Wheeler rubbed his face and I could see the battle raging within. His pack would always come first in his life, but in this instance, he had put me first. I didn’t know how to feel about that.

“What I have to say won’t make you feel better, Austin. It’ll just piss you off. But I had her under absolute control. I don’t expect you to understand it, but I did. We can argue until we’re blue in the face, but that’s just the way it is.”

“Did you feel safe because of your knife?” I asked.

Wheeler snapped to attention, his eyes burning with ferocity. “Say again?”

“The only way a man feels safe around a panther is when he’s carrying a weapon and willing to use it.”

Austin rapped his knuckles on the table, looking between us.

I didn’t see admission in Wheeler’s eyes, only resentment, but he kept silent.

After another moment, the Packmaster scratched his jaw and sat back. “I didn’t give that consideration,” he said. “Wheeler, I know you would have protected your pack by any means necessary, so we’re going to put this issue to rest. But this doesn’t clear your record. If you screw up again, then I’ll have no choice but to put you out for good. I can’t afford to have a weak link in the chain. I need men who will put this pack above everything, whose motives I don’t have to sit here and question. You get off this once, but don’t do it again.” He shook his head, ready to end the conversation.

“I’ll just need a ride home,” I said.

“No, I’d like you to stay here,” Lexi quickly said, her eyes flicking toward Austin. It didn’t look like the offer took him by surprise.

I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“It’s a great idea,” she countered. “You need a place to stay until this thing blows over, and I need someone to help me organize. They’re delivering my menus, and I also talked to your friend about the website. He tossed some ideas at me, but I wanted your input on the layout. You seem to know everyone, Naya. I’ve never met anyone with so many connections. We also have the costume party coming up, and the guy we were dealing with tripled the prices on our outfits. Can you believe it? He wants to charge two per person.”

“Two hundred?”

“Two thousand,” Austin said in an irritated voice.

“Oh, chickypoo. That’s too much! He’s taking advantage of you. I know someone who helps some of the girls with their outfits, and we usually end up buying them. He has a warehouse, and you can pick out what you want online and he’ll deliver them. He also sells props if you need anything for the house. I can get you a quote this afternoon.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God. I was starting to panic. Some of the packs must have hit the human shops because they’re all sold out unless someone here wants to be a Mutant Ninja Turtle.”