if he ever showed his face again.

“And what did you do about that?” Liam asks, curiosity stirring in his gaze. “Because something tells me you’re not the sort of person to just walk away.”

“Oh, I walked away,” Bodie admits.

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