26. Rhyson

26

Rhyson

I could feel the panic around me, but I just arched an eyebrow at the man in front of me. "You gave your pregnant mate a flare gun?"

"Actually, I keep taking them away from her. She keeps finding more. I haven't figured out who her supplier is. Honey, let's not immediately murder the guests Lunessa just dropped off. You've been complaining about how she never visits."

"I don't like him," Anna said as she rubbed her belly.

"Neither do I," Maya said behind me. "But since he's the father of my child, I would appreciate it if you didn't shoot him."

Anna's eyes flitted to Maya, and she relaxed her arm. "Fine, but you really shouldn't sleep with wolves you don't like."

"A lesson I've noted for the future," Maya said smoothly. "My name is Maya. This is Rhyson. Dante. Nash. Juniper. Tessa. Paisley. And Duke is the wolf who is not going to tear out your throat."

Turning my head, I looked as my second practically foamed at the mouth. I nodded at him, and he immediately sat down.

"Jax," the alpha said smoothly. "Although you already know that. My mate, Anna. If you're friends with Emerson, you're not welcome here."

"I'm not friends with him. I think he murdered my brother."

Reaching over, Jax took the flare gun from Anna. "He's been dead for six months. When did your brother die?"

"Two years ago in May."

"And his name?"

"Marrow."

Jax frowned but shook his head. "I'm sorry. It's not ringing any bells. Do you know where he was killed?"

"Near the Ostiro Caves."

"Ostiro Caves. I've never heard of it. Which pack was that near?"

"Summerset."

"Summer…" Jax's eyes narrowed. "You're saying your brother was killed off the mountain, and you think Emerson did it. Perhaps you're not aware, but all the wolves on this mountain are exiled by the king. No one is allowed to leave. To my knowledge, no one does."

I clenched my jaw. "He was involved. He had to be."

Or this whole quest was a waste of time. If this Emerson wasn't involved, then I had nothing.

Anna sighed and rubbed her belly. "Emerson's second-in-command is alpha now. If anyone knows of Emerson's whereabouts two years ago in May, it will be him. We will call and ask if he'll provide the information, but communications have been a little more unstable these past few months. I'm not certain he will give us any information."

"You're bleeding," Jax said suddenly, and I turned. Maya's arm was still bleeding where the witch had cut her. "I know how journeying with Lunessa can be. You need food and rest."

"One question first," Anna said. "Lunessa has been…difficult to pin down. She would not bring you here simply because you dropped Emerson's name. Why did she really bring you here?"

"She wanted the whereabouts of someone named Sera."

"Sera," Jax snapped. "Are you sure? Why would you know of that name?"

"She was the one who pointed us in this direction. She said that if we came here and told her you sent us, you would speak to us."

I saw Jax's decision before he even made the move. When he reached for Maya, I was right there, blocking him. Knocking his arm away, I went to flip him over, but Duke roared my name, and I stopped just in time. The alpha moved fluidly, shoving me against the wall and wrapping his fingers around my neck.

His eyes turned gold as he stared down at me, and I saw a flicker of fear in them.

He knew I could take him.

"Jax," Anna said in a shaky voice. "Let him go. He was protecting his mate."

"I'm not his mate," Maya snapped, and I glared at her. Jax's hands released me, and he stepped back.

I rubbed my neck. "I see that name tends to trigger a lot of people, but we've traded her location once for help. We won't do it again."

"Very well. We can get the information from Lunessa. We offer you our hospitality," Jax said warmly as he stepped back and put his arm around Anna. "We have enough guest rooms for you here."

How kind of him. He was itching to tear out my throat, and yet he was letting us stay.

Keep your enemies close.

"We appreciate the hospitality for the night. Any information you can give us on Emerson's successor will be appreciated, and then we'll be on our way," I said diplomatically, trying to let him know that I wasn't here to challenge him as alpha.

He didn't even begin to relax. "Let me show you to your rooms."

