“We can talk in here,” he says, ushering me toward the door at the end.

  The conference room I saw in the video feed. It’s empty now, but it still feels full of listening ears, especially since I know Tripp and Frankie are probably watching this entire thing. Despite that, I whirl on Jadick, angry that I’m not sure I could actually kick his ass in my current condition.

  “Did you know?” I demand.

  He shuts the door and walks to the chair at the head of the table. Then he drops into it and folds his hands like I’ve seen him do when he wants to appear open and approachable.

  “I know a lot of things,” he says. “Maybe you could be a tad more specific.”

  I press my hands to the table. “Did you know it was Kari? All this time? That Thiago was just her partner? Her puppet?”

  “You look winded, Mackenzie. Sit down.”

  He gestures to a chair, but I ignore it.

  “I didn’t know,” he says finally. “I, of course, suspected. Thiago’s always been easy to manipulate.” His expression darkens. “And Kari’s always been a fucking brat.”

  I stare at him, breathing heavily with the weight of my rage, waiting for him to go on. To give me something more. But he’s clearly uninterested in this line of conversation. “There’s going to be a conference call later this evening,” he says instead. “With Kari.” He pauses to see how I’ll react.

  I don’t.

  “I’d like you to be there for it,” he adds.

  But I’m not ready to let him off the hook. “If I find out you knew and didn’t tell me—and now Levi’s trapped there… I will kill you.”

  The door swings open, and Burnett and Gregario enter, crowding toward me until I’m backed into the corner.

  “Get away from me, assholes,” I warn.

  They don’t move, and I ball my hands into fists. I might not be up for this challenge in my current state, but I damn sure don’t plan to back down either.

  “They’re only responding to your blatant threats,” Jadick explains. “If you fight them, I’ll have no choice but to restrict you to your room.”

  Jadick’s voice is maddeningly calm.

  He doesn’t care which I choose.

  He only enjoys watching it all play out.

  “If I fight them, you’d be next,” I say.

  In response, Burnett grabs my arm and growls.

  “Let me go, or I’ll rip your arm off and beat you with it,” I warn him.

  “If you fight them, you won’t attend the call with Kari. Which means you won’t get a chance to lay eyes on him.”

  Jadick’s words stop me.

  Levi might be on the call.

  I yank out of Burnett’s grasp. He reaches for me again, but I growl at him, baring my teeth as if I’m an animal even on two legs.

  Maybe I am.

  “Back off, I’m not going to fight,” I say, my words ringing with regret.

  Burnett and Gregario take a grudging step back.

  It’s barely enough to give me space to breathe.

  “Boys,” Jadick says pointedly, and they finally retreat, positioning themselves on either side of the table—directly between me and their boss.

  I look at Jadick lounging in his chair.

  His eyes gleam with interest, and I have to force my hands into fists so I don’t leap across the table and claw his eyeballs out of their sockets.

  “You’ve always been strong, Mac,” he says, “And I admired you for it. But now, in this hour of grief, you are breathtaking.”

  I don’t know what to say to that. He’s turned on by my heartbreak?

  “Give me a team,” I say, focusing on my goal.

  “For?”

  “To go after Levi.”

  “You’re hardly fit enough for battle,” he says.

  Considering my breaths are labored from that small scuffle a moment ago, I can scarcely argue. But admitting it is out of the question.

  “Then send the team,” I say, desperate for something. “Frankie can lead them, or even my mother—”

  “I will not risk lives recklessly.”

  I lift my chin. “Fine. I’ll go alone.”

  “I can’t allow it. Not when you’re still recovering.”

  “Do you intend to keep me here as your prisoner?”

  “Of course not.” He looks surprised then hurt.

  I have to remind myself it’s all an act.

  His charm is so convincing.

  “I’m on your side, Mac. You and I have been allies since that moment in the canyon, have we not?”

  I grit my teeth.

  Allies.

  Is that what he was to me when he made some backroom deal with my mother earlier?

