“Alpha Greyson, hello.” Hudson smiled—it looked genuine, but also a little wary.
“Hello, Hudson.” Greyson moved in until his chest brushed my right shoulder. “It’s good to see you again so soon.”
“So soon?” I peered up at Greyson.
“He stopped by the Curia Cloisters when I was finishing up some paperwork while you were exploring downtown the day you saw Arbiter Tanaka,” Greyson said.
“Oh.” More of my joy leaked out of me. “So you knew I was in town.”
And you didn’t try to see me? Yep. I’m definitely not a packmate. But I already knew that.
“Hudson!”
“Hudson, my man!”
Aeric and Wyatt finally crossed the street and jogged up to us.
“Aeric, Wyatt!” Hudson laughed as he gave Wyatt a backslap, then elbowed Aeric. “Did you finally ask Shania out?”
“Yeah!” Aeric laughed and sheepishly ruffled his hair. “We’ve been dating for a while.”
I smiled and figured this was a good time to leave, because yeah, okay, I was feeling a little hurt, even though I should have known better.
Greyson watched me as I backed away. I nodded to him, then went around the group—which was growing as more Northern Lakes wolves approached to greet Hudson—and headed up the street.
Maybe I should copy Rio and Aspen and get some gelato.
I grabbed my now cold remaining few french fries from the table I’d been sitting at and tossed them in the garbage, then headed up the street, wiping my hands off on my dress pants as I went.
When I got to the gelato store I saw Rio and Aspen were still inside. I didn’t really feel like dealing with Rio’s sucky attitude, so I kept walking. I found a clean alleyway with colored stones that led to the boardwalk behind main street and wound snug against the lakes.
“Hunter Sabre.”
Chapter 20
Pip
I rolled my eyes to the side and watched Amos slouch his way down the boardwalk, his netted hat cocked on his head, much like his smile.
Radcliff and Scarlett trailed behind him, but I was pretty sure I saw another hunter or two from their family farther down the boardwalk.
What are they doing in downtown?
It wasn’t like they weren’t allowed, but I would have thought they’d be starting the drive back north to Timber Ridge to get their stuff since they hadn’t traveled via night mare like the rest of us.
“Hunter Fletching,” I said. “Congratulations on a closed case.”
Amos laughed lowly and shook his head. “You’re a bit too premature.”
I turned my back to the water and propped up my elbows on the banister of the boardwalk railing so I’d look casual, but I’d be able to see all possible directions Amos and his family cronies could pop out of. “Am I? Even though the Pre-Dominant herself said the investigation is over?”
Amos narrowed his eyes. “Just because a politician says an investigation is closed doesn’t mean we’re done looking into it.”
He’s lucky the Pre-Dominant isn’t around to hear him call her a politician. Pretty sure she’d kick him through the floor of the boardwalk.
I tucked a loose strand of my white hair behind my ear. “Really? Because I think that’s exactly what it means.”
A vein in Amos’s neck pulsed with anger despite the hard looking smile he wore. “You’re planning on staying with the wolves?”
“Yeah.” I furrowed my brow, confused by the question. “Timber Ridge is my home.”
“Why?” Amos asked. “Why do you stay with them?”
Thinking of everyone I’d said goodbye to in my life, I somehow managed to keep my voice even. “Because they’re all I have.”
Amos shook his head. “Nonsense. You belong with a hunter family.”
Ugh. This again.
I rolled my eyes. “None of the hunter families except the Quillons wanted me when I was orphaned—and I wasn’t going to go with them for obvious reasons. I have no loyalty to hunters as a supernatural besides that of coworkers.”
Amos held up a finger. “You see that? That there’s unnatural. You’re living with the things you should be tracking down and eliminating.”
I stood up straighter. “Things? You dare to call werewolves things?”
“They’re nearly beasts,” Amos flatly said. “They look human, and they can mimic human behavior, but they are the only supernaturals whose humanity can be stripped away like clothing. They’re a step up from animals.”
He’s a bigger nut than I realized. He’s absolutely insane.
“What are you talking about? If wizards lose control they’re just as dangerous, if not more so!” I kept my voice low and hopefully inaudible to anyone around. “You’re out of your mind and so wrong in your thinking I can’t believe you’re a certified hunter.”
“You think you can deny it when feral wolves almost ripped you apart?” Amos scoffed. “Given how your parents died, I can’t believe you don’t know it.”
I was so shocked by his arrogant stupidity, I found I couldn’t make my mouth move.
He…what?
Behind him, Radcliff shifted and exchanged glances with Scarlett. The two looked almost ill at the hatred their uncle spewed.
At least the whole family isn’t tainted.
“I don’t know what your problem is, but you need to get your head screwed on straight,” I said. “Despite what you think, the investigation is over. You have nothing more to do with the Northern Lakes Pack.”
Amos rocked back on his heels and shook his head. “Can’t do that.”
“Why is that?” I asked, my voice sword-edge sharp.
“Because they’re unnatural.”
“This again.” I rolled my eyes to the heavens. “If you’re so stuck on the natural order of things, you need to go watch a nature documentary.”
“Werewolves are dying out,” Amos announced. “As they should be.”
“Werewolves and every other supernatural,” I muttered under my breath.
“It’s the natural order of things that will allow magic to slowly leave this world.”
“You are aware that we are magic, right?” I asked. I peered at Scarlett and Radcliff. “Which means we’re gonna die out, too.”
Radcliff shifted his weight. “Uncle—”
Amos held his hand up, cutting him off.
“The success rate of werewolf changes has drastically decreased,” Amos continued. “It’s rare for a person attempting the change to survive, much less actually become a werewolf, which means the population is radically decreasing. Except for the Northern Lakes Pack.”
“That’s why you don’t like the Pack?” I asked. “You’re mad because they successfully change people?”
“Their change rate is better than werewolves have had in the past century,” Amos said.
“Well, hospitals are now a thing, you know,” I said. “Although maybe you don’t, given your other ways of thinking.”
“There is obviously something to the Pack—a potion or method they haven’t revealed,” Amos growled.
“There’s not,” I said. “The rate stayed the same with Hudson and then Greyson taking over. Yeah, they’re strong, but they’re not doing anything different or illegal.”