“You’re just jealous no one wants on your junk, Grant,” Dominique said.
Grant sighed. “Ain’t that the truth.” He grinned at me. “Looks like our mayor found himself some mystical moon magic.”
I hated Jessie with every fiber of my being. “New law,” I announced. “No one is allowed to say mystical moon magic ever again. If they do, they will be executed publicly.”
“That’s not how laws work,” Will said. “And I don’t think we’ve had a public execution in Green Creek since… oh. Well. I suppose since Elijah. But she killed herself, so I don’t think that counts. Her hunters died, though. All over the place.”
The people in the diner crowded around me as I walked toward the booth Will sat in. They were eager to hear what was going on. This town was nuts. I hoped it would stay that way.
“The Alphas?” Will asked as I sat across from him. People stood around the table or turned their chairs toward us. Most of them were carrying, and I smelled the sharp sting of silver. That would have alarmed me if I’d been anywhere else.
“Ox and Gordo are in Minnesota,” I said. “Joe, Robbie, and Kelly are in Maine.”
Will rubbed his jaw. “With the other wolves. In that compound.”
“Yeah.”
“Something happen?”
I started to shake my head but stopped. “I… don’t know. Last we heard from our contacts in Minnesota, Livingstone had gathered wolves to him.”
“How?” someone asked. “Ox said he was trapped. How did anyone get in?”
“A witch,” I said begrudgingly. “Someone who was supposed to be helping us.”
“That’s why you don’t trust anyone you don’t know well,” Will said. “Stab you in the back as much as look at you.” He was solemn when he said, “And if they can get in, it means they can probably get out.”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But if that happens, there’s a chance they’ll come here.”
“Because of your boy.”
I glared at Will. “He’s not my—”
Will snorted. “Keep telling yourself that, Mayor Bennett. Everyone can see the stars in your eyes.”
And because my life was terrible, the people in the diner murmured their agreement.
“Leave it,” I growled at him. “It doesn’t matter right now. You need to be ready. If something happens, you’re all in danger. Pack your bags. Get out of town. Don’t come back until it’s safe.”
No one moved.
I raised my voice. “Did you hear what I just said? Get your asses in gear. Now.”
“Don’t know if we’re gonna do that,” Will said.
I was incredulous. “What? Why the hell not?”
“Thank you, darlin’,” he said as Dominique appeared at the table to pour coffee into his mug. “Your packmate here looks like he’s going to explode.”
“They do that,” she said. “Bennett thing.” She glanced at me. “Listen to them, Carter.” And then she melted back into the crowd.
Will leaned forward, wrapping his hands around his mug. “Way I see it, this town is ours just as much as it is yours.”
“I know that. I wasn’t saying it’s not. We’re not trying to take anything from—”
“Didn’t think you were,” Will said mildly. “But this is our home. And when a man’s home is threatened, he does everything he can to keep it safe.”
“Not just men,” a woman said. She tapped the obscenely large gun in the holster on her hip. “Better shot than you, Will.”