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“Would you have done it yesterday?” Hawk asked. “If you’d been there?”

“Yeah,” I said without hesitation. If anyone threatened Dylan in front of me, they’d be dead before they hit the ground. “You’d do the same for Bella.”*-to have to kill him. He’s still… he’s still our fucking brother, you know?”

“I know,” Hawk said. “And he’d kill us both if it meant he could be the clan alpha.”

I slumped closer to the bar. Before I could get too lost in my head, Mia’s loud, bright laugh wafted over the ambient noise of the crowd. I looked up. During the short time Hawk and I had been in the corner, the clubhouse had filled up with clan members and locals as well. Night Shift had invited a hell of a lot of people, too. “You made it!” Mia said brightly.

“Of course,” Harley said warmly. My dragon’s hearing picked up her voice over the crowd easily.

“Come on, let me fix you something to drink,” Mia said. “Notthe dragon stuff. The regular stuff. Dylan, Peter’s out in the back,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,>??????????yard playing with Zoey, you want to join him?”

“Yeah!” Dylan said. He threw me a gleeful wave before he darted out the door.

Harley’s gaze followed Dylan’s. Our eyes locked, and she offered me a small smile.

The hesitance in her expression was like a knife twisting in my heart. But before I could climb off my stool and go toher, Mia swept her into the crowd. Then, clan guys were on either side of me, and another round of drinks appeared. Striker offered a cheers to Tank, whose black eye had quickly become purple, and was nearly swollen shut. I threw back another drink. This one burned less. My limbs felt looser. My laughter came easier.

Shit, this whiskey really worked.

As the night rolled on, the drinks kept flowing. Harley always seemed just out of reach, wrapped up in conversation with other shifters or Lakeview locals, always smiling, always laughing. She had a natural charm. People gravitated toward her.

I was pulled into conversation after conversation, offered congratulations, and even got pitched a few new business ideas. I kept the smile on my face as I shook hands and took more drinks. Shots, mixed drinks, flights of beer. It made it easier to ignore the whine and ache of my dragon. It numbed the guilt eating me up inside.

It was late in the evening. Hours had slid by, lightning-fast and molasses-slow at the same time. Some of the other dragons were heading outside for a late-night shift, and suddenly the idea of wind against my scales was extremely appealing. My dragon was quiet in my chest, though. It was like the alcohol had knocked him out. I turned toward the door, but I moved a little too fast. The room tilted and I stumbled over a bar stool, knocking it to the floor with a clatter.

“Whoa.” Harley’s soft voice cut through the haze. “Think you better slow down there, Steph.”

“I’m fine.” I regained my balance with one hand on the bar, then gestured toward the bartender for another round.

“Hey, seriously.” Harley grasped my forearm, her blue eyes sharp as they bored into me. “You’ve had enough.”

That judgmental look in her eye made anger burn in my chest, fed by the flames of my guilt. God forbid I cut loose a littleat my own clubhouse. This was just another way she thought I was a fuck-up. Another way I’d never be good enough to earn her trust. “You don’t need to baby me,” I snapped as I pulled away from her touch. “We’ve got Dylan for that.”

Harley’s eyes widened. She dropped her hand and took a step back. “Jeez. You’re falling all over the place like a teenager, Steph, and now you’ve got the attitude to match?”

“Attitude? You’ve been avoiding me all night. Is that the mature attitude you’re expecting?”

“Avoiding… Steph, I needed a little space.”

“Then take it. I’m having another round.” I narrowed my eyes at the bartender, who looked torn for a moment, then slid me another whiskey.

“What the hell is this about?” Harley asked. “Are you mad about what I said earlier? About Sean? About how I should be gone by now? I’m not going to apologize for that. I’m still here, aren’t I? Can we work together on this?”

I whirled to face her. “Harley, you don’t understand adamnthing that’s going on here! This is why women stay out of clan business! This is between me and my brother. I told you I’d handle it, and I’m handling it, in the way that’s best for this whole clan. I’m the alpha. It’s my responsibility. It’s bigger than you and me. I’m handling it, and as my mate, you need totrustme.”

Harley’s eyes were huge with shock.

The room fell silent. All around us, people stared.

Smoke burned on the back of my tongue. Only then did I realize how loud my voice was. How I towered over Harley. My eyes were probably burning with gold.

Fuck.

I didn’t think I could make her trust me even less. But apparently, I just had.

“Harley, I’m sorry—” I took a step closer.

Harley stopped me with her fingertips pressed to my chest like five brands. “No,” she said coolly. “You don’t get to speak to me like that. Ever.”