Page 142 of Contested Crown

“Don’t fill up your dance card too early.” I looked toward the window, the sun rising, lighting up the buildings around us. “We leave in twenty.”

After that, getting ready was quick. The main issue was transportation. When I’d sent her to check on Declan, Evelyn had had to go all the way back to the church for her car, but we would need a bus if we wanted to drive everyone.

Cade and Rhys had a quick discussion before coming to me.

“We can transport everyone, but after that, Rhys would like to hang back.” Cade’s expression was blank, but the brief flick of his eyes over to Rhys showed his concern.

“You’re low on magic?” I asked.

“I haven’t lost anything that won’t come back.” Their words were patient, clearly for Nia, who was hanging off to the side, glaring at them. “But I’m tired enough that I don’t want to be a problem. I don’t want anyone distracted.”

They were looking at me, but I saw Nia stiffen at the words, her teeth pulled back.

“That’s fine. You can be in charge of one of the doors that we’re watching.” I grinned at them. “You know, keep an eye out, see if Leon comes running out like the rat he is.”

“Luckily, I’m wearing my rat-stomping boots.” Rhys held out their foot, indicating the thick leather boots they wore.

When everyone was ready, we gathered in the center of the room, Cade and Rhys on either side of the group of people. Watching their magic mix was a study in contrasts.

Cade’s dark lines, the knives and blades, met Rhys’s flowers, swirling together until the flowers adorned the blades. When the tattoos blocked the rest of the world from view, I felt the tight pull of magic and then a release.

We were all the way across town, the salty smell of the ocean close. It was cold, and a few people shivered before squaring their shoulders.

“We have this,” I said firmly. I let the alpha in my voice come out, the certainty and firmness that not only would we be fine, but we were going towin.

We moved through the morning, a group of people flowing toward a single destination, no words, no discussion. We knew the plan.

When we rounded a corner, I caught sight of Evelyn’s car, and she and the other wolf stepped out, the part of her that was a wolf responding to the movement of our pack, the comfort in numbers, the certainty that you couldn’t fall when your brothers and sisters were behind you.

“All right,” I said. “You all have your directions. Everyone coming in with us, follow me. Everyone else, you know what to do.”

“Wait,” Gabe said softly.

Joel jostled him, muttering, “Not the time, bro.”

“No, I have to know.” Gabe lifted his chin. “What’s the name of our pack? Who are we?”

I swallowed. Pack names were sacred things. Wolves had their last name, and theirpacknames, and both told the world who they were. I started to say, “Castillo Pack,” but that felt wrong in my mouth.

Cade couldn’t be a part of the Castillo Pack, and none of the wolves with me knew me as Miles Castillo.

“Los Santos Pack,” I said firmly. “Now, let’s go make sure Declan knows our name.”

ChapterForty-Six

The back doors were guarded by two guys with their hands already on their guns, radios at their belts, and they were too slow. I pounced on the first one, taking him to the ground so hard that the crack of his head echoed. Nia was on the second, the four wolves working under her jumping in, grabbing arms and legs, the gun dropped and kicked to the side.

Nia wrapped her arm around his neck, about to tighten, but I held up a hand.

“Where’s Declan?” I asked him.

The man blinked, looking at the crowd around him and realizing he was going to lose. “No.”

“No isn’t an answer.Where’s Declan?” I pressed, crossing my arms over my chest.

“You can kill me. I won’t tell you where he is,” the man said defiantly. “You dog, you aren’t getting anything?—”

Nia’s arm closed over his throat, and he gasped, clawing at it before finally going limp.