Shameful by May Dawson
13
Killian
West and Rhettwere packing their stuff into the motorboat to take to the main island, where the Guard’s vehicles were parked. They looked like they were on their best behavior, but I knew them too well. There was no such thing. Gibs stood next to me, keeping a watchful eye over the two ofthem.
“Are you sure that Cyrus doesn’t want me to go? To get the girl?” I frowned atGibs.
“He asked for the two of them specifically.” Gibs said. “He must know that I need youhere.”
God, if Gibs was pitying me, I must be badly off. The man was usually merciless when it came to training the Guard.
I’d been trying to prove myself, to work my way back into the Northwoods pack. It bothered me that Cyrus wanted them instead. I was good at myjob.
Maybe he thought Rhett and West were redeemable, but he didn’t feel that way about me. Or maybe he just wanted to keep me trapped here because I’d brushed too close to his secrets.
Either way, no one left the Reject Islands without their alpha’s permission.
“Well, boss,” Rhett jumped from the side of the boat back onto the dock. He kept his eyes fixed on Gibs, ignoring me, but I could tell the psycho was enjoying this. “Looks like we’re ready togo.”
“Good.” Gibs handed them the keys to one of the council’s cars. “Black Rav4. Bring it back in one piece this time? The girltoo.”
“We wouldn’t let you down,” Rhett said with that shit-eating grin that always made me want to punch him in theface.
I scoffed. “You usuallydo.”
Rhett turned innocent eyes on me. “Aren’t you coming, Killian?”
“Cyrus didn’t ask for me,” I gritted out. Cyrus must know—and Rhett and West must too—how much it would’ve meant for me to visit the pack, to get to see my brother again. Being left behind felt like a stone pressing against my chest.
Rhett clucked his tongue sympathetically. “Cyrus is an asshole, isn’the?”
He knew I wouldn’t say anything against the alpha.
“Rhett.” West’s voice was sharp, and Rhett turned just as West threw his duffel bag into his chest.
Rhett huffed out a breath, slung the bag to the floor. “He speaks.”
“You almost done?” Gibs demanded. “You two don’t needmuch.”
“Weapons?” Rhett asked.
“Not a chance,” I answered before Gibbs could. Besides the holy-water blessed swords, the three of us had no weapons on Castle Island. My former friends might well use them against me if they saw a chance to escape. I didn’t love having anything sharp and pointy on the island, but we had to be able to fight the ghosts.
Rhett pouted theatrically. Gibs rubbed his hand across his face. Shifters are not supposed to sulk like Rhett.
“While we finish, care to head up to the castle and enjoy a pot of tea?” Rhett swept his arm dramatically toward the stone castle behind him, already knowing the answer. He just wanted to embarrassGibs.
Castle Island was a stone’s throw from the main island. We didn’t get a lot of visitors here though. Even Gibs, who projected fearlessness, mostly avoided this place.
Gibs snorted. “I’m heading back to the main island. I’ll see you there after you drop them off, Killian?”
I nodded. “Yessir.”
“Yes sir,” Rhett whispered mockingly below his breath as Gibs cast off and headed out into the lake. “Yessir.”
I ignore him. Rhett wasn’t worth fighting with. “Don’t make him regretthis.”
An eerie feeling ran up my spine, and I turned to see West glowering at me from the dock. West mostly glowered. Rhett did the talking. Which, as far as I could tell, was a bad plan. Rhett had a smart mouth.
“You already do, don’t you?” Rhett asked lightly. “It’s funny that Cyrus asked us back to deal with their problem child.”
I barely remembered Legacy Quinn. She’d been a freshman in high school when I graduated. It hadn’t been too long after that I’d found myself exiled to Reject Island.
Over the past four years, I’d worked my way into Gib’s good graces. I’d tried to prove that I was worthy to rejoin the pack. My loyalties had been divided between Gibs and these two numbskulls. For a while, we’d tried to solve the mystery behind the ghost of Castle Island together.
Once Rhett and West made their first harebrained escape attempt, I’d known we couldn’t be friends.
But I’d kept their secret, for old time’s sake. Now I was reminded all over again how fucking stupid that was. I always regretted being sentimental.
It wasn’t as if they showed me any loyalty because of our shared past. It just made them hateme.
“Make sure you don’t get lost coming home. You know they’ll find you,” I warned.
“To borrow your usual line… Yes sir.” Rhett was already backing toward the motorboat.
I hated that I couldn’t even get a glimpse of my oldpack.
I almost asked them to check in on Sean, but I didn’t dare. My little brother was my weakness, and they weren’t my friends.