A Vigil in the Mourning (Soulbound #4) - Hailey Turner Page 0,26
of the corner, flashing sharp teeth in a not so subtle way.
“Put your teeth away,” Patrick told him.
“They are away,” Wade retorted around a mouthful of food.
His eyes were still brown, with human pupils, and no hint of red scales was showing through his skin. It was a miniscule shift of mass to change his teeth, but it was enough for a flicker of unease to cross Monica’s face. She leaned back on the couch, her gaze lingering on Wade for a few more seconds before she focused on Patrick.
“What is he?” she asked.
“He’s pack,” Patrick replied, deliberately misinterpreting the question.
Monica narrowed her eyes. “My alphas will deal with you alone.”
“I don’t think so,” Wade said, brushing crumbs off his shirt. He poured out the packets of Pop-Tarts and twisted around to shove them in his jacket pockets before getting to his feet. “I go where Patrick goes. You don’t like it, then oh fucking well.”
Wade glared at the god pack werecreatures with an intensity that made some of the surrounding werecreatures drift closer, sensing a threat. Patrick leaned over to grab Wade’s jacket off the couch and hand it to him.
“Put your jacket on,” he said.
Wade made a face. “Does that mean no room service?”
“Jacket now. Room service later.”
Wade grumbled under his breath before making a show about putting it on. He left his garbage where it was, and Patrick would’ve told him to pick up after himself, but he figured the werecreatures on staff could deal with the mess.
Patrick turned to look at Monica. “Neutral ground, or I’m going upstairs and staying there, and anyone who tries to get inside my room is going to regret it.”
Her mouth flattened into a tight line before her gaze strayed back to Wade. Whatever she thought he was, it was enough of a threat to get her to agree. Patrick wasn’t mad she didn’t consider him a threat, but the teenager with a bottomless pit for a stomach scaring her almost made him laugh.
“Your manners are terrible,” Monica said as she stood.
“So I’ve been told. What’s it going to be?”
“I’ll call them.”
Patrick watched her walk off, putting distance between them so he couldn’t hear. Wade could, and his eyes never left her as she spoke on the phone.
“They don’t wanna come out,” Wade reported dutifully. “They’re saying we’re in the wrong. Oh, now she’s saying she doesn’t trust me in front of them.”
Wade seemed pleased about that admission, giving Monica a smug smile when she looked over her shoulder at them. He waved at her before getting distracted by the candy bar Patrick found amidst the wrappers and stuck in front of his eyes.
“Oh, nice. I thought I ate that one,” Wade said, quickly swiping it out of Patrick’s hand.
Wade happily tore it open and took a bite, content to save his Pop-Tarts for later. He kept watching Monica, brows furrowed as he listened in on her conversation. Then his expression cleared, and he turned to face Patrick.
“We’re going to some monk’s bar on the Loop. Will I be allowed inside?” he asked.
“We’ll find out,” Patrick replied.
Wade was underage, and magic didn’t work on him. Patrick couldn’t hide his presence with a ward, and no one would believe Wade looked twenty-one. Sneaking him into a bar was going to take some doing.
Monica eventually returned to where they stood, eyeing them both. “I assume you heard?”
Patrick was already looking up the bar’s address on his phone. “We’ll take a taxi there.”
He knew from past experience trying to find parking at night in any city’s downtown was a fool’s errand. Neutral ground at a bar wasn’t unheard of, but he wondered about the ownership’s ties to the preternatural world. If a god pack was showing up en masse in such a public space, then the bar had to have a policy geared toward accepting them.
“One of my pack will go with you to ensure you actually arrive.”
“They aren’t getting in a taxi with us. If you’re worried about us going back on our word, then you and your paranoia can tail us later. Right now, I’m going upstairs to make a phone call.”
“Hiding already?”
“I’m betting it’ll take time for your alphas to get to the bar. You can hurry up and wait for us. Let’s go, Wade.”
Patrick gestured for Wade to follow him, and they made their way to the bank of elevators. None of the werecreatures attempted to follow them, but Patrick figured that wouldn’t last for long. That meant, as soon