Chapter 1
“I need someone to check the West area and make sure that scream wasn’t an outsider.”
“I’m on it.”
Alexa Bennett followed her answer with a dash toward the area, not waiting for further instructions. Her clan leader, Angelo Bennett, was already striding in the opposite direction with more instructions for her fellow shifters. The wind whipped her face at her speed, a cooling she gulped in. Trees blurred from her left while the field stretched out to her right, her home for the longest time. But the area was quiet, indicating that most of their kin had either settled in their forest mansion or their city houses for the night. It made it easier to spot the commotion ahead, urging her to go even faster until she reached her destination.
“Hey, hey. Break it up. What’s going on here?”
Two teenagers jumped apart at her voice, but not without scowling at each other. Then one of the boys glared at her, an expression so familiar that it didn’t faze her. Charlie Bennett kept frowning, anyway, reddish hair glinting in the moonlight and practically shaking with aggravation.
“He started it,” the other teenage boy said. “He can’t take a joke and has a stick up his ass—”
“Language,” she countered, frowning at Vito Bennett.
“He’s an asshole—”
“Language,” she repeated, spinning to sear Charlie with a look. The boy hissed but didn’t move from his spot, despite his trembling muscles. “Did you throw the first punch?”
“I did.” There was a spark of satisfaction. “He screamed like a baby.”
“I screamed like a man,” Vito protested. “You are the careless idiot!”
“And you are the judgmental wimp! Don’t you dare talk about her like that!”
All too well, she began to comprehend what the subject of the conversation was Her back straightened as she studied one’s defensive stance before she turned to the other’s sneering face.
“I will talk about her as much as I like. That freak is going to stab us in the back when the time comes,” Vito spat out.
“Are we talking about Daria?”
Vito glanced at her, pleased at her soft tone. He nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, that freak.”
“Daria Sinclair?” she clarified, ignoring the insult.
“Yes.”
“The same Daria Sinclair who is younger than you two, completely blind, and hails from the Sinclair clan, our allies?”
Vito’s smug look dropped—either because he wasn’t fully aware of the details or he wasn’t expecting her to call him out. She banked on the latter and watched him open his mouth.
“But they are.”
“Our allies,” she cut in, a firm reminder. “Because our clan leader’s sister married their clan leader.”
Vito struggled between making a face and trying to be respectful and ended up with a comical expression. Then he sneered once more.
“They will never be one of us. Bianca is no longer part of our clan.”
“I see.” And she did see. Lightly, she added, “I suppose you can mention that to Angelo and have him deal with the situation, then. Maybe you can tell him about your opinion of his sister.”
The smug look was wiped off immediately as Vito paled, obviously not as bold as he projected. He gulped.
“I’m sure he is busy.”
“I’m sure he can spare the time. Unless you are the one busy?”
Like clockwork, Vito grasped the exit given and mumbled something incoherent, chin jutting out before he walked away.