He laughed. “Not here,” he said. “Never here. Especially in an Alpha’s territory. I’m leaving just as soon as we’re done here. He found me once, which means he can find me again. Gotta keep moving. For as long as I can.”
“That’s no kind of life.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But it’s the only one I have now.”
“He’ll end this. Joe will.”
“Kid, I don’t doubt you believe that. And maybe he will. But I’m not going to take any chances. I’m a ghost now, you see. And maybe one day I won’t have to be anymore, but until the day I hear that Richard Collins has had his head separated from his body, I’ll just be haunting the roads.”
He stood up slowly, wincing as he did.
“Sorry about that,” I said.
“About what?”
“The whole… window. Glass. Thing.”
He snorted. “I came into an Alpha’s territory unannounced. I think I got off pretty easy.”
He had. “Still.”
“It happens,” he said. “Been through worse, though I can’t say I won’t feel this tomorrow. Ain’t as young as I used to be. I’ll show myself out. It’s been… interesting.” He turned to walk away.
“You shouldn’t talk about me,” I said quietly.
He paused. “How’s that?”
“About what you’ve seen here. About… me.”
He snorted. “Nobody to talk to, even if I could. It’s better that way. I ain’t going to be ratting on you, Alpha. No worries about that.”
I didn’t stand. I felt heavy, weighted.
He made his way to the office door. His hand was on a doorknob when he stopped. “You know,” he said without turning around. “There was something about him. When he said your name. There was this… light. In his eyes. I thought maybe he was all rage and anger, lost to his wolf. An Alpha Omega, maybe. Violet and red mixing together. But he said your name and… I don’t know. There was something different about him, then. It felt… green? I don’t know if that makes sense. Thought you should know.”
Then he was gone.
STAND DOWN. false alarm. just some kids. broke a window.
The pack responded immediately with messages of relief.
are you sure? Elizabeth asked.
yes
She didn’t respond.
I stayed in the office long into the night.
Not yet, I thought.
Not yet.
I DIDN’T tell them about David King.
It seemed easier that way.
ROBBIE KISSED me toward the end of the third year.