The Raven was just that: a temple. Or it had been. A building now encased the ruins, but the dance floor remained the original, ancient stones of some long-forgotten god’s temple, and the carved stone pillars throughout still stood from that time. To dance inside was to worship that nameless god, hinted at in the age-worn carvings of satyrs and fauns drinking and dancing and fucking amid grapevines. A temple to pleasure—that’s what it had once been. And what it had become again.
A cluster of young mountain-lion shifters prowled past, a few twisting back to growl in invitation. Bryce ignored them and sidled over to an alcove at the left of the Raven’s service doors. She leaned against the slick stone, tucked the wine into the crook of her arm, braced a foot on the wall behind her as she bobbed her head to the music pouring out of a nearby car, and finally typed: Pizza. Saturday night at six. If you’re late, it’s over.
Instantly, Connor began typing in reply. Then the bubble paused. Then started again.
Then finally, the message came.
I’ll never keep you waiting.
She rolled her eyes and wrote, Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
More typing, deleting, typing. Then, You mean it—about the pizza?
Do I look like I’m joking, Connor?
You looked delicious when you left the apartment.
Heat curled in her, and she bit her lip. Charming, arrogant bastard. Tell Danika I’m going to the Raven with Juniper and Fury. I’ll see you in two days.
Done. What about what’s-his-face?
REID is officially dumped.
Good. I was getting worried I’d have to kill him.
Her gut churned.
He quickly added, Kidding, Bryce. I won’t go alphahole on you, I promise.
Before she could answer, her phone buzzed again.
Danika, this time. HOW DARE YOU GO TO THE RAVEN WITHOUT ME. TRAITOR.
Bryce snorted. Enjoy Pack Night, loser.
DO NOT HAVE FUN WITHOUT ME. I FORBID YOU.
She knew that as much as it killed Danika to stay in, she wouldn’t leave the pack. Not on the one night they all had together, the night they used to keep the bonds between them strong. Not after this shitstorm of a day. And especially not while Briggs was on the loose, with a reason to get back at the whole Pack of Devils.
That loyalty was why they loved Danika, why they fought so fiercely for her, went to the mat for her again and again when Sabine publicly wondered if her daughter was worthy of the responsibilities and status as second in line. The power hierarchy among the wolves of Crescent City was dictated by dominance alone—but the three-generation lineage that made up the Prime of the wolves, Prime Apparent, and whatever Danika was （the Apparent Prime Apparent?） was a rarity. Powerful, ancient bloodlines was the usual explanation.
Danika had spent countless hours looking into the history of the dominant shifter packs in other cities—why lions had come to rule in Hilene, why tigers oversaw Korinth, why falcons reigned in Oia. Whether the dominance that determined the Prime Alpha status passed through families or skipped around. Non-predatory shifters could head up a city’s Aux, but it was rare. Honestly, most of it bored Bryce to tears. And if Danika had ever learned why the Fendyr family claimed such a large share of the dominance pie, she’d never told Bryce.
Bryce wrote back to Connor, Good luck handling Danika.
He simply replied, She’s telling me the same about you.
Bryce was about to put her phone away when the screen flashed again. Connor had added, You won’t regret this. I’ve had a long while to figure out all the ways I’m going to spoil you. All the fun we’re going to have.
Stalker. But she smiled.
Go enjoy yourself. I’ll see you in a few days. Message me when you’re home safe.
She reread the conversation twice because she really was an absolute fucking loser, and was debating asking Connor to skip waiting and just meet her now, when something cool and metal pressed against her throat.
“And you’re dead,” crooned a female voice.
Bryce yelped, trying to calm the heart that had gone from stupid-giddy to stupid-scared in the span of one beat.
“Don’t fucking do that,” she hissed at Fury as the female lowered the knife from Bryce’s throat and sheathed it across her back.
“Don’t be a walking target,” Fury said coolly, her long onyx hair tied high in a ponytail that brought out the sharp lines of her light brown face. She scanned the line into the Raven, her deep-set chestnut eyes marking everything and promising death to anyone who crossed her. But beneath that … mercifully, the black leather leggings, skintight velvet top, and ass-kicking boots did not smell of blood. Fury gave Bryce a once-over. “You barely put on any makeup. That little human should have taken one look at you and known you were about to dump his ass.”