Xander âDa mn, this place is pretty cute,â Zane said, He looked through the window of the cafe booth we were sitting in and took in the bustling main road.
â| was expecting to see people getting like... murdered in the streets or something.â
Stillwood was pretty quaint for a rogue town, and the surrounding forest made it look lush and picturesque.
But | shrugged.
â| canât imagine not having a pack. Or hierarchies.â
Zane took another huge slurp of coffee.
âThey y seem to manage it pretty well. You just canât imagine not being Alpha.â
He tossed a piece of toast at my face.
âWhat the f uck?â | growled.
But then | ripped off a piece of bacon and threw it back.
We were here to find Mason, but we'd decided to hang back and observe first, see how the town worked.
âHow do you think all these people got here?â Zane asked, âDunno,â | shrugged. âThey committed serious crimes against the Council.â
âShe committed serious crimes against the Council?â Zane asked, pointing to an older lady carrying a bouquet of flowers and saying hello to everyone she passed.
âShe was young once,â | said. âDonât judge a book by its cover.â
| glanced back at the woman and everyone else on the street.
Everyone seemed pretty friendly and happy.
It was hard to imagine that we were looking at a bunch of criminals, âWe should strike up a conversation with a local, get some more info,â | said.
Zaned nodded.
âWhat about this guy?â
A tall, broad-shouldered man with Zane turned around to get a look.
andy blond hair lumbered in.
âWhat the hell is his problem?â Zane asked.
my arm.
| slid out of the booth to follow him, but Zane grabbed my âMaybe he doesnât like newcomers. Letâs just wait and see what happens.â
| ripped my arm from his grip and threw myself back into the booth.
âHey, | havenât seen you two around before.â
| looked up to see a petite girl with short blonde hair standing in front of us.
âApparently, you intimidated my brother, but | donât scare easily.â
So this was the blond oaf's sister.
Interesting âWe're here on business,â Zane told her. âLooking for an old friend. Just came to town recently.â
She pressed a thin finger to her chin and tapped.
âHmm. are you thinking of Katie? Poor girl showed up a few months ago after some sort of accident, pregnant and alone.â
| raised my eyebrow.
This wasnât who we were looking for at all.
But before | could correct her, she pushed on.
âSheâs my bestie now, though. And she just had her baby, so cute.â
âOh how nice,â Zane said awkwardly.
âThis is a waste of time,â | said to him through our mind link.
âSorry, where did you say you were from?â the girl asked.
âThe Constantine pack,â | said.
No point in hiding it.
âOh my g od!â she cried. âMy brother told me the craziest story about how this weirdo girl from your pack met Katie at the regional gathering and she kept telling her that she looked like her dead friend Lanie.â
Zane and | froze.
What the f u ck?
Asick feeling churned in my stomach.
That name again.
And this time from a total strangerâs mouth.
But wait...
âMindy,â Zane said.
She'd said something about a girl at the pack gathering who'd looked like Lanie.
Hunter pawed at my insides, making me even more nauseous.
But before | could ask the girl another question, another man walked up beside her.
He stood in front of me, a vicious smirk spreading across his face.
âHello, brother.â