Tyson blows out a whistle. Mase is flexing his jaw muscles, having second-hand anger, and Riley’s mouth has dropped open, but he’s got his eyes on his mate, who is shrinking slightly under his gaze.
Carrie puts her arm around Bailey, who isn’t looking at any of us.
Danica’s eyes flit up from an examination of her fingernails to level me with a dirty look before speaking.
“And I feel strongly enough about this that I’ve come back and rescheduled my vacation. Since you’ve said what you’ve said, I’ll add that I’d like to call a vote with my sisters to make it longer than three days.”
“This bitch,” I mutter, gesturing and looking to my council co-alphas for support.
They all look ticked. Except Grey. He’s just watching, not outwardly reacting.
“Easy,” Riley warns me.
But fuck this shit.
Bailey stares at Danica with wide eyes. “I’m sorry about your vacation, Dani.”
“Don’t be. I made my choice.”
I scoff with bitter laughter. “So I get back here after a long fucking flight, worrying about my mate and dealing with torture of being cut off from her, being locked up for days, dealing with that Starling coven bullshit, and you guys who mated already can appreciate what that might have been like, but imagine being locked away from her for days while seeing she’s in danger, then she disappears and when you finally get to her you reach out to finally, finally fucking touch her, do you get how it felt to instead fly back ten feet to land on your ass feeling like you stuck your fingers and your toes into electrical sockets?”
“Shit,” Linc mutters.
Tyson growls. Yeah,hecan imagine.
Joel looks pissed on my behalf.
“Rikki?” Rye asks, and his expression is hard.
Erica squares her shoulders and looks him in the eyes.
“You said nothing to me,” he says.
She has no response, but she bites her lip, looking a little contrite.
“Cancel it, Danica,” I demand.
“No,” the blonde bitch calmly denies.
“Let me and Bailey work out our shit ourselves.”
“Feel free to work out your shit,” she responds, “with actions. Words. Without touching her.”
“I’ve got some actions in mind,” I fire back and give Bailey a carnal once over.
She startles, going wide-eyed.
“Actions she doesn’t want. Which is why your way of–” Danica holds up air quotes – “fixing ithas been taken off the table.”
“Cockblocked by witches,” I mutter. “This fucking coven.”
“Cockblocked?” Bailey whispers with disgust. “You’re a pig, Jason Creed. A disgusting pig I want not one thing to do with!”
Graydon and Greyson both look away, Graydon’s mouth contorting with a lip curl.
Bailey’s mother’s face is red.
“Maybe you shouldn’t be here for this, Carrie, Graydon. My apologies,” I say. “I’m not thinking clearly, what with this nonsense. I don’t mean to be disrespectful to you.”