  “Besides, this call is a chance to negotiate. To decide all of this peacefully and diplomatically. Don’t we owe it to ourselves—to Levi—to try diplomacy before we engage in any more violence?”

  He’s right, of course.

  And he makes it all sound so easy.

  So neat and tidy that to argue would make me the asshole.

  “Fine,” I say quietly. “I’ll stay for the call.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” He beams, and I know I’ve lost this round even if neither of us is winning the battle.

  CHAPTER 3

  I’m sent back to my room to wait out the afternoon. Part of me wants to refuse or put up a fight, but something tells me I have to pick my battles wisely. This isn’t one I can win, anyway. The line between guest and prisoner gets blurrier and blurrier. And my strength is still shit. After a failed push-up that nearly leaves me unconscious, I give up on physical training. Instead, I spend a few hours trying to sleep on the thin cot, but it’s useless. Every time I close my eyes, I see Kari with the gun. Her betrayal cuts deeper than almost any pain I’ve felt. The only pain worse was Levi’s rejection, but even that doesn’t sting quite so sharply anymore. Not after knowing it was Thiago’s blackmail that forced him to do it.

  Before he was taken, things had changed between us. It felt like we’d been moving toward something. Maybe even toward each other. Finally.

  Now that he’s gone, it seems like a daydream.

  I’ve hated Levi for so long—wanting to save him is foreign. But I can’t deny I feel responsible. Besides, even when I loathed him, I’d never wish for his torture. Not at anyone else’s hands anyway. For some reason, I think about my conversation with Kari that night outside the club. About wanting to leave. To travel. Anything to escape the toxic pack life with an alpha like Crigger. And I’m struck with the realization that I’m free. Right now, I could leave. Walk away from all of this. No choosing sides. No more being caught up in the Clemons’ family feud that only ever seems to end in bloodshed for the people around them. And my heart is tempted, if only to find a peace I’ve never once in my life truly experienced. But then I think about everyone I’d leave behind.

  The Jades, who only ever wanted a better life for themselves and their families. Tripp, who once stood by me in a way no one ever has. Who also left to fight for our futures even when that meant leaving me behind. And Levi, who gave me up—rejected me—to protect me. To save my life.

  I can’t leave them knowing it’s all headed toward more violence. Leaving Levi wouldn’t bring peace; it would be cowardly. And I’m no coward.

  Besides, I’m the reason he’s where he is. I’m the one responsible for this mess, just like Jadick said. My thoughts drift to Levi, where he is now. Probably the dungeon. Or one of those hospital-like rooms they put us in before. I wonder if he’s angry about it. Or if he’ll ever forgive me for getting him captured.

  I wouldn’t.

  The guilt presses in until my chest is tight with it.

  I have to stay. To make this right.

  Hours pass in excruciating stillness.

  No one comes for me.

  I half-expected Tripp or even Frankie to show up after my showdown with Jadick earlier, but they’ve clearly left me to my own devices. That’s its own kind of torture too. I don’t trust them, but I find myself wondering if I might like their company—if only to keep from being stuck with nothing but my own thoughts.

  Finally, there’s a knock at my door.

  My mother enters with her hair pulled back in a sleek bun that’s more practical than elegant. She wears her usual utility pants and tank top. I look down and note my attire is nearly identical. The apple didn’t fall far when it comes to our sense of style.

  “We’re assembling for a video call with Kari,” she says. “Jadick has asked you to join us.”

  I get up, my heart already pounding at the thought of seeing Kari on-screen. Or worse, seeing Levi. I need to know if he’s all right, but there’s a good chance he’s not—and I’m not sure if I can handle it.

  My muscles scream in protest at my movements. I grimace and shove to my feet anyway.

  “Are you sure you’re up for this?” My mother eyes me worriedly.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Would you like something for the pain?”

  “No.”

  “We gave you the highest dosage of the anti-venom we could. But… you’ve already had one dose, and these things become less effective with each application.”

