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“Reassuring, and why are you keeping an eye on me?” I prodded and he shot me a look.

“You can’t guess?” His gaze shifted over to Dom. “He’s focused on Caleb and the challenge right now, but don’t doubt for a second he’ll leap to your defense if anyone so much as startles you.”

I squinted at him, not sure if he was serious or not, but for once there was no smirk in sight. No sucker either, I noted in surprise. “Keep an eye on Anna,” I told him seriously. “I can reach Dom if I need him,” I reminded him, tapping my temple.

“I heard that method of communication could be unreliable,” he replied, glancing at me with lifted eyebrows. “You telling me different?”

“Yeah, I am. Now, go, protect Anna,” I insisted, shooing him away. He appeared reluctant but finally moved, headed toward Anna, who hovered at the edge of the forest, her gaze firmly focused on Caleb.

“Did I miss it?”

I yelped, reeling around at her question. “What are you doing here?” I shrieked, glancing around frantically. “You shouldn’t be here.”

A whisper brushed across my mind as Dom tried to discern if there was a problem. Fine, fine, I thought hastily, just Leah.

She’s here? I felt the weight of Dom’s gaze from across the field as I answered, apparently.

Try and keep out of sight, he grumbled. Please.

Our connection dropped to a low-level hum, easily accessible if I needed to reach him, but not enough to distract.

“I had to come,” Leah answered, bringing me back to the problem at hand. She gazed around in awe. “I had to see if it was true.”

“It’s dangerous,” I hissed, grabbing her arm and hauling her further from the milling Pack members. “This isn’t a game, Leah. Its their lives.”

She gave me a wounded look. “I know that,” she insisted, craning her neck to see around the tree I’d pulled us behind. “But you have to understand how unbelievable this all is, right? Caleb…Caleb, who goes to our high school, is going to fight some guy to the death.”

“Yeah,” I said shortly, before giving a tired sigh. “And he’s going to do it to protect his family, his Pack.” I waved my arm around. “These people, right here.” I grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “And you, Leah. He’s protecting you and every other woman who is nothing more than an object to those men.”

“I understand, Jess,” she stressed, her expression earnest. “I’m not here to take pictures and post it on social media.” My face blanched and she sighed. “I’m not, I promise. Look, Caleb protected me when those guys showed up. He didn’t have to do that. I’m not…Pack,” she finally burst out. “I get it. I do. I just needed to see it,” she muttered, her gaze searching mine. I glanced away, understanding exactly what she meant. I’d seen the shift for the first time when Dom had saved my life and even witnessing it I hadn’t wanted to believe. The truth was, it was so far outside the realm of normal, I couldn’t blame Leah for wanting to see if for herself, to know it was real.

“You can’t let them see you, or distract them,” I warned, dragging her further into the crowd. “This is their way of life and we cannot interfere.” Her head bobbed as she followed in my wake, almost bouncing as I brought us back around to where Sam stood silently next to Payne. Neither would glance at the other, meaning they must have argued again, but I figured if Dom trusted Payne to get me home then he was good enough to help me keep Leah safe.

I scanned the clearing for Trent, finally finding him propped against a tree, a clear line of sight to Anna, a frown on his face. When I glanced over at Anna, I could see why. She was standing next to a tense Caleb, her hand resting on his arm as she gazed up at him. I winced sympathetically. The look on her face said it all.

The crowd stirred restlessly, a few heads turning toward the road, hearing something too low for my ears. I grasped Leah’s hand as more heads turned, whispering, “They’re coming.”

Chapter Seventeen

Dom

I inhaled sharply as the faint rumble of tires on concrete reached my ears. Only the faintest scent of Hanley met my nose but I knew it was them. They thrived on making an entrance. Caleb stilled next to me, his earlier nerves disappearing with the Hanley’s arrival.

“Any final words of advice?” Caleb joked, shaking his arms loosely.

“Don’t die,” I replied, far more seriously than he intended. He gulped and Anna gave me a reproachful stare. I rolled my shoulders, unapologetic. “Whatever you have to do to stay alive, do it,” I continued. “Life and death, there are no rules. Take every advantage you’re given.”