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.But that should be safe enough.“Why Santa Cruz?” Gage asked and stuffed his mouth as if the food might run out.Axel knew the feeling.“No other packs – that we knew of,” Ben said.“Why didn’t you approach us before?”Quinton scowled at Gage.“I was out of town.College.”“Oh, don’t be shy.Q was at law school.He’s going to be a big shot attorney, just like his papi.Right?” Gage said, and Axel wondered if he was being sarcastic or not.It was difficult to tell sometimes.Ben whistled.Quinton’s cheeks turned dark red.He whispered something in Spanish, at least Axel assumed it was Spanish, and shook his head.“I’m not going to be a big shot.Just a normal lawyer.”Gage swiped the final bite of tortilla across his plate and shoved it in his mouth.“You see his papi, Señor Santos, was our alpha.He was a great man.Represented the migrant workers against the gringo farmers who didn’t want to pay them much.He helped many people in Santa Cruz, that’s why my parents followed him.Q is just in it for the money.Not that he needs it.He got everything, including this house.”Ben leaned back, eyes wide.Axel sat still.Shit.This was like walking into the middle of his parents arguing.He knew they didn’t belong here, but they couldn’t get up and leave without drawing attention to themselves.Quinton shoved his plate away.“Sorry to disappoint you.Why don’t you be as great a man as your father, Varela? Pull the weeds in the yard.It could use it.”For one terrible moment, Axel was sure Gage would punch Quinton.And if that happened, he sure as hell wasn’t going to get into the middle of it.This wasn’t his pack.It wasn’t his fight.Instead, Gage narrowed his eyes and grabbed Quinton’s plate.“Don’t waste food.There are starving children in Africa.”Quinton took a deep breath and stared at the table.Gage ate the rest of Quinton’s breakfast without a word.Axel scowled at both of them.They wanted help defending their territory and they weren’t even on good terms with each other?“So what happened to him? Your father? Your whole pack, actually,” Ben asked.Of course Ben would ask that.He couldn’t keep his curiosity in check.Quinton stopped moving and took a sharp breath.Gage looked at his pack mate, then turned his hazel eyes to Ben.“Dead.They all died.It’s not important.”Quinton didn’t have anything to add.Axel stared.“How?” Ben breathed.“I said it’s not important,” Gage answered with a growl.Axel stood, his chair rocking backwards.“Don’t growl at him.”Then Quinton threw down his napkin like a man at a fancy restaurant who found a fly in his food.“Enough.Why are you here, Mr.Cross?”Axel flinched.He didn’t want to be Mr.Cross – it was his father’s name.He was just Axel.“You know why.Your pack needs help.”“The Westside pack can take care of itself,” Quinton spat.“You’re the Westside pack?” Ben asked.His bemused tone didn’t fit the situation.“Back in Pittsburgh we were part of the Westside pack too.”Quinton frowned.“Every major city has an east side and a west side.”“Well Gage invited us,” Ben said, arms crossed and lips pursed.“He wanted us to join your pack.But we should get to know each other first.We can’t just jump into being a pack without–”“Without what? Being friends? Trusting each other? I never said I wanted you to be in our pack.And I never said I’d follow you – either of you,” Quinton said, chest heaving.Axel’s heart thumped like a drum.Gage bared his fangs and gripped the table so his nails dug into the thick, pitted wood.He looked ready to throttle Quinton.Axel glowered at them both.“I never said I wanted to be your alpha.”“This is stupid,” Ben started.“No.Varela inviting you here was stupid,” Quinton said.“It’s Blake,” Gage said suddenly, his eyes holding Quinton’s gaze.“Dominic Blake is back.”A gull cried outside the window, trying to join the argument.Quinton gaped, closed his mouth, than sat down slowly.“I thought you said—”“I was wrong.He’s got a new Eastside pack, and he knows we’re still here,” Gage snarled.Axel didn’t know who Dominic Blake was, or why it was important.His skin prickled with annoyance.If they weren’t going to tell him and Ben what was going on.“You should leave,” Quinton mumbled wearily, eyes unfocused.Gage didn’t argue with that, for once.After a moment of silence, Axel grabbed Ben’s hand and marched out.Ben stumbled after him, but Axel didn’t let go until they spilled out of the gate and stood in front of the little compact car.The same car that got them away from their old life.It looked worn and faded against the grandeur of the house.“What the hell was that about?” Ben said, eyes wide.Axel took a deep breath, the sea air clearing his head.“Don’t know,” he mumbled and climbed into the car.Ben pulled his knees up to his chest in the passenger seat.“What a waste of time.I let Mindy open the shop for this.”Axel looked at the beach.He had plenty of natural light to work, even with the overcast sky.Maybe he’d head to the beach and take more photos.He knew dealing with strange wolves was a bad idea.“I’ll drop you off at the shop,” he said and the car sputtered as he started it.Dammit.He’d have to take it to Tony’s shop before it broke down this time.Though he didn’t know how they’d afford it.Ben chewed his bottom lip and looked out the window.“Did you see it? Those scars on Quinton’s face?”Axel shook his head [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]