Page 16 of Balance

“Is that a no?” Declan asked, crossing his arms. He didn’t seem surprised at all by Gregory’s statement.

Which meant that the information had been out there already. I’d just never taken the time to look into my own family’s history.

Embarrassment flooded me, and I glanced at Bryce—not missing the knowing lift of his brow.

EvenBrycehad known. Shame filled me further, making my chest tight.

“It’s not a no.” Gregory rolled his shoulders, sighing. “I’d been expecting you to ask since the beginning. I’m just warning you, I don’t do things by halves. If you want my help, you’ll take it as I offer.”

“Of course,” Declan responded. “What do you—”

“I cannot work with anyone else; I need the rest of my team,” Gregory replied.

The little hope that filled me dwindled, and my breath escaped in a hiss.

Gregory’s team.

Uncle Michael was dead, which obviously left him out. Julian’s grandfather, Joe Kohler, was retired somewhere along the bay, but he might be able to be persuaded.

But there was no way in hell Gloria Protean would help Gregory.

“Oh, and maybe Blake too.” Gregory stroked his chin. “He might be important.”

“Blake Maclure?” Declan frowned. “The Dark Creek pack alpha? Why do you need him?”

“You need a wolf because you want to investigate hunts.” Gregory shot Declan a look of forced patience. “This is a job for their kind. If they are investigating, and in a difficult situation, wolves can pull rank. Blake can bring Mr. Matheus up to speed. It’ll be best to use Ms. Gloria elsewhere.”

“Gloria is a wolf.” Now it was my turn to interject. I might have amused myself by trying to annoy her in classes, while I was a student, and in the teacher lounge. But that had zero reflection on the respect I had for her skills as a professional. So why use Matheus instead of letting Gloria decide for herself what to do? Titus’s Jiangjun was good bodyguard material, but he loathed investigations. He much preferred to eat and solve things with his fists. “She might not be an Alpha like Blake or Matheus, but she is a Tongun proxy. She’ll generally rank pretty high among most other wolves we’ll encounter.”

“Yes, she will outrank them if she’s challenged.” Gregory pursed his lips. “But she’s also a rogue. Just trust me on this, only to be safe.”

Safe? In terms of experience, Gloria had a history in investigative work while Blake and Matheus did not. Sure, she was getting up there in age, but when a shifter transformed, their animal counterparts were not subject to the limitations of their human forms.

But he wasn’t trying to keep her out either. He’d asked for her to be back on his team, specifically. Could this be chivalry?

I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t get past the nagging feeling that I was missing something. Something big.

Chapter Six

Bianca

Politics

I stepped from the Starbucks, a fresh, toasty pumpkin spice latte in one hand, caffeine-free black coffee in the other, and a now lighter backpack bouncing off my back.

Since I had books to return, Brayden had brought me to the library with him today and then proceeded to trail after me as I perused the fiction aisle. However, seeing as though I was no longer technically a student, I couldn’t take out any books, no matter what Brayden and the others claimed.

It didn’t matter. I had a better book. I might have been almost done withSinful Response, but there had been more stashed away in the collection. And while they were terribly written, and the love scenes over the top, there was still something about them that called to me.

First, it was time to visit Damen. It had been a while since we’d had any time alone together, and he’d been pouty and weird since Julian and I had bonded.

Considering his personality, I assumed he was jealous. I’d been waiting for him to snap out of it himself. However, that hadn’t happened yet.

So, clearly, he was going to need some encouragement. Hence the caffeine-free beverage.

Besides, even though I was no longer enrolled, there was something calming about walking the cobblestone walkways. Classes were currently in session, and the leaves blazed with their full autumn colors.

For the first time in weeks, I was finally alone—well, at least in someplace that wasn’t my room.