“You came here for allies,” I tell him. “Let us be allies. Even if it’s not the way you planned, at least let us try.”
He sighs. “They’re encroaching day by day. They’ve managed to get around our stunning bombs, and they’re close. They’re really close to breaking through our last barriers.”
“What will happen?” Lola whispers, dropping down on my shoulder.
“They’ll kill all the males and give the females the chance to join them or die too.”
My heart aches. There has to be something.
There is,Jarron says in a somber tone.It’s not a lot, but if Manuela can make a portal for me to get there, even just one hour – I can push them back.
Hope wells in my chest, even as fear prickles the edges.
Isn’t Manuela still hiding from you?
He sighs.I’ll make peace for this. For you.
“Thompson, I need you to give us exact details on where the enemy wolves are and call all of your pack back to safety. It’s a temporary fix, but I’ve got a plan to drive them back.”
* * *
An hour later, Manuela has a shimmering portal set up in the middle of the sunroom. I have a hard time imagining the administration is just okay with this sort of thing right in the middle of the school, but then again, it’s not the first time she’s done it.
How did you get her back here so fast?I ask Jarron through our link, even though he’s standing right next to me.Did you always know how to find her?
Yes, I knew how to find her. She could slip away from me fairly easily if she wanted, but I knew where I could at least contact her. I told her I’d pardon her crimes against me if she helped me right now. It had to be now. She came immediately.
Based on her demeanor you’d never know she was in hiding an hour ago. Her hip is popped, arms crossed, smug as hell. The only significant clue is that the beautiful red-headed wolf shifter she’s been dating is clinging to her waist, quietly watching the whole thing. She at least seems happy Manuela is back.
“All of this trouble for an inconsequential wolf pack.” She shakes her head in annoyance.
“They’re not inconsequential,” I growl.
Manuela blinks at me, noticing the unusual bite to my tone. That word gets under my skin.
“He matters to my mate,” Jarron says. “So he matters to me.”
Manuela narrows her eyes at me. “I’d like to claim you to be a naïve human, but I know better.”
Part of me wants to defend my belief in Thompson, but in the end, I decide to simply say, “Thompson is my friend.”
Manuela looks me over. “I hope one day to earn that title.”
Jarron blinks, surprise crossing his features. “High praise,” he murmurs to me before leaning down to plant a firm kiss to my lips. “I’ll be back soon.”
“I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you too.”
Then, he steps through the simmering magic and disappears from sight.
“I told you it could all work out for the best,” Manuela mutters to me the moment he’s gone.
I huff.
She winks. “It always helps to know their soft spots, even when you’re allies.”
“How did you make a portal all the way to Tennessee in minutes?” Janet asks, eyes wide. It’s absurd enough that she can just make portals, but Janet is right; this is beyond anything I’d ever thought possible.
