“Missed vision?” Thad asks, and I turn around to face him.
“You know me well,” I grumble.
He gives me a look that proves he didn’t just come out here to investigate my vision episode.
“Yes, I do,” he sighs. He takes another step forward, his eyes burrowing into mine. “And you need to stay away from Gage. You can’t accept mysteries, and he’s the biggest mystery in the world. Not even I know his story. He never even let Alyssa in. There’s no one you can ask questions to piece together the story, and you already have one obsession.”
Swallowing hard, I cross my arms over my chest and look away.
“I’m fine. I just met him. Something like that would take months,” I lie, because I know damn well it has already started.
He studies me for a long moment, and then he blows out a breath while running a hand through his hair. “I need to get back in there. Reese will have Brutus submitting any minute now. You coming?”
I massage my temples, feigning a pain that isn’t there just to stall for time. “I just need a minute.”
He nods, and then walks back in, leaving me outside to kick idly at the loose gravel that spreads over the pavement. Turning back toward the street, I notice it’s getting darker. Fewer and fewer people are on the sidewalks, and I take in the distracting yet peaceful scenery.
“Gage’s bitch isn’t really welcome around here,” a girl’s voice says.
I whip back around, confused and startled, and see four guys and three girls, all of them staring at me like it just turned into werewolf Christmas.
“Ironic that you’re calling me a bitch,” I drawl. “But I’m not Gage’s anything.”
She growls at me, a deep rumbling warning that emanates from her chest. Rolling my eyes, I take a step toward them. Unfortunately, they start spreading around, putting me in the middle of their circle.
This isn’t good.
It’s not like I can throw open some portals and toss them in. They’d know my power then.
“Told you Reese’s pack played with riffraff,” one of the guys snarls.
Wolves. Always so aggressive.
“Well, as charming as you all are, I need to get back inside. This is Reese’s pack, and he happens to be a friend of mine. Don’t do something stupid that your alpha will make you pay for.” I start to walk off, but a guy blocks me, stepping close enough for me to nearly bump into him.
“You see,” the first girl says, her eyes dancing with menace, “Reese is still fighting for that title with Brutus. Until that fight is over, we’re in limbo.”
Ah, hell. “You really don’t want to do this,” I growl.
Taking on seven werewolves without using my gatekeeping abilities could prove to be stupid. But revealing my power is even more stupid.
Before anything can happen, though, they all start crying out in pain, and they drop to their knees like heavy blocks. What the…
“Can’t teach old dogs new tricks, apparently.” Gage’s voice brings my eyes up just as he walks outside, his hands dangling loosely at his sides as he struts toward us with such casualness.
The werewolves continue crying out, gripping their heads as though he’s squeezing their brains. He smirks as he looks down at them, and I swear he’s enjoying the power he has.
The screams stop and shift into heavy breaths as they slowly lower their hands, apparently no longer in pain, but none of them move as Gage comes closer, standing just across from me and behind them.
“You’re fucking with the wrong pack again,” a girl hisses.
Gage’s dark expression is almost scary to me. I’ve never seen him like this.
“Then do something to me,” he dares, standing unafraid and unmoving.
Just as one of the guys starts to move, they all cry out in pain again, but this time they drop all the way to the ground, squirming on their backs as their screams pierce the night. Gage motions me over just as Reese walks out beside Thad.
His autumn eyes come to life in the darkness as he glares over at us. His upper body is bare, blood is dripping down his skin in thin trickles as he heals, and his teeth are bared.