[Southern Arcana 3.0] Deadlock by Moira Rogers Read Free Book Online Page B

the upper crust of wolf society loathed him, the more they avoided him. “We better move. Cesar’s pissed.”
    “I can’t imagine why.” Jackson closed the door and fixed him with a stern look. “Admit it, man. You just like making them mad.”
    “More fun than kicking a hornets’ nest.” Only this time he had the sinking feeling he might have miscalculated. Carmen wasn’t the usual shifter daughter, with the strength and magic to defend herself. If she was the one who ended up stung… Shit.
    “He had a point.”
    Alec jabbed the elevator call button more roughly than he meant to, and the plastic casing cracked under his finger. “What point?”
    Jackson snorted. “A couple of times in there, I don’t think anyone would have blamed him for calling you out. But you like to dance around those challenges, huh?”
    “You think I’m afraid I can’t win a challenge?”
    The elevator arrived, and Jackson walked inside before answering. “Hell, Alec, you know you’ll win. That’s why you won’t fight.”
    Alec settled for a noncommittal noise, because there was no answer. Jackson was right and he knew it. They all knew it. He’d protect his rag-tag circle of friends through whatever means necessary, but he wouldn’t validate the corrupt values the wolves worshiped. He wouldn’t join their fucked-up game.
    But he would keep an eye on Carmen, just in case he’d sent trouble her way. It was the responsible thing to do.
    And if that wouldn’t have Jackson rolling on the floor of the elevator in a fit of helpless laughter, nothing would.

Chapter Four
    Alec jerked awake to the sound of his front door crashing in off its hinges.
    It could have been any of a dozen threats—someone come to rescue the prisoner still in his basement, someone he’d pissed off recently, even a pointed message from Cesar Mendoza—but as Alec rolled from the bed a familiar voice sounded from the entryway, the words a rage-filled roar. “ Where is he? ”
    Oh shit.
    Alec had fallen into his bed too tired to take off his jeans, and he didn’t waste time with a shirt. By the time he got down the hallway, Andrew had already torn the basement door from its hinges. It crashed to the floor as Andrew disappeared down the stairs, his nose leading him unerringly to the one person Alec had to keep him from killing.
    When he found out who’d spilled their guts to Andrew, he might do some killing of his own.
    Hopping the last three steps got him to the basement in time to see Andrew lunge against the side of the cage, one strong arm sweeping between the bars. The man inside cringed against the opposite side, but Andrew only stalked around and snatched him by the hair.
    At least the guy had his priorities in order, and an apparently functional sense of self-preservation. He scrambled away again, even though doing so left a handful of his hair still clutched in Andrew’s fist. “Get him off me!”
    “Callaghan!” Alec planted his feet and put the full thrust of his power behind the words. “Back the fuck down.”
    Andrew wrapped both hands around the bars and snarled through a vicious smile. “Not this time.”
    Someone had blabbed. Someone who believed Andrew’s calm facade was the truth, who thought his apparent lack of interest in Kat’s day-to-day life signaled actual detachment. A foolish mistake that might get someone killed. “At least tell me what you’ve heard. I know you haven’t seen Kat.”
    “Wrong.” He tilted his head, still studying his quarry with that terrifying smile on his face. “I stopped by this morning to talk to Mackenzie about a renovation project at her dance studio. Ran into Kat there.”
    Jesus Christ. “And did you ask any questions? At all?”
    “Mac talked at me, tried to tell me how it was all under control.”
    “It is.” Alec nodded to the cage, where Kat’s attacker huddled cowering in the corner. “The Conclave’s coming to get him.”
    “Yeah?” Andrew’s arms flexed as he pulled at the