Georgia’s head snapped up. The look she shot at Michael was full of hatred that would have made a lesser male cower. But Michael Romulus was the Alpha of one of the largest packs in America for a reason. “I’m waiting, Mackenzie.”

Everyone on that track held their breath. Mac’s eyes went from her lover to her Alpha. Michael had just drawn a line in the sand. If she didn’t bow to him now, she risked being shunned. But if she acquiesced, she’d lose Georgia for good.

Georgia watched her lover with an unreadable expression. “Just go.”

Mac’s mouth fell open. “Wha—”

“I’ve waited around for months for you to declare yourself to your uncle. If he hadn’t caught us tonight, he’d still have no idea I even existed.” Georgia’s voice shook with betrayal. The were flinched. “So I’m going to make things real easy for you, Mac.” She kissed Mac’s cheek. Michael growled a warning, which the vampire ignored. “Have a good life.”

With that, Georgia finally acknowledged the Alpha. “She’s yours.”

She skated off the track with her head held high. Pussy Willow ran after her, but the vampire shot her a look that made the faery’s steps falter. For all her dignity and determination, Georgia needed to go break apart in private.

Michael watched the vampire’s retreat with a solemn expression. However, Mac sobbed openly. I averted my eyes from her pain. Adam grabbed my hand and squeezed. Pussy Willow went to Giguhl and they stood, arm-in-arm, looking like they’d just watched their parents’ divorce. The rest of the crowd dispersed then, slinking away as if embarrassed to have gawked at Mac’s public shame.

Finally, Michael cleared his throat. “Let’s go.” He took Mac’s uninjured arm and led her away. I’d never seen her looking so cowed and beaten. As she passed us, she looked up at me. I flinched at the pain in her liquid brown eyes. I looked away quickly, not wanting her to see the judgment in my own gaze. My chest hurt for her, but my rational side wondered if it had all worked out for the best. If Mac and Georgia had really been in love, how could they let it slip away without more of a fight?

I glanced up at Adam’s handsome, dear face. My heart contracted in my chest at the thought of ever losing him. If anyone tried to take the mancy from me, there would be blood.

Giguhl stood nearby, looking like someone had ruined his birthday party. In the heavy silence following the drama, he raised his fists and yelled, “Oh, fuck it! Let’s get drunk!”

22

While Giguhl and the rest of the Marauders partied like rock stars at Vein, Adam and I went to find Georgia. Since she knew almost no one in the city, we followed our hunch and returned to Prytania Place.

“Georgia!” I called when we walked into the apartment.

“Back here,” came the muted reply.

Adam looked at me. “You want to take this one?”

“Why me?” I frowned at him.

He shrugged. “Just figured she might need some girl talk.”

“Adam, in your history of knowing me, have you ever witnessed me having girl talk?” I shot him a get-real look.

“You might have a point.” He waved toward the door. “We’ll tag-team it then.”

I nodded resolutely and marched down the hall. When I opened the door, Georgia’s back was to us. She was shoving wrinkled clothes into a suitcase’s yawning mouth.

“Georgia?” I whispered.

She looked over her shoulder, and I was surprised to see her eyes were bone dry. “Hey, guys.”

“Why are you packing?” Adam came up to stand next to me. “You can’t leave now.”

She snorted. “Why not? I never should have come here in the first place.”

“You don’t mean that,” I said. “I know you’re upset but—”

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I’m not upset.” Adam and I both shot her incredulous looks. She deflated a little. “Okay, I am upset.” She sighed and dropped onto the couch. “But not for the reasons you think. I’m mad at myself for not realizing Mac was stringing me along. I can handle her temper and the chip on her shoulder. But I won’t be lied to. Remember how I told you she said she made progress with her uncle?”

I nodded and took a seat across from her. Adam joined me, since it looked like this was going to take a while.

Georgia continued. “Well, last night before practice she told me that she’d told Michael all about us and he’d taken it really well. I was so happy and relieved that I didn’t question her when she claimed she still needed some time before she introduced us.” Georgia shook her head sadly. “I’m such an idiot.”

“No, you’re not,” Adam said. “Why would you assume the person you love would lie about something that important? She’s the one person you should be able to trust.”

I squirmed in my seat a bit. The parallels between this conversation and my own mistakes were hitting a little too close to home.

