Page 26 of A Cursed Noel
Odin’s frown isgenuine. He didn’t know. I figured. Drug Lords don’t care howfemales are treated. Odin did. It’s why it bothered him when hisweretouched Celia without her permission.
My attention returns tothe smaller bear who initially stood at Odin’s side. Odin followsmy focus. Damn. For thiswereto stand by Odin as he did, Odinmust trust him. This will hurt him, and thewerewill pay withblood.
I can’t stop whatwill follow, even if I wanted to. These are our ways and what’skept us honorable.
“You’re Roz, aren’tyou?” I ask.
Roz’s face slacks,but he quickly recovers. “You don’t know me,” he says, hisself-righteous attitude firmly in place.
The mountain lionessbeside him smacks his shoulder. “Show respect,” she warns. “He’sthatalpha.”
Roz puffs out hischest, too stupid and arrogant to know his place.
“I don’t know you,”I agree. “What I know is you supply addicts. Is this yourcontribution to the pack?”
It’s Odin whoanswers. “He has a job at the factory. I got it for him.” It’swhat he says, but he’s listening and doesn’t like what he hears.
I squeeze Celia’shand when her gaze darts between me and Roz. She doesn’t know how Iknow what I do. I only arrived a short while ago. She’s worried myplan will backfire. I’m worried, too—about her and what’swaiting for us at her house.
Except lies need tosurface if this pack is ever to survive.
I square my shouldersspeaking as one alpha to another. “A human approached me tonight.He smelled of heroin and withdraw. He told me, ‘My boy Roz willmeet you on the corner of East Main and Mechanic.’ Roz here reeksof this man and his addiction.”
“He’s crazy, Odin,”Roz tells him.
“Shut up,” Odingrowls.
All the anger Odin metme with is now directed at Roz. Odin hears my truth as loudly as hehears Roz failure to deny it. Why would Roz lie anyway? It wouldn’thelp him. Weather be damned. His alpha can smell through thedeception.
“There’s no goodreason a human would meet awereon a night like this,” Odinbites out. “No good reason at all.”
Theweressurrounding Roz back away from him. Even those shot up with gold holdtight to their wounds and scramble away.
“Odin,” Roz pleads,tears sliding down his cheeks. He knows what will happen. Just likehe knows it’s too late to stop it.
Odin addresses me. “Myapologies for this night. Go in peace, Alpha.”
His switch from urbanto formal demonstrates his dedication to our kind. Yeah, he’ll doright by his pack.
To Celia he nods. It’sout of respect for me and respect for her strength. It may be enoughto aid her long after I’m gone.
I press my hand againstthe small of her back and lead her out to the street. We round thecorner as the crunch of bone precedes the last breath Roz will take.
Chapter Eight
The moment we’reclear, Celia takes off running. I give chase, surprised she’s noteasy to catch. Injuries be damned, she doesn’t let anything slowher down.
Celia stops short justbefore a stretch of highway. She bends forward, pressing her handsagainst her knees. “He killed him, didn’t he?” she asks.
She’s not reallyasking. The aroma of death is pungent and sharp, even from here.Celia can’t sniff a lie. Yet the scent of death is something I wishI could spare her from.
Celia is breathing hardand it’s not from the run. She isn’t like my kind. Her consciencewould also never allow her to be.
“He did,” I say. Irub her back, wishing I could take her far away from everything thatscares her.
Celia needs someone totake care of her, and that someone can only be me. I’m as certainof it as the magic that surrounds her.
She rights herself.“Will Odin kill more of his pack because of us?”