Page 42 of Shifters Unifying

“The fuck did you say?” I barked. My outburst had been enough to silence more than half of the assembled shifters. It’d worked better than my request had.Drama whores, every one of them.

“Choose your words carefully, Logan Blackwood,” Marcus growled, and he inched nearer. “I may be an ally, but it wouldn’t take much for me to change my mind. Need I remind you of the agreement we struck on the front porch of your home in Six-Mile? We are no closer to finding out what happened to my sister or my nephew.”

“What is yourcondition?” I spat. He had me cornered, and he knew it.

“A private audience with Emma.”

“Hell no.”

“I won’t take no for an answer, and we both know you called this meeting. Not Emma.” He raised an eyebrow. “Or she would be here.”

I said nothing, unwilling to confirm Marcus’s suspicion.

“Don’t give me an opportunity, Logan. I’ll use what I know against you in a feline heartbeat. I’ll have what I want.” Hecrossed his arms. “And youwillgive it to me, or I will happily destroy what you’re trying to build. ThenIwill take possession of the multimorph.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

emma

Six-Mile Manor

The SUV tires spat gravel as we came to an abrupt stop in the driveway, and one of the shifters in the back cried out as she slammed into the back of the seat in front of her

“Geeze a little warning next time,” she said.

“I told ye to buckle up,” Jasper called. “We’re here.”

The four newbs had grown quiet as we rolled down the long driveway, and they now stared up at Alpha manor and the headquarters of Six-Mile.

“Didn’t know it’d be a mansion,” Blaze said. “We might have agreed to your proposition sooner, Emma.”

“Or said no and stuck to it,” John countered. He smoothed his hands over his thighs. “Not sure I’d be comfortable in there.”

Instead of commenting, I tested the bond I shared with Logan, attempting to determine if he was inside or not. He didn’t feel close enough. That meant he’d probably been at Acheron’s hidden based when whatever happened to him had happened. That knowledge didn’t help the boulder of worry in the center of my chest.Damn.

“Don’t ye worry,” Jasper said to the others. “Ye won’t be staying in the Alpha manor. I’ll find ye some supplies and a place to bunk up. We have a surprising number of visitors, and we’re hospitable. Let’s check the commissary. I happen to know the lady who makes the supply runs, so it’ll have clothes and toiletries.”

They all climbed out and slammed the doors behind them.

I shook my head. Six-Mile always had some new surprise detail I didn’t know about. I had no idea about the commissary, but as the headquarters for Logan’s pack, it made sense they’d have a place to get necessary items without driving all the way into Willow Creek.

Turning to Jasper, I asked, “Can you get them set up with someone for some beginner lessons maybe in the Training Room? I know Olivia’s probably still with Logan, but there’s got to be someone who can help.”

Jasper’s expression turned sober. “Rachel would have been good at that.”

Tears flooded my eyes. When I blinked, several droplets escaped.

Jasper studied me. “You okay?”

“Don’t ask me that,” I snapped. “Never ask me that.”

“Emma…”

“No, I can’t do this. I’ve been shoved into the middle of a life I wasn’t ready for with everyone depending on me to save them. There’s no time for a honeymoon period, an adjustment period, or anything else.” I bit my bottom lip before pushing the grief aside. “So, don’t ever ask me if I’m okay.”

“Aye,” he said.

I didn’t have to know Rachel well to appreciate the collective wound that the murder of any shifter left on the pack. Before he’d gone all-in on Olivia, Jasper had an on/off relationship with Rachel. Even if it’d only been to make Olivia jealous.