“But maybe Mac felt like she had to lie to protect your feelings,” I said. Two frowns greeted that statement. “I mean, she was wrong to, of course, but maybe she felt she had a good reason,” I added quickly.

“Sabina,” Georgia said. “Even if she hadn’t lied to me last night, she had the perfect opportunity to stand up to Michael tonight and she didn’t.”

“That’s true,” I said. But I was conflicted. Obviously, Mac fucked up. Bad. But I didn’t think the situation should be as black and white as Georgia was making it. “Listen, Mac loves you. But it’s not easy to stand up to your family. Especially when that family is made up of beasts who howl at the moon and have zero tolerance for questioning the Alpha.”

“So what? I’m supposed to sit here and hope that the Alpha changes his mind? Michael’s not going to suddenly give Mac and me his blessing. Especially since he said the mating contract was already signed.”

Clearly, I didn’t have an argument against that. Adam seemed to concur with Georgia’s assessment of the situation. “What will you do now?” he asked softly.

I shot him a glare. Why wasn’t he encouraging Georgia to stay and fight for her woman? Surrender was never an option.

“I’m going back to New Orleans, of course,” she said. “That’s my home. Always will be.”

“You could have a home here, too,” I said.

Georgia shook her head sadly. “Not if Mac’s here. I couldn’t stand seeing her and her new mate everywhere. It would kill me.”

I was starting to feel a little desperate. I’m sure a therapist would have plenty to say about how the urgency I felt about saving Mac and Georgia’s relationship was connected to my own guilt and issues in my relationship with Adam. But frankly, I didn’t care why. I just needed to do something, anything. “I’ll go talk to Michael!” I blurted out before I realized it was coming.

Adam stilled and looked at me with his mouth hanging to his clavicles. Georgia’s head snapped up. “I thought you said you didn’t want to get in the middle.”

“I know what I said. But I was wrong. We’re involved because you’re both our friends. If talking to Michael can help, then I’ll do it.”

“Thanks, Sabina. It means a lot that you’d be willing to do that.” Georgia’s shoulders drooped. “But it’s too late. I let Mac go. I need to go home and come to terms with that so I can move on.”

My blood rushed. How could she just give up? “Maybe I’m not doing it for you. Maybe I’m doing it so Mac isn’t doomed to be mated to someone she didn’t choose.”

Georgia’s cheeks colored with some emotion—shame? Anger? “Do what you want. It’s not really my business anymore.” She slapped her hands on her thighs and rose. “Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to finish packing.”

Adam and I looked at each other. Obviously the conversation was finished. I stood to go, but I had one more thing to say. “Georgia, I know you’re hurting right now. But I hope you won’t give up on Mac.”

“I didn’t give up on Mac, Sabina.” For the first time that night, tears sprang to the vampire’s eyes. “She gave up on us.”

Adam and I left Georgia to finish packing and reconvened in the living room for a postmortem. He turned on me the minute we reached the couch. “How could you defend Mac like that?”

I stilled, surprised by the anger in his tone. “Adam, I wasn’t defending her. I just think Georgia isn’t being sensitive to the position Michael put Mac in tonight.”

“Georgia’s not being sensitive?” he repeated, his voice rising. “Seems to me Mac wasn’t being very sensitive when she lied. Maybe Michael did Georgia a favor tonight.”

I flinched. “Regardless, Georgia’s not the only victim in this scenario. And I meant what I said. I’m going to talk to Michael. Despite her poor choices, Mac shouldn’t be forced to mate anyone she didn’t choose.”

“Yeah, good luck with that,” he said. “You ask me, Mac’s getting what’s coming to her.”

My mouth fell open. Where was this coming from? “How can you say that?”

He crossed his arms. “Mac had her chance to make things right with Georgia. She knew what was at stake and she chose the coward’s way out.”

My conscience was sparking like a Roman candle. “Sometimes lies are more about protection than deception, Adam.”

Just then, the front door burst open and Giguhl and Pussy Willow marched in. They were laughing about something, but when they saw Adam and me facing off they fell silent.

“What the hell does that even mean?” He started pacing in front of me like a jungle cat. “Jesus, Red, what would you do if you found out I’d lied to you?”

I forced a casual shrug. “It would depend on the situation.”

He stopped and laughed, a harsh, cold sound. “Bullshit. You’d castrate me and then force me to wear my balls like a necklace. Love can’t survive lies.”