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"Have Jackson do it," she replied

"I asked you to do it"

She sneered but didn’t argue further He let her get aith a lot, and it droveto ued my antics had the same side effect

I breathed in the ht," I adly "I haven’t been as careful as I should have been after the car thing"

"This isn’t your fault"

"It’s iven her too uarded her better"

Frohed "Don’t kid yourself, Des You’d havea rattlesnake in a uard her, you wouldn’t havecompared to a pissed-off reptile Do an insult to make it sound almost complimentary

"He’s right," Lucas added, ruffling my hair "I think we can all admit Secret is a bit stubborn when it comes to her personal protection"

Desmond looked relieved when he realized no one bla my body as voraciously as he could have I was stubborn Probably too stubborn But between pack restrictions and the laws of the Tribunal, I liked to hold on to the illusion of ht, that illusion had almost cost so Lucas over a hundred grand in dress daes

"Not anys, but I’m also not an idiot Someone wants me dead, and they obviously mean business about it Until we can find the anyone else at risk because of me"

"You won’t have to," Lucas said

"What do you o Fro of the South and ratulations" Lucas was leaving so out, I could tell from the hesitation in his voice

"And?"

Deslances, as if I wouldn’t notice when I was standing between theested In honor of the agreement I’dfortian

"Decades," Lucas agreed, nodding hat Des for an invite?"

The wolves looked nervous, and Lucas said, "In a , but I a here in a twelve-thousand-dollar dress that is itchier than being wrapped in sandpaper, someone just tried to kill me, and I don’t have a lot of stea ball of this ridiculous buildup Pull off the Band-Aid Please"

Lucas sat in front ofleather otto you, as a princess of the Southern pack line, are his wolf He is insisting if I, as King, want to o to Louisiana and make an official request of your hand from him in person I must make an appeal for you in front of him and the lead members of his pack"

"You what? Like hell you do"

"He’s using a very old pack law It is usually overlooked, but he’sto the laws of our people, I must respect his wishes and comply with the request"

"This is bullshit"

"It’s…inconvenient, sure But we have no choice in the matter Protocol dictates--"

"Lucas, open your eyes"

He frowned and released o to Louisiana, or I start a war And I will not start a war"

"It’s a trap Don’t you get that?"

"Secret, you don’t understand" He sounded tired and irritated I had that effect on him