Mouth tightening, Greta narrowed her eyes. “Don’t think I don’t know you were the one who first suggested he take me for a meal.”
Riley’s mouth curved. “Like I told him, I just want you to be happy.” What she wanted was to make Greta feel awkward as revenge for her being so awful toward Savannah. The little girl had bitten her once—once—and she hadn’t even pierced the skin, but Greta persistently whined about it to make Savannah feel bad. Having Allen around, flirting and trying to charm her, wasn’t something that Greta was very good at handling without blushing like crazy—probably because she was a terrible prude.
“You might have him fooled, but I see you for what you are,” sneered Greta. “Common through and through.”
Riley put down her cup. “Look, Gretchen—”
“It’s Greta.”
“I don’t care.”
As Greta proceeded to rant, Makenna leaned into Riley and asked, “Will you ever refer to her by her real name?”
“It’s unlikely,” replied Riley. Not when not doing so was the easiest way to annoy the old crone.
Savannah hissed at Greta, which made the other kids laugh.
Greta dramatically put a protective hand to her throat and turned to Riley. “Do you have no control over that child? She’s vicious.”
Riley sighed. “Are we back to this again?”
“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by her behavior since she has you for a role model,” sniped Greta. “I mean, look at you. You’re supposed to be taking care of them, but you were drinking all night like you’re not responsible for anyone but yourself.”
Riley snickered. “Lady, you have hair sticking out your nostrils—you don’t get to judge me.”
Taryn nearly choked on whatever she was eating, and Greta instantly turned all that bitchiness onto the Alpha female, calling her one name after another.
“Good one.” Makenna smiled at Riley. “But she still hates me more than she hates you.”
“Really? Bummer.” Noticing Tao leave the room, Riley leaned into Makenna and asked, “Is there any chance you could watch over the kids for me for a couple of hours? I need to get a few things done.” She didn’t add that she was leaving pack territory; Makenna would insist that she take someone along for protection, and she wanted to have her meeting in private.
“Of course,” Makenna agreed easily. “I love spending time with them. And they love climbing Ryan like he’s a fence post.”
Yeah, they sure did, but he didn’t complain. Nope, the poor guy often just stood there, quiet and stoic . . . which was pretty much how Ryan always looked, really.
Once she was done with her breakfast, Riley told the kids to be good for Makenna and Ryan and then headed through the network of tunnels. Out of the mountain, she jogged down the steps carved into the cliff face and into the concealed parking lot. There were several pack vehicles for everyone to use at their leisure. Riley headed for the nearest SUV . . . only to find Tao leaning against it.
He opened the passenger door for her and asked, “So, where are we headed?”
She sighed. “I don’t need you to come.”
“You can’t go off alone, Riley. None of us do anymore. The anti-shifter groups are getting more problematic. Just a few months ago they were here calling for Dexter’s death, remember.”
How could she forget? The two-year-old cub had been living alone on the streets for a while, surviving on scraps. No one was sure just how long he’d been homeless; he came to the attention of Social Services only when video footage of him partially shifting was uploaded on YouTube. That footage had also captured the attention of the human anti-shifter extremists, who had called for him to be “put down” like a rabid dog. Instead Social Services had taken him to a shelter for lone shifters.
“Don’t tell me I’m staying behind,” said Tao. “You know I won’t.”
“Look, it’s not that I’m being stubborn. Lucy didn’t explain what she wants to talk about. If it’s personal, she’s not going to tell me in front of you.”
“Probably not, but her feelings aren’t more important than your safety.” Tao wasn’t budging, and he let his determination show in his expression.
Riley sighed again. “You can come only if you agree to wait in the SUV. That way she can talk to me in private and you can be sure I’m safe. Everybody wins.”
He twisted his mouth, considering it. “All right, I’ll wait in the SUV.”
Eyeing him curiously, she walked to the vehicle. “You’re being uncharacteristically cooperative.”
“I can be cooperative . . . when I’m getting what I want.” And right now, the very thing Tao wanted most was sliding into the passenger seat. Life was good.
CHAPTER THREE
Nestled in the booth against the window, Riley drummed her nails on the scratched tabletop as she stared out through the glass. From there she had a clear view of the street and the diner’s parking lot. So far there was no sign of the person she’d agreed to meet.
Maybe they should have chosen a different venue, she thought as she rubbed at her aching temples. The sounds of country music, burgers sizzling, and cutlery clinking were aggravating her hangover headache. Really, she had only herself to blame.
True to his word, Tao had remained in the SUV. Proud as any dominant female, she couldn’t help but bristle a little at his insistence on accompanying her to protect her, but she knew it was a wise move. There didn’t seem to be any anti-shifter groups loitering around, but not all the radical humans carried banners and chanted bullshit. Some kept a low profile. The majority, however, were openly violent and destructive.
They called for shifters to be confined to their territories, electronically chipped, prohibited from mating with humans, limited to only one child per couple, and placed on a registry like damned sex offenders. Many went as far as bombing packs, prides, and flocks in an effort to “cull” the shifter population.
Shifters had retaliated by forming The Movement—people who hunted extremists and fought violence with violence. They had eliminated many of the radical groups and forced others into hiding. Humans rightfully feared them, but the prejudiced assholes didn’t seem to be smart enough to back down. It was an ongoing battle.
Hearing her phone beep, Riley dug it out of her pocket. There was a message from Jaime, but she didn’t open it. She’d read it later when—
Her head snapped up as the bell over the door rang and three familiar ravens entered, letting in a brief blast of traffic noise. The one in front did a quick scan of the diner. Spotting Riley, she smiled and made a beeline for her booth. No sooner had Riley risen to her feet than she was pulled into a tight hug. “You’re freakishly strong for someone so small,” said Riley.