Colton laughed as Madisyn began singing, “Ryan kissed Makenna, Ryan kissed Makenna, Ryan kissed—ow, let go of my hair, heifer!”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Some people got utter joy from teasing others. Trick was one of them.

His attempts to irk Ryan very rarely worked. When they did, it wasn’t so much that the things he said bothered Ryan; it was that Ryan lost his patience with the whole thing. Still, the majority of the time, Ryan simply drowned him out. Or stared at Trick until he stopped. It depended on his mood. Today, though, his efforts to rile Ryan were paying off.

“I was just making the very obvious point that Makenna’s hot,” said Trick, who was riding shotgun. “No need to snarl.”

And how had Trick made his point? By complimenting her body—her eyes, her mouth, her breasts, her ass, and her legs.

Dante locked gazes with Ryan through the rearview mirror, looking curious. “What’s wrong with you? You’re gruffer than usual.”

Ryan didn’t respond. All he wanted was to get this meeting with Myles’s pack mates over with. He’d had a shitty night’s sleep, having spent hours simply lying there, deciding what he’d say to Makenna. He wanted to see her. Touch her. Inhale her scent.

He hadn’t yet told his pack mates about his belief that she was his mate. It seemed wrong to do it before he’d had the conversation with her.

“I don’t suppose you know if Makenna’s dating anyone, do you?” Trick asked.

Ryan growled at the interest in his voice—it came from both him and his wolf.

Trick grinned. “If I’m not mistaken, there was some possessiveness in that growl.”

“You’re different with her, Ryan. I mean, you talk to her,” Jaime marveled. “And I don’t mean in monosyllables. You actually converse with her.”

“And she talks to you,” added Taryn. “Dominic said she can interpret your grunts.”

“I hope she’s single,” said Trick. “It’s been a while since I’ve been with a female who—”

Another growl rumbled out of Ryan. “Don’t say it.”

Trick’s grin widened. “Ho, ho, ho, Ryan’s finally showing some real interest in a female.”

Leaning forward, Trey smacked Trick over the back of the head. “Ignore him, Ryan.”

Sounded like a good idea to him.

Before long, they were at the border of Myles’s territory. The wolves on guard waved them through, showed them where to park the Chevy, and then escorted them into a large pack house. In the dining area, a mated pair rose to their feet—identifying themselves as the Alphas. Travis Bradwin was a big man. Tall, broad, and muscular. His mate, Elise, was just as tall. If they were nervous about having six strange wolves on their territory, they didn’t show it.

According to Rhett, Travis had been an Alpha since he was twenty-one. He’d mated a year later and had four pups. He mostly kept to himself, not interested in politics or making alliances; he was much like Trey, in that respect. Trey hadn’t bothered to form alliances until just before he mated Taryn, when he’d been a target of an ambitious asshole.

Travis inclined his head at Trey. “Coleman.”

“Bradwin,” said Trey.

It was a simple greeting, but their tone was polite and respectful.

Travis introduced his mate, Betas, and two enforcers before introducing the two wolves they had come to see—Rosa and Fenton. Trey introduced each of the Phoenix wolves, and then everyone took a seat. Except for Ryan, who stood with his back against the wall, watchful.

“Myles tells me you need to speak with two of my wolves,” said Travis. “Your high-handedness isn’t appreciated. You should have contacted me and requested a meeting.”

Trey didn’t appear to take offense. “I figured you’d contact me if there was a problem. But you didn’t. Why? Why not refuse us entrance?”

“Because the subject is Remy Deacon. I have pups of my own, so if the rumors about him are true, I’ve no problem being of assistance to anyone who wishes to end his life.”

Good, because it was very likely that was exactly what would happen.

Elise bit her lip. “Are they true?”

“That’s what we’re here to find out,” replied Taryn. Because Trey had a way of inspiring fear in people, she’d insisted on coming along, strangely thinking that her presence would be reassuring. The presence of another female, sure. Not Taryn, considering she had a reputation for being just as unbalanced as her mate.

Trey looked at Rosa and Fenton. “As you know, we have some questions about Remy.”

Rosa licked her lips. “May I ask why you’re interested?”

“I can’t go into the specifics. But I can tell you that he may soon be in a situation where he has access to a lot of shifter children.”

Fenton visibly recoiled and Travis uttered a low expletive.

Rosa swallowed. “What is it you want to know?”

Taryn leaned forward, bracing her elbows on the table. “I want to know what kind of Alpha Remy is; I want to know about his personality. What five words would you use to describe him? I don’t mean things like ‘dominant’ or ‘domineering’—we’ve figured that much out for ourselves.”

Rosa thought about it for a moment. “Charismatic. Neat. Well mannered. Determined. Short-tempered. But I’ve never seen him blow a fuse. They’re more like hot flashes of anger.”