Page 77 of Tempting Fate

“I didn’t realise he was recording. Livestreaming. Not until after.”

Kieran knows that, of course, so his only response is a nod.

“Then I called Alpha Axel,” Patch continues. “We came straight here.”

Em faintly trembles and Patch’s gaze darts straight to him. He strains like he wants to reach out but is preventing himself from moving.

Is he angry too? I don’t see how he can be. I told him to tell him, not lure him into the shadows and transform. He’s lucky Em didn’t have a fucking heart attack.

“It is worse than just that,” Alpha Deacon says. If Axel’s voice is soaked in anger, then Deacon’s is dripping with disappointment. “When we asked you about Emerson, we expected you had done your due diligence.”

It’s Kieran’s turn to flinch, and when Sam’s hand tightens around my wrist, this time, I don’t think he means to do it. The tips of Kieran’s ears redden. “I did,” he says.

“You did not uncover any of his social media accounts.”

“We couldn’t find anything under his name. Or under an alias. We did all we could.”

Deacon sighs. “Show him.”

Em’s head falls even further forward as Axel turns his computer screen so we can all see. It’s a social media account—Em’s social media account, I guess—and it’s filled with video after video of him trying to find so-called mythical creatures.

My heart breaks a little bit. He’s trying to find magic. That’s what he came here for, and now he’s found it, and they—

“What’s going to happen?” I ask, and everyone but Em whirls around to face me. Patch looks pained, like he doesn’t want me here. Did he really ask for me? I can’t believe it.

“Excuse me?” Axel asks. A growl echoes through his voice.

“Axel,” Deacon says, a warning. His gaze doesn’t soften any when he turns it back on me. “Patch will be dealt with by his alpha. Emerson must leave the city once we have done our best to clean up some of the mess he caused.”

“Leave?” I scowl. “You can’t just—”

“We can,” Deacon says firmly. A decree. Looking at Kieran’s face, I know he’ll follow it. “It is the least we can do.”

“He didn’t know about werewolves.”

“Oh, no?” Axel asks. He glares at Em. “We found the email. Tell him.”

Em shakes all over. I want to reach for him, but that doesn’t seem like the wisest idea. Instead, I wait. He doesn’t look up; he clutches at his own legs and when he finally speaks, his voice is hesitant and thick.

“I… I came to London looking for a werewolf.”

“He’s being paid for it,” Axel all but spits. He opens another window on his screen. “Fifty grand. Fifty thousand to betray us all.”

That’s why he came to London? That’s the job? I swallow hard. I still don’t understand why I’m here, but if they’re going to force Em to leave—which I’m fairly sure, despite everything, they can’t do—then I know what I want to do next.

I look at Deacon. Not Kieran. Not Axel. “I want to speak to them both alone.”

Axel erupts. He leaps to his feet and Sam tugs me back, but I do my best to stand firm. I don’t really need their permission. I just want them to leave.

“Enough, Axel,” Deacon says, and there’s some resonant quality to his voice that wasn’t there a moment ago. Axel immediately drops back into his seat. Patch tips his head to one side, baring his throat in a way I’ve seen other wolves do before.

Kieran’s jaw tenses, but he otherwise doesn’t move. I don’t really understand what his deal is, but either he’s stronger than the other two, or he knows Deacon better.

It doesn’t stop him from moving when Deacon pushes off from the wall and walks towards me. Kieran positions himself between the two of us and, next to me, Sam lets out a quiet gasp.

“I’m not going to hurt him,” Deacon says. His voice is softer now, and when he looks at me, he doesn’t look angry. Not that he should. I didn’t cause any of this mess. “Just let me take a look, hm?”

Kieran looks back at me. I nod. If this is what gets me time to speak to Em and Patch, I’ll take it. He frowns but steps aside, and Lucien reaches for his hand as though on instinct.