Page 13 of Ascendant King

The burgers and melts came out quickly, Cade pulling a lip at what passed for a Caesar salad here. Before he could say anything, Morris brought out my sandwich. Roast beef, pickles on the side, horseradish mixed with the mayo, onions sliced so thin that they were nearly translucent. I’d asked for it without looking at the menu, ordering it like my mother used to, the Pack Boys Special.

“One Pack Boys Special.” Morris put the plate down on the table gently, his eyes searching my face. “Haven’t had this on the menu in years.”

“Yeah?” I drew the plate closer, the ceramic warm on my fingers. “Eleven years?”

“Eleven years,” Morris confirmed. “The last person who ordered this ended up dead. Along with all her kids.”

“All her kids but one,” I said.

Morris searched my face, his eyes searching for the bit of me that looked like my mother. “You’re one of Elena’s kids?”

“Miles.” I kept my eyes off Cade. He’d heard me say it enough times now that he didn’t even react noticeably, keeping his expression blank as canvas.

“Jesus.” Morris blew out a breath. He studied my face again. “You grew up. Last I saw you, you were only this big.”

He gestured with his hand, a good foot shorter than I’d been at sixteen.

“It’s been eleven years. I grew up. What happened here?” I looked him over, then glanced significantly at the Ghost Pack sign on the window.

“Yeah, uh.” Morris blew out a breath. “Yeah. After your mom died, Ghost Pack took the territory. They killed anyone who stood against them.”

“I thought the whole Castillo Pack was killed.” My unspoken words lingered in the air. Morris said anyone who stood againstthem, meaning that some people didn’t, or some people had either faded into the background or gone over to Ghost Pack’s side.

“Most, yeah, but there’s a lot who just vanished.” Morris looked uncomfortable. The waitress had disappeared, no longer at her post behind the counter.

“And how could I get in contact with them? To let them know there’s an option that isn’t hidingorGhost Pack.” I raised an eyebrow. “I’m back, and I want anyone who was loyal to my mother to know there’s another option.”

Morris swallowed. “You sure?”

His eyes slid across the two booths full of Los Santos Pack, none of them eating, all of them staring at him.

“I’m sure.” I took a bite of the sandwich, chewing thoughtfully before asking, “What’s life like with Ghost Pack?”

“They charge protection fees,” Morris said immediately. His forehead creased in tension, his eyes going slightly distant as though he was remembering something long gone. “A lot more than your mother ever did, at least from what I hear. She never charged me a dime, although what I didn’t pay in cash, you kids sure ate up in food.”

“And?” I looked over my shoulder, and the pack members at the table behind me started eating slowly.

“And they brought in new drugs.” Morris made a face. “Your mother never liked drugs.”

“No.” Shame burned in my chest. “She didn’t. Thorn? Reaper?”

“Both,” Morris said. “Pot too.”

“Anything else?” I asked.

“More fights, more wolves.” Morris looked out the window. He shook his head. “Sorry about this, Miles.”

“Yeah.” I wiped my mouth with a paper napkin. I could feel the wolves outside, as though they vibrated at a frequency only I could hear.

Looking up, I caught the long, pale line of Cade’s throat as he took a drink of water. When he lowered the glass, he raised an eyebrow. A drop of water lingered in the corner of his lips, and I wanted more than anything to brush my thumb across it, to feel the soft, plush warmth of his lips.

“Are you going to deal with them?” Cade’s eyes moved past my shoulder to the plate glass window in the front.

“Yeah,” I said. I took a bite of the sandwich. The roast beef almost melted on my tongue, the horseradish mayo a perfect accent to the fatty meat. I savored the slide of the onion slices.

“Do you need help?” Cade didn’t look at the wolves again, and I considered it for a moment. But these were wolves, and I couldn’t have Cade fighting my battles for me, not when I was trying to prove I was a wolf who wasn’t under a mage’s control.

“I can handle it.” I stood. Gesturing to the plate, I said, “I’ll be back. Don’t toss it.”