“I don’t think this is funny,” Jackson said.
“Neither do I. ”
“I’m done with this. ”
“What does that mean?”
“I mean I’m done. I’m out of here. This isn’t my job. ”
I sat upright in my chair. “Jackson, don’t do anything stupid. ”
“More stupid than sitting here and letting this drunk bit…jackass treat me like dirt under her very expensive heels—as she is constantly reminding me? Fuck it. ”
Looked like I wasn’t the only one Kellen was treating like crap today. I wish I could have said it felt good not to be the lone member of the club, but I couldn’t. My partner in crime was about to bail on me. “Jackson, you can’t leave her. If there’s no one there to watch her, she’s going to bolt. ”
“Do you know what she’s doing right now?”
“Drinking?”
“No. She’s angling all of her mirrors so they face each other, because she read on the internet it was a surefire way to open gateways to parallel realities and invite fairies in. Does that sound to you like someone who wants to be protected from the fae?”
“She’s under a spell. I don’t think she has any idea what she’s doing. ” But I didn’t sound sure of it myself.
“I don’t give a fuck. ”
Where had the mild-mannered, sweet, shy wolf gone? Jackson had never been this cold before. Kellen must have been acting like a real cow if she’d pushed him over the edge this quickly.
“Do you think you can hold out for the rest of the night?”
“Look, Secret…I know you’re my Queen and I’m supposed to respect your word as law and all that stuff. And I know I probably owe you this. ”
“Yeah, no kidding. ”
“But if I last another hour without murdering her, it will be a miracle. ”
“Oh. ” Fuck.
“Either you come here for a changing of the guard, or I’m letting this dizzy bitch run off to her
fairy lala land. ” He had to be really mad if he’d dropped the b word, which was a big no-no for werewolves. “Why are you stopping her anyway? She obviously wants to go. Let her. ”
“You have no idea what I went through to get her back. What I sacrificed. ”
“Send her back. If they want her, maybe they’ll return your shit. ”
I laughed unhappily. “She isn’t an ugly Christmas gift I can send back to Bloomingdale’s. ”
There was silence, and Jackson gave a heavy sigh. “I’ll wait for as long as it takes you to get here. ”
I couldn’t ask for much more from him at this point.
Brigit was across the room and had been pretending not to listen, but the second Jackson made his bargain she got to her feet and started waving her hands and shaking her head.
“Okay. I understand. I’m on my way. ” I hung up and got my aching body off the chair, my muscles groaning in protest.
“I’m sorry, but did you miss the waving hands? That means no. ”
“I know. ”