There were enough rooms that nobody needed to double up, but the alpha didn't blink an eye when I quietly requested it. He also didn't seem surprised when I ordered Maya into my room, although his eyes did flicker over her with some concern.

After Jax left, I called everyone to my room and shut the door. "Thoughts," I asked.

"First of all, this mountain is weird as fuck," Juniper snapped. "That witch teleported us, and she didn't even look winded afterward."

"I think," Duke said quietly, "that we've arrived either in the middle or at the tail end of something very messy, and until we learn what that is, we're moving blindly. Finding Marrow's killer is our objective, however…"

"Learning what we can of this mountain is also important," I finished. "And for all we know, it's all tangled together."

I looked at Paisley. His eyes were clear and studying us with some intelligence. "It's clear that not all the rogues are in on whatever happened, so at least that's in our favor."

"You're really not from around here," the teenager whispered. "And what you did…you're really powerful. Who are you?"

"Rhyson," I reminded him. "How do you feel?"

"Better than in a while," he admitted.

"If I were you, I'd consider myself a lucky boy. I doubt very many wolves or people have been gifted the clean slate that you have, and I seriously doubt you will get another chance. Stay clean, especially when you're with me. Do you understand?"

He cleared his throat. "I thought I was just supposed to lead you through the magic? You're not going to dump me?"

"I promised Gideon I would return you, and we are not quite ready to go back, so yes, you'll be with us for a little bit longer." I cocked my head. "Unless you don't want to return?"

His eyes widened just a little bit. "I never said that."

"Hmm. Perhaps a conversation for another time. All right, get some sleep, but be on alert, and keep your eyes and ears peeled for anything that could help us. It seems like we might not be here long, but I want to be armed with all the information possible before we're kicked out."

Everyone nodded and dispersed. I looked over at Maya. She hadn't said anything during the meeting, but I could tell her mind was whirling. Without a word, she stretched out on the bed and sighed. It was the most comfortable thing we'd slept on since starting this journey, and she was clearly comfortable.

"Does it compare to the princess bed you have at home?" I asked her sourly. I regretted the words as soon as they were out of my mouth. It was petty and unnecessary, but I hated the way seeing her stretched on the bed stirred me.

With an annoyed look, she got off the bed, flounced into the bathroom, and slammed the door. A moment later, I heard the shower running.

Stripping, I followed her and stepped into the steamy shower. She didn't even turn around. "Fuck off," she muttered.

"You may have saved my life today," I said as I grabbed her hips and pulled her up against my chest.

"Can't have you killed just yet. What if I'm not safe here?" There was no sarcasm in her voice, and I couldn't tell if she was serious yet.

"Is that what you're looking for? Safety?"

Snorting, she turned around. Annoyance flashed in her eyes. "It was, when I first sought you out. Hasn't exactly happened the way I thought it would."

Water splashed over her shoulders and rolled down to her breasts in rivulets. I cupped one and circled my thumb over her nipple. Despite the look in her eyes, she arched into my touch and gasped. I wanted to touch her, but I also wanted to chase those words away. I wanted to protect. Protect her. Protect everyone. "I could say the very same."

"You could just leave me alone. Instead, every time I turn around, you're there. And you're mean."

"Not always," I murmured. I slipped my hand down her belly to play between her legs. Her body trembled with need, and satisfaction surged through me. She was mine.

Blowing out her breath, she finally pushed away enough that she hit the tile wall of the shower. "You have your mission here, but so do I. Sera said that someone here might be able to help me with my wolf."

I contemplated following her and pressing my body against hers, but I could see that she was done. My hand dropped. "I'm not leaving you here, if that's what you're asking."

"Then I suggest you play nice with the alpha and his mate because we might be here for a while. And while we are, you should find someone else to warm your bed."

"Is this your way of saying you don't want me?"

Lifting her chin, she met my gaze. "Damn right, I don't want you."

"I look forward to disproving that," I chuckled as she stepped out of the shower, grabbed a towel, and stomped away, slamming the bathroom door shut so she couldn't hear my laughter.