Page 25 of Mates for the Rejected Wolf

JACE

“I’m getting out of here,” I mutter. I don’t know if Fern or Slane have heard me, but I can’t stand another second of this. It’s all bullshit. “I need a break.”

I’ve been on edge ever since I started researching the mayor, but today it has really come to a head. I’m pissed off because Fern’s life has been all fucked up over this, I’m confused because I don’t know what is going on with my feelings, or Fern’s, and I’m also hurt because everything can easily go sideways. I am also worried about Madison, because from what I heard about her behavior on the boat, she has completely changed. She’s no longer the person I knew, which has me panicked about what Digby did to her.

IknowI’m no longer welcome at Club Sin, but I’m going anyway. To check in on Madison, and try to figure out what the hell the Nightshade Hunters are playing at. The fact that they didn’t go to the meeting is weird. I know Fern and Slane are happy to believe they are just overly confident about things, but I’m worried that shit is going down somewhere else. That the meeting is a cover for something else. I can’t explain where my worry is coming from, but I just can’t get rid of that sinking feeling.

“Hey, wait!” Fern calls out to me. I guess I should have known she wouldn’t just let me storm off like this. “Wait up, Jace. Where the hell are you going?”

She and Slane catch up with me much faster than I’m expecting them to. They are by my side in a heartbeat and storming off with me, even though they have no idea where I am going.

“What’s going on, Jace?” Fern asks me a little breathlessly. “Where are you going? Don’t you think we need to keep an eye on what’s happening back at the meeting?”

“Nah, your father’s support of the dragons will ensure the mob turns more on the mayor than anyone else.” I wave my hand behind me dismissively. “Your father has a way of convincing everyone to follow his word. I am not worried about the dragons now. Not from the regular citizens of this town, at any rate. Now I’m more concerned about what the Nightshade Hunters are up to. I amdonefucking around.”

I shift and run,needing the speed of my wolf to take me where I need to be. It’s no surprise that Fern and Slane do the same thing. I guess we’re all in this together now.

“Where are we going?” Fern asks the moment she shifts back, as I lead the way in to Club Sin with my head held high. “Oh, so this is where the Nightshade Hunters hang out…”

I don’t know if it’s a relief or a disappointment not to be greeted by Felicity. I actually don’t know any of the girls on the door. I suppose it gets us in faster, because no one knows that I’m supposed to be banned, but it also means it won’t be easy to get to Madison.

“Hello there,” one of the girl purrs. “Where can I seat you? What drink can I get you?”

“We aren’t here for that. I need to see Madison. I have to talk to her, it’s urgent.”

She shakes her head before I have even finished my sentence. “I’m sorry, I can’t locate someone specific for you. That is against company policy these days. But if you want a dance, we have plenty of dancers who will keep you happy.”

“Company policy?” It hasn’t ever been like that before. “What are you talking about?”

“A new one.” She shrugs. “I guess because there are a lot of new dancers here.”

“Look, Madison is my friend. We are very close, and I know that she’s with Digby now, but—”

“Oh, you’re looking for Digby’s girlfriend?”

Relief flows through my veins and I nod. Finally, we are getting somewhere.

“Yeah, she doesn’t work here anymore. She left with Felicity to do some work atThe Stash House, although I don’t know where that is.”

“The Stash House?” I repeat in confusion. “I don’t think that I have ever heard of it either. Is it out of town?”

“Jace, stop,” Slane hisses. He grabs me by the shoulder and drags me backwards. “Don’t you hear what she’s saying? It isn’t some other bar, it’s a stash house. As in the building where they keep all theirstuff. Madison is working for the Nightshade Hunters full time now.”

Why the hell would she do that? Unless she’s hooked on the drugs Digby and his band of cronies pedal through the town and beyond. I don’t like the thought of that at all.

The more people Iron Mountain loses to drugs, either as a dealer or a use, the worse things will get. It’s already spiraling out of control, I’m not sure how the tourist trade is doing so well when there has already been one dead body to worry about, but it won’t survive much more. Any more scandals and there won’t be anything left. Nothing but a drug trail up to other cities. If we don’t take care of this at the source, it will keep going forever.

Harley Sintaz is the source. He is the main person I need to target. With him gone, I’m sure the Nightshade Hunters will start to crumble and completely fall apart.

“Where is this stash house?” I ask Fern and Slane, but, of course, they don’t know. How can they know when it’s something we have only just found out about?

“Come on.” Fern takes my hand and pulls me away from Felicity’s replacement. “Let’s get out of here. We need to get back to your place so we can all be together and talk things through.”

I know she means the dragons as well. Now that I think about them, maybe I could get Griffin to do a quick fly over the town, if he’s up for it, to see if he can find this notorious stash house. Roddrur might even want to do it, but his identity needs to be protected more.

“We are going to have to get rid of the Nightshade Hunters, aren’t we?” I say as we exitthe club.“Like, truly get rid of them, because if they leak Roddrur’s identity, Griffin and he are going to always be in trouble. We can’t let that happen.”

Fern squeezes my hand. “I know, and we won’t. We’re working on it. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’ll be one of those things that happens overnight, but I’m just grateful we are all working together to make things better. That’s all we can do.”

---