I froze.
“And not Mom. Or Mark.”
My skin buzzed.
He waited.
“So it’s you,” I said slowly, not quite sure I understood. “And Carter. Kelly.”
“And Gordo.”
“And Gordo,” I repeated flatly. “Where are you going?”
“To do what’s right,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine. There was something building here, something between the two of us, and it wasn’t good. None of it was good.
“Nothing about this is right,” I said. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“I’m telling you now.”
“Because that’s the right—where are you going?”
“After Richard.”
I should have expected that.
I didn’t.
It hit me like a hammer to the chest.
“Why?” I choked out.
“Because he took from us,” Joe said, hands curling into fists. “He took from us, all of us. From me. From you. You told me that we needed to—”
“I was angry,” I cried at him. “People say things when they’re angry.”
“Well I still am! And you should be too. Ox, he—”
“And what do you think you’re going to do?” I asked him. “What do you think could possibly happen here?”
“I am going to hunt him down,” Joe said, claws popping. “And I am going to kill him for everything he’s taken from me.”
“You can’t divide the pack,” I said, sounding rather desperate. “Not now. Joe, you are the goddamn Alpha. They need you here. All of them. Together. Do you really think they’d agree to—”
“I already told them days ago.” He winced. Then, “Shit.”
The buzzing intensified. “You did what.”
I looked at each of them in turn.
Carter and Kelly were staring at the floor.
Mark and Elizabeth met my gaze. Elizabeth’s eyes were dull and muted. Mark looked harder than I’d ever seen him before.
And Gordo. He—
“Ox—” Gordo started.
“No,” I snapped. “I’ll deal with you later.”