Wild Things: A Chicagolands Vampire Novel by Chloe Neill

Author:Chloe Neill
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781101637654
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2014-02-04T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

COME ON, ALINE

We found Gabriel in Papa Breck’s office, sitting on the floor with Tanya and Connor, who sat on a colorful mat and gnawed on the ear of a plastic giraffe. He wore a long-sleeved baby-sized NAC shirt and baby jeans, which were stupidly adorable. I had an urge—the first, as far as I’m aware—to nibble his little sausage toes. I decided the urge would not necessarily be welcome from someone with fangs, and kept my place.

Gabriel looked up, scanned us. “Good evening.”

“You left a mess back there,” Ethan said. “I presume that was intentional?”

“Intentional enough,” Gabriel allowed. “We had to cancel Lup. There’s no sense in continuing to risk the Pack to whatever’s out there—or whatever presumptively extinct group of supernatural assholes decide to show up on our doorstep tonight.”

“They weren’t happy about the decision,” Ethan carefully said, considering Gabriel.

“Of course they aren’t. They’re shifters. They don’t give up, and they don’t give in.”

“Which is why you made the decision for them,” I said.

Gabriel nodded, pleased. “Well done, Kitten. If the Pack can’t make the hard choices, I do it for them. If they decide the choice was wrong, they can confirm someone else as Apex.”

We’d seen that before, when Adam Keene challenged Gabriel for control of the NAC. The fight hadn’t been successful, and we hadn’t seen or heard from Adam since.

“It’s the way of our world,” Gabriel said. “Out of curiosity, who threw the fit?”

“A delicate flower named Lethal,” Ethan said. “I presume the moniker was well earned.”

Gabriel acknowledged that with a nod and didn’t look surprised at the identity of the troublemaker.

“Emma stood up for your family, for the Pack,” I said, smiling at Tanya. “And did a good job of it.”

“She’s got a good head on her shoulders. Entire family does, of course,” Gabriel added, smiling at Tanya. He brushed fingers across her cheek.

“She’s also got a great right hook,” Ethan said.

“I taught her that,” Tanya said, smiling up at Ethan. “We only look delicate.”

“That is truth if I’ve ever heard it,” Gabriel said, tickling Connor until the baby hiccupped with delight. “Any leads?”

“Not yet,” Ethan said. “But we have a plan. Just need to touch base with the House. It would be helpful to get Pack feedback on anything we do find.”

Nick stepped into the room, acknowledged us with a nod. “No one’s put forth a challenge yet,” he told Gabriel.

“It will happen or it won’t,” Gabriel said. He bobbed his head toward us. “They need to talk to their team in Chicago. I think you can oblige them with the technology?”

It was posed as a question, but his tone made the order obvious. Nick nodded obediently.

We followed him down a long, window-lined corridor to the western wing of the house, which had never been occupied, as far as I knew. This part of the house was utterly silent, and it was easy to imagine ghosts lurking in the darkened ends of corridors and inside wardrobes.

Ethan looked at me, and I shrugged. Whatever Nick had planned was a mystery to me.

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