Page 51 of Silver Claw

“I wish I’d gotten back earlier,” he murmured.

“I wish that, too.” I cupped his face with one hand, then rose up to kiss him, gently, sweetly, slowly.

But he frowned and pulled away. “Don’t kiss me like it’s goodbye, wolf.”

I hadn’t even been aware that was what I’d been doing until he pointed it out. “I’m more worried about things than I realized,” I said. “Somehow, it seems like the council is going to…” I shook my head, unsure what I was afraid they’d do.

“Remember who you are,” Rick said. “Remember who the fuck you are.”

I stretched out a hand to him and he took it, but he only squeezed it once before releasing it. “If we thought this could be the end, Kait, we’d be a solid wall of flesh between you and the council. See what the bastards want, then come home to us.”

And even though I was in Jared’s arms, Rick tugged my braid, gently, until I tilted my head back, and he kissed my lips. Just once, and briefly, but the slide of his tongue promised deeper, hotter things.

For a second, something flared in Jared’s stare when Rick stepped back, but then he looked into my eyes, and whatever he saw there made him let it go.

He knew Rick loved me, and that Rick would be there if he couldn’t be. And he was good with that.

I guessed he knew that Rick was my human world man.

I would never have been that good of a person if things were reversed.

“Let’s go,” Joe said gruffly. “Let’s get this over with.” And when I stepped back, he was there behind me, hulking over me, his fierceness on full display. “Nobody has to worry. I’m going in with her.”

“Joe,” I said gently, “they won’t let you in.”

“Let them try to stop me,” he said, and grinned.

“Don’t leave her,” Jared told him. Obviously, he believed Joe was going in, no matter what. “We’ll be outside.”

Waiting.

“The council won’t hurt me for losing my power,” I told them. “They can be assholes, but they’re not going to punish me for something I couldn’t help. The most they’ll do is take back their badge and cut me loose. You all don’t need to go.” Then I winked at Joe. “Except maybe Joe.”

“Damn right, boss,” he said.

“We’re going,” Remy said. “Might be something there to fight, if we get lucky.”

My mother and Lucy were waiting at my car. “Goodness,” my mother said. “You’re all following her to the council meeting?”

Lucy frowned. “What are you expecting? She’s been with the council a hundred times.”

“With Voss stalking her,” Zach said, “we don’t want to take chances.”

My mother’s eyes cleared. “Oh, yes,” she said. “Good call.” She reached up to hug me. “Later days, home skillet biscuit.”

Jared took a couple minutes to talk to his beta, then walked to his car. “Ride with me, Kait,” he said, but before he opened his door, Aaron rolled up in his shiny black council car.

He parked in the street, then got out and opened the back door. “Ms. Silver,” he said. “I’m here to take you to the council meeting.”

I’d miss him if the council forced me out. I’d miss him, and I’d miss Saul.

“We’ll be right behind you,” Jared said.

I climbed into the car without hesitation. I was nervous, yes, but I was also excited. Excited, because the council was…they were the council. They weremadeof magic. They’d shared some of that magic with me. They could give me more.

They could do whatever they wanted.

Joe climbed into the car with me, and Aaron never said a word. It wasn’t up to him to argue about anything. He was there to transport me. To pick me up if I was stuck somewhere without a car or backup. To take me wherever I needed to go whenever I needed to get there.