Page 77 of Poet & Protector

He wasn’t alone. For a moment I was disappointed then decided it was a good thing he’d come to the bar with his packmates in tow because it helped me check my behavior. I met Mason’s eyes, quickly realized it was a mistake, and turned my attention to the Nightshade alpha. And did a double take.

Mason had mentioned Calla suffering some kind of makeover dictated by her mother. I didn’t pay much attention to the way Mason’s alpha dressed, but whatever was going on tonight was next level. The velvet corset wrapped around her torso looked like something Sabine would wear to Eden, the difference being Sabine was accustomed to it, and judging by the way Calla kept tugging at her corset’s hem, she wasn’t a fan.

The Nightshade alpha had yet to acknowledge me, but I didn’t take offense. Calla’s attention was obviously elsewhere, her gaze roaming the second floor. I knew who she was hunting for. It was interesting to observe our alphas dance around each other, always jockeying for power, seeking any new advantages. I thought it was obvious they were as drawn to each other as they were adversarial. At the moment I gave fifty-fifty odds to them making it to the altar without a major blowup.

When Calla turned her attention to me, I smiled. “We have a table at the back. He’s waiting for you.”

I led the Nightshades away from the bar and past the dance floor to the secluded corner my pack had claimed. Ren’s arms stretched along the back of the sofa he occupied. Sabine snuggled up to our alpha, nuzzling his neck. It was an unfortunate pose for Calla to catch him in. She had no context for what was happening. I swallowed a sigh and closed my eyes. This wasn’t going to be an easy night for Sabine.

At my back I heard Bryn say, “I wouldn’t let a succubus get that close, if I were him.”

Bryn’s mistaking Sabine for one of the dancers was understandable. My packmate’s outfit was nearly identical to those worn by the club’s demonic go-go girls. I might have laughed at her comment were it not for the awful truth behind Sabine’s appearance.

“Slut.” Fey tried to hide the insult behind a cough.

My eyelids snapped up and my hands balled into fists. It took all my willpower to stop myself from spinning around and snarling at her. This was why I’d hated the Nightshades for so long. They had no idea what we dealt with from Efron. Especially Sabine.

Watching us from behind the shield of Stephen Tor’s protection, they passed judgment with careless ignorance. When we came together, and the Nightshades learned about Sabine’s years-long ordeal, I would make them understand how wrong they’d been.

Sabine would ignore their snide comments, but I knew each one cut her and even the slightest injuries eventually added up to a gaping wound. I was fairly confident the Nightshades would revise their attitudes when the time came. Mason already felt guilty for being so naive about the reality of pack life for Banes, as did Ansel after Mason shared our painful history with his best friend.

Even so, it wasn’t ideal for Calla to walk in on this scene and completely misread it. I took it upon myself to intervene.

“Hey, Ren.” I wedged myself between him and Sabine. “Look who I found.”

My alpha went from languid to alert instantly, though he didn’t give away any outward sign of the change. Whenever Calla was near, Ren’s energy became volatile, like he couldn’t quite control his reactions to her. Anyone who knew him well could feel it, but I got the sense Calla remained deeply unsure about her intended mate. It was going to take a lot of time for them to trust each other.

Ren’s gaze drank in every inch of Calla. She might be uncomfortable in her new get-up, but my alpha was a fan.

“You guys look great.” He waved the other Nightshades toward the cluster of couches. “Please join us.”

Turning to Sabine and me, he said, “Make room for Calla.”

I looked at the empty glasses on the table and made a split-second decision.

Catching Mason’s eye, I asked, “Make a bar run with me?”

My suggestion surprised him and he startled briefly, but he recovered in the next second and shrugged. I started toward the bar. Taking Mason away from the packs so soon was maybe a bad call. On the one hand, I needed a few minutes alone with him to gauge the situation and set some ground rules. A drink run was the perfect excuse. On the other, we’d be together without supervision.

When Mason caught up with me, he leaned in and whispered, “Are you trying to kill me?”

The warmth of his breath flowed over my ear and my entire body tightened in response. At the same time, contentment spilled through me at the simple fact of his nearness.

“Come again?” I’d spent my life perfecting a blasé response to nearly everything as a form of self-preservation, but in this moment it was absolutely paying off for much more enjoyable reasons.

“Leather. Pants.” Mason elbowed me. “Not fair, Nev. Not fair at all.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” It was very, very hard not to smile, but I would never admit that I had specifically picked this outfit because I suspected what it would do to him.

“Of course you don’t.” Mason spared me an irritated glance.

Satisfaction rolled through my limbs, knowing I could affect him the way he constantly affected me. Mason was always so unbelievably irresistible. He had no idea. Not in the ‘everyone thinks I’m pretty, but I’m totally clueless’ way. Mason was fully aware of his hotness. He could, and would, wield it like a weapon.

What he didn’t understand was the pure magnetism he possessed. He had an aura of light and laughter that was nothing less than addictive once you had a taste of it. I considered Ansel to be the warm heart of the young Nightshade pack, but Mason was its soul.

“Evening, Mason,” Caleb greeted him when we reached the bar.

“Hey, Caleb,” Mason replied. “How’s your night going?”