said, not quite meeting his eyes. Yes, it would be an effective deterrent. But at what cost?
Chapter 12
When we got back, Chaz made me swear up and down that I wouldn’t go anywhere without an escort—not even back and forth from our cabin to the lodge. Nobody thought Seth would try anything again so soon, particularly as he didn’t know yet exactly how much trouble he was in, but Chaz wasn’t willing to take any chances.
Considering what I’d just gone through, I didn’t argue too much. While I wasn’t sure a babysitter was necessary just to head up to the lodge, I did have to admit I was worried that Gabe or Richard might seek revenge on me. Despite my showing off back there, like Chaz, I’d used guile and the element of surprise to do what little damage I had done. If they had been shifted, my strength wouldn’t have been enough to do much more than ruffle their hair. Not to mention the fact that I could’ve been at risk of being turned furry, too. While I didn’t mind it happening to someone else, the idea of howling at the moon a few days out of the month myself was not a pleasant prospect.
The other guys hung around our cabin, ostensibly to stick with Chaz until moonrise. I was pretty sure they were really there to deter anyone else who might have been thinking about having a go at him. Since Seth had obviously been defeated, I didn’t think any other Were would go after him now, but their caution and show of loyalty pleased me.
While they sat around the table and on the bed, making the tiny space incredibly cramped, I found fresh clothes to change into. I didn’t pay much attention while they talked, though it was amusing that they were still hyped up and excited from the scuffle. They were so busy talking over each other, I don’t think they noticed when I slipped into the bathroom to change.
When I stepped out of the bathroom to find that Kimberly and Paula had joined the impromptu party, I had to make an effort to clamp down on my irritation. Kimberly I didn’t mind so much; she smiled and gave me a wave of greeting. Paula was another matter. The look on her face was one of thinly disguised dislike. God, you’d think I’d gone and kicked her favorite puppy or something.
Both of them were sitting on the bed and watching me as I headed to the kitchenette to prep hot water and towels to clean up Chaz’s wounds. Since they’d been caused by the claws of another Were, they would heal slowly. For most Weres, that would mean days instead of weeks to heal up the damage. For Chaz, that meant hours instead of minutes, thanks to his status as an alpha. He wouldn’t get an infection from the wounds, but I didn’t like looking at the gouges or the idea of him forgetting and getting blood on more of his clothes or the bed or something.
Nick vacated a chair for me, and I scooted over to pull Chaz’s arm into my lap. The girls didn’t say anything while the guys talked and joked about Seth’s getting his ass handed to him, and how much he was going to enjoy being the vampire’s little pet plaything.
Sean was snickering at something Dillon had muttered that I really wasn’t interested in hearing. “You beat him up pretty bad. He’s going to have a hell of a time with the hunt missing those teeth.”
“He deserved it,” Simon said. “He’s lucky he didn’t get branded rogue and kicked out of the pack for all the trouble he’s caused.”
“It’s a life lesson they’ve all got to learn sometime. I was almost as much of a disrespectful cur as he’s being now,” Chaz said, wincing as I scrubbed a bit harder than was strictly necessary at the dried blood on his arm. “You can’t piss on the pack leader’s parade and expect to get away with it. He’s lucky he’s Ricky and Armina’s kid, or I might have done some permanent damage to teach him a lesson. I’m still ticked about my clothes. The bane in Ethan’s tea, too; that was low, even for Seth.”
“You will cause permanent damage once he figures out you’re not kidding about sending him to Royce. Though, really,” Dillon stopped himself and laughed, shaking his head before continuing, “I have to say, I’d pay good money to