Page 25 of Silver Claw

The warriors gathered the dead, then Voss and his men jogged back the way they’d come. In seconds, their howls floated back to my sensitive ears as they shifted.

“He seems a little stupid,” Remy said.

“He wanted to see how strong we are,” I said. “He really is deciding whether he wants to take the chance of fighting Jared, and with me…” I shrugged. “He’s garbage. Come inside, you two. I’ll call the doctor and Lucy will feed us while we’re waiting.”

Voss might not challenge me, but I didn’t doubt for a second that he would challenge Jared. And Jared would be ready.

I’d be right there with him. I couldn’t interfere, but I could celebrate with Shadowfield when Jared made the Iron Fang alpha regret that he’d ever set foot inside our boundaries.

And I realized it didn’t matter that Adam Thorne was dead.

Apparently, he was never going to stop causing trouble.

Chapter Ten

“Jared won’t want to challenge Voss,” I told Zach when he asked. “If he does, he’ll win that challenge and inherit himself a big problem.”

“Voss’s pack,” Zach said.

“Yeah. Unlike Voss, Jared has no desire to extend his territory across the US. Imagine the challenges he’d face then. He already took on Adam Thorne’s pack. He’s not going to Colorado or bringing another pack into Jakeston just because one asshole doesn’t know how to stay in his own lane.”

“So he’s hoping Voss will just give up and go back home?” Remy asked, an eyebrow cocked. “That doesn’t sound like Jared. He doesn’t have to kill him to kick his ass out of his territory.”

I grinned. “And that’s exactly what he’ll do. There can be fights without challenges. Challenges come with consequences. Fights just…send a message. If Jared happened to die…” I had to take a moment for a deep breath after I forced the word out of my mouth. “If he happened to die, then Jared’s beta would take over his pack.”

“No, he wouldn’t,” Sam said.“Youwould.”

I sighed. “Yeah. I guess I would.”

Lucy rushed in from the kitchen. “Two cars just pulled in,” she said, as though we wouldn’t know. The hounds were braying, the car engines were as audible as the tires crunching on gravel, and we were sitting by the big picture window watching their arrival. “And,” she added, “lunch is ready.”

Sam went to her and pulled her into his arms. “You smell great,” he murmured, nuzzling her throat.

She giggled and then touched his face, her body visibly relaxing. “Come into the kitchen. Let’s get you fed before…”

He raised his eyebrows. “Before what, hmmm?”

“Before Kait eats it all.”

“Hey,” I said, moving Ash off my lap so I could get up to open the door, “I don’t eat that much.” My stomach growled—loudly—before the words were out of my mouth.

Then my alpha was filling up the doorway, and I forgot about food. He was the only thing I was hungrier for.

Doctor Hayes and Belinda stood beside him, and three of Jared’s wolves stood behind them all. “Come in,” I said, then was nearly knocked over by one of the hounds who’d decided he’d spent enough time outside.

As the doctor began to work on Remy and Zach, Jared and I walked side by side to the kitchen. His hand brushed mine and it felt like my entire arm caught fire.

“Hungry?” I asked him.

His stare, always fierce and always hot, at least when he was looking at me, dropped to my lips. “Starving.”

Jared could fill me up in a way food couldn’t touch, and for a second, I considered ignoring everything else and taking him to my bed. Unfortunately, the issue of Gavin Voss needed to be sorted.

Lucy rushed into the kitchen, Sam behind her. “Can your wolves come in and have some lunch?” she asked Jared.

“No,” he told her. “They’ll stay on guard.”

“Then I’ll take them all a plate.” And so saying, she bustled about the kitchen, loading a huge tray with food for Jared’s warriors, who, though they’d likely already had their lunch, would never turn down food.