  “Does that mean it’s not going to work?” I ask, startled at the thought. I’d assumed it would be like last time. A couple of days of exhaustion and then boom, back to normal.

  “The dose we gave you should help take the edge off, but your body still has to do a lot of the work itself. It’ll take some time to burn off the rest of the venom naturally.”

  Great. So, I’m going to be useless for even longer.

  Sighing, I can’t help but ask the question that’s been bothering me since I woke here.

  “Why did Kari shoot me?” I ask.

  She blinks, startled by the question. Then her expression tenses. “Do I really need to explain? Kari played you, Mac. She—”

  “I get that.” I wave her off. “But at the end, she was letting me leave. She told me not to come back, or she’d hurt Levi, but she was letting me walk. Then all of a sudden, she was shooting at me. What do you think changed her mind?”

  “I have no idea, Mac.” She sounds exhausted as she says the words. Like she can’t even summon the strength to consider my question.

  I think about her cryptic conversation with Jadick and bite my lip. Part of me wants to ask what it meant. What kind of deal did she cut? And how fucked am I for being used as collateral? But I know my mother too well to think she’d answer me outright. Anything she wants me to know, she’s already told me. Which is nothing.

  “I know Kari hurt you,” she says, stumbling over her words. Her tone is soft, but since that’s not a voice she ever uses on me, it sounds unnatural. Awkward. I stare at her, unsure what’s happening here. “And it must be hard—accepting everything that’s happened because of your rash decision—”

  Irritation flares hot at that.

  “—But I want you to know I’m here for you.”

  “Please don’t.”

  She frowns. “Don’t what?”

  “Do this. Try to talk about feelings. It’s not us.”

  “Mac, I’m worried,” she says. “You should be stronger by now even with the anti-venom losing its punch. You have to want to get better.”

  “Do you think I’m too depressed to heal myself?”

  She doesn’t answer, but for a moment, her mask drops away, and I can see the worry she’s trying to keep buried.

  “I’m going to be fine,” I tell her. “I don’t want to die, okay?”

  “If you did have dark thoughts, you wouldn’t be the first. There’s no shame in a mate rejection affecting your psyche—”

  “My psyche is fine.”

  “Mac, you know as well as I do—we hurt the most when the rejection process is at its height. For most, that pain only lasts a short time, but for you… This has gone on long enough, don’t you think?”

  “You want me to reject Levi,” I say flatly.

  “I want you to be strong.”

  I stare at her, stunned. “You really think that’s what makes us strong?”

  She doesn’t answer.

  I shake my head. “I never pegged you for a Reject, Mom.”

  “I’m not a Reject,” she says, exasperated.

  “Well, you’re certainly not a Romantic.”

  “I’m a mother,” she snaps. “That comes before a stupid label about my love life. It always has.”

  “Is that why you left Dad? Because you hate labels?”

  “I loved your father,” she says, eyes flashing. I’ve struck a nerve, but I don’t care. I’m sick of being talked to like everything is my fault.

  “Leaving is how you show love,” I say, my words dripping with acid. “Now it all makes sense since you were always leaving me for some job or another.”

  “I did what I had to in order to survive.” Her body trembles, and I’m not entirely sure it’s mere anger rolling off her now. It feels more desperate than that. “You would have been ostracized if your father and I had stayed together. No, worse.” She shakes her head vehemently, her eyes blazing now. “You’ve seen what our pack does to Romantics. The lucky ones are here—the Jades. They got out. Survived. The rest… Crigger wore them down until he ground them into dust. And now that bitch of his will continue to do the same. You might not like my methods, but I will always choose the side that protects you, Mac. That’s all I care about. You can hate me for it—as long as you’re alive to do so.”

