Alpha Ember (ALPHA KANE BOOK 2)

13. Persuasion

Ember

"I'm never leaving you alone with Kane ever again," I told Darius, batting away his cellphone when he tried snapping a picture of a sleeping Kane.

He'd fallen asleep sometime during our confrontation, dark eyelashes wet against his cheeks although his expression was peaceful. He was completely out of it.

"Is he a lightweight?" I asked, brushing a lock of hair from his brow. His hair was shorter than it'd been the last time I saw him.

"Give him a break, he has a broken heart," Darius replied.

"I didn't break his heart."

"What do you call eloping-"

"I didn't elope! I just went to a party with Arius because he didn't have anyone else."

"Pointy Ears asked you to be his friend?" Darius asked, tapping his skull ring on the armchair. "Are you forming a loser's club together?"

I deadpanned. "You're going to mock me no matter what I do, aren't you?"

"Bingo. At least until our broken-hearted alpha wakes up and continues the none-shall-sully-my-Ember-and-her-name fiasco. Luckily he shouldn't be waking up anytime soon, I gave him a little something extra."

"That's the last time you're giving him a little something extra," I said, leaning down so I was eye level with him. All the better for him to see the threat in my gaze. "I mean it."

He snorted. "A little less threats and more claws is a little something extra I'd try if I were you. You are in charge now, you know."

"Not right now she isn't," Jett said, startling me with his silent appearance. "She should get some rest first. Go sleep, Ember."

I shook my head. "This isn't the time for sleep, I need to find out what Light is and how to stop him."

"Light is a wave and as far as I know sunglasses and some sunscreen usually keeps it away," Darius said.

I mock applauded him. "Thank you for that bit of information, Einstein."

"Go home, drunkard," Jett told him, then to me, "I made a few phone calls, we'll be up early and spending the entire day interrogating people and reading every book available on Halflings. You've already been through a lot today, you need rest."

It was like my body was waiting for someone else to notice how tired it was before letting me feel the fatigue. The exhaustion hit me the moment he said 'rest', but couldn't help resisting it. It felt like there was so much to do before those two weeks were up, felt like we should be putting up electric fences, stationing tanks outside the house and hiring a hundred snipers instead of sleeping. Not to mention the matter of the angry mothers out for my blood.

"What if Donna comes back with reinforcements?" I asked.

"She tried to hide it but she was scared of me when I dropped them on the curb," Jett said, walking over and sliding open the kitchen screen. "Hybrids are the best detergent for potentially mutinous werewolves. Besides, I'll be walking the perimeter of the house with another pack member."

"I'm not helping you walk the perimeter," Darius protested.

Jett's expression tightened. "I wasn't talking about you. Go home, drunkard."

Darius snorted. "I'm not drunk, I'm intoxicated."

"Ember, if I have to spend another second with him..."