“Don’t move any closer,” he said. His accent was precise, as if he’d learned English rather than growing up with it. I stopped advancing. But I also wouldn’t lower my gaze.
“You ever think about leaving? Walking away from this? From Solomon?”
The werewolf huffed a nervous chuckle. “And do what?”
“Whatever you want.”
He shook his head, like he thought I was joking.
“You know you’re just cannon fodder, right? You stay with him, you’ll get killed eventually. Messily, probably. You know what happened at Hyde Park tonight?”
“That’s not normal.”
“How many of your pack did you lose tonight?” He scowled and didn’t answer. “There’s a war coming. It may get to be normal. You might want to ask yourself if you’re on the right side.”
He fidgeted, nervous, and ducked his gaze, just for a second.
“You don’t owe him anything,” I said, pressing.
“He looks after us—”
“By using you to fight his battles?” I raised a skeptical brow. “Solomon serves Dux Bellorum. He may have told you that Dux Bellorum’s army has no opposition. That the coming war will be easy to win. But they’re wrong. Because we’re here to stop him.”
“This is a trick—”
“No. We’re just tired of werewolves killing each other. Especially for people like Solomon, Mercedes, and Jan.”
I didn’t need an answer from him. I didn’t expect him to drop everything and follow me. I just wanted him to think. Turning, I gestured to Ben and Caleb, indicating it was time to leave.
Then Solomon’s guard said, “I remember you at the convocation. You don’t fight. Is that it? That you don’t want anyone to fight?”
“Oh, I fight. When I need to. But you’re right, I’d rather avoid it.”
“Because you’re weak?’
“Because I’m lazy. Essentially.”
I’d hoped for a laugh. At least a smile. His curled lips remained in a snarl. “This is a trick.”
He backed away. Out of the corner of my vision I saw his partner paralleling him along the houses. They both retreated, without turning their backs to us.
“I think it’s time to go,” Caleb said.
We fell into step and jogged back to the car. By the time we reached it, Cormac had reappeared.
“Where were you?” I asked him conversationally, in a tone that I hope also said, told you so.
“I was there. Saw it all.”
“What, were you invisible?” Could Amelia do that, I wondered?
“How about just not noticeable.”
I decided I didn’t really want to know.
Caleb gave his lieutenant instructions, and the man went back to the shadows he’d emerged from, to guard this corner of their territory. The alpha returned to the driver’s seat.
“This is bloody useless,” Caleb said. “They’re not going to listen to you.”