  She falls silent, and I blink at her, a little stunned at her passionate monologue. Parts of it are so familiar that I could recite them. Reminding me what the pack is like. How she’s sacrificed for me. But the part about choosing the side that protects me… It makes me think of her whispered conversation with Jadick. Their deal. And I realize that’s exactly what it’s about. My mother has agreed to whatever price he wants if he’ll protect me. And while I don’t agree with her methods, I understand. Because I’d do the same damn thing for Levi right now.

  It sucks, feeling like a hypocrite. Especially in front of her.

  “Okay,” I say quietly.

  She blinks, clearly shocked at my easy acceptance.

  “Okay,” she says on an exhale.

  She looks like she wants to say something else but thinks better of it.

  “Come on. We don’t want to be late,” she says.

  Without a word, I let her lead the way.

  Grey isn’t outside my door, and I wonder if he’s given up on keeping me locked away. But then I spot him waiting on the other side of the empty store. It makes me wonder if my mother asked for privacy. And more specifically, why he’d bother to agree.

  We pass him, and, without a word, he falls into step behind us.

  When we arrive at the offices, Burnett is there, holding the door to let us pass. Before entering, I glance at the Jades in the atrium, noting the stares that turn hostile when they see me looking. Then I duck inside and leave them behind.

  As we near the conference room, my limp slows me down, and I can feel Burnett and Grey pressing in at my back. Their loathing is a current I can feel against my shoulder blades. But I force my steps to remain even as I turn the corner into the conference room. Being hated is nothing new, and neither is ignoring it. The only difference is that, this time, maybe I deserve it.

  Jadick is already seated at the head of the table, right where I left him hours ago. On his right is Vale, the spy he met with this morning. I meet Vale’s eyes, but he shifts his gaze away from my face, giving me an appraising once-over instead.

  Prick.

  “Welcome back,” Jadick says, flashing me a smile.

  I don’t return it.

  He motions to the chair on his left. “Have a seat. We’re just about to get started.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I watch my mother falter. She was clearly about to take the seat he just offered me. Instead, she recovers quickly and sits in the next empty chair. The set of her mouth tells me she won’t forget Jadick’s dismissal of her, though.

  Good.

  Maybe it’ll snap her out of whatever has her acting like his lapdog.

  I sit but only because I’d rather save my energy for Kari than argue over a seat.

  Burnett and Gregario take positions behind Jadick. Grey stands near the door, a tablet now in his hand. His brows furrow as he studies it in concentration. Behind him hangs a large projector screen.

  A moment of silence passes as we all settle in to wait. None of the guards look at me. Vale does, though. I look up and find him staring openly.

  “You sure don’t look like much,” he says.

  “Back atcha, buddy.”

  “You sure you’re the one they’re all fighting over?”

  “Excuse me?”

  Fighting over?

  “Enough.”

  At Jadick’s order, Vale falls silent, but his slight smirk tells me he’s not impressed with me. Likewise.

  “The call’s coming in, sir,” Grey says.

  He glances up expectantly from the tablet in his hands.

  “Accept it,” Jadick instructs him. “Send it to the big screen.”

  Grey hits a button.

  A second later, Kari appears onscreen.

  My stomach clenches at the sight of my former bestie. Blonde hair falls softly around her shoulders, and her makeup is flawless. She looks like she’s spent time on herself, and I feel that detail like a smack to the face. Not because I care about my own appearance but because I recognize the point she’s making. She’s not worried about retaliation or war for what she’s done. She’s so sure of herself, she’s spent the day concentrating on nothing more than looking pretty. Meanwhile, I’ve spent mine agonizing over who I can really trust—and finding out the answer is no one.

  “Brother,” she says flatly.

  “Kari, you’re looking well.” Jadick’s tone is, of all things, affectionate, and I have to bite my tongue to keep from screaming at how revolting this feels.

  Instead, I study her background view. She’s in the alpha house library. I recognize the bookshelves. This used to be Crigger’s office. Now, it’s hers. It’s a room she’s always claimed to despise. I’m not sure if that was a lie too or if she’s chosen this room to make another point.