Page 124 of Contested Crown

“I’ve seen some strange wolves too,” Gabe admitted. “In the neighborhood I’m working.”

“Strange wolves or strange wolf?” I asked. Cade had stilled, the baggie hanging between his fingers. I knew he was thinking the same thing I was: Jay and Isaac.

“Wolves.” Gabe crossed his arms in front of his chest. “We followed them to a church. Then we figured they were probably just some priest’s altar boys, trying to get in the good graces of church hierarchy.”

Evelyn shook her head, leaning back on her heels. She rubbed her shoulder, where I knew she had inked over a crucifix tattoo. “Can’t stand church wolves. They’re too weird.”

I shook my head. It shouldn’t matter who it was—we needed to focus on Declan; we needed to figure out where he was so I could finish this. Still, I knew a group of ex-church wolves currently in the city. Coral and Theo wore their church past on their skin, still buying into the church’s canon about wolves.

I needed to ignore them. They weren’t my problem.

But my mind kept circling to the moment during the hunt at House Bartlett when I had had a pack, when the other wolves had bowed to me as their leader. When Coral and Theo had immediately known what I needed, taking their cues from me.

I looked around at the pack that had stayed. Fifteen wolves strong, with five humans to add to our numbers. Declan would have more. He had his bodyguards, but he could also call up anyone who wanted to get in with him, anyone who wanted a place in the new hierarchy.

“What church?” I asked.

No matter how bad an idea this was, I couldn’t ignore that Coral and Theo had beenpackfor that long, endless howl during our hunt. I’d led them and the rest of the House Bartlett wolves, and they’d been at my back, they’d beenmine, before I had even had the courage to want a pack. When we’d found the pups, they’d put them first, even though it meant potentially fighting off Tyson and any other House Bartlett wolf that wanted to make a name for themselves. They’d chosen mercy when they could have easily torn the trespassing pups apart.

“Do you know them?” Evelyn asked, her gaze sharp.

“What church?” I repeated.

The church was set in the newer part of the city, all modern glass buildings and art that functioned to also prevent cars from careening into lobbies. No one batted an eye at the five cars we drove, pulling up to the church crouched between two taller buildings.

It didn’t match its neighbors, too old, too poorly maintained to keep up with the modernist office buildings. The patio out front was decorated with weeds forcing their way through the cracked pavement. An abandoned swing set listed against the wrought iron fence.

“Are you sure about this?” Cade’s expression gave away nothing, his eyes blinking slowly.

“You want to know about House Bartlett, and we need more than an overheard conversation. And if their mages abandoned them… maybe they need an alpha.” I had to force myself to admit the last part. Maybe they needed the strength I could offer.

“You want them in your pack.” Cade looked at me, his gaze unreadable.

“Declan is going to have more people.” I kept my eyes on the other cars. Gabe and Heather had gotten out and were conferencing with Evelyn. I knew I needed to be stronger with them, that a normal alpha never would have asked their opinions, but my mother’s ghost haunted me, her voice in my ear that it didn’t matter what a normal alpha would do because I was better than that.

“Don’t you want to know what went down in House Bartlett?” I challenged.

“Yes.” Cade opened his door. “Just know that I can see you, Miles. I always do.”

His words made a shiver go up my spine, and I swallowed heavily. No one had ever been able to see through me the way he did. Even Declan always bought my explanations, never pressed to know why I wanted to change a crew member’s schedule so he could spend more time with his new baby or why I forgot to collect from a couple of people who owed Declan when I knew they were struggling with bills.

The wolves milled around the parked cars, and I inhaled a long breath. I could smell Theo and Coral here, my nose picking up other wolves. I had scented all the wolves in our new pack, each one growing familiar to me, seeping into my bones and settling there.

“Wait here,” I said. “I’m going to go talk to them.”

I started up the broken path, aware of footsteps behind me. I didn’t have to turn to know who it was. Cade trailed me, his dark clothes like a shadow in the setting sun.

At the door to the church, I took a moment to push my shoulders back, to let myself settle. I was an alpha. I was the wolf who wanted the emperor throne. I didn’t need to worry that they’d seen me in a collar.

I wasn’t wearing one now.

The doors opened with a loud creak, the interior of the church just as ill maintained as the exterior. Dust coated the pews, trails of cobweb hung between the hymnals and the seats.

The doors closed behind us, and my eyes adjusted to the darkness. Massive windows let in a shadowy light, but by all appearances, the church was empty.

“I can smell you,” I said loudly. “I know you’re here. Theo. Coral.”

The church held its breath, no movement. Then someone pushed aside one of the curtains behind the altar. Coral stepped out, her arms crossed. She wore a shirt with a high neck but no sleeves, the dark gray blending into the dim shadows.