Chapter 40

• After Juan has finished making his announcement, the Santos file out of the room slowly, in a wave of murmurs and noises as they discuss what he said and where we go from here. You can feel the tension thickening, the uneasiness, and the nervousness, as it sinks in that this is real and life as we know it is about to change dramatically. Colton pulls me aside, tucking us out of the way of the door to let people pass, and grabs a passing male who is very familiar to me.
• “Mateo, take Alora to our room and wait for me there. Assemble the pack; I want to talk to you all. I won’t be long; my father wants me.” He nods out towards the front of the room, where Juan’s still concealed by moving people, and I instantly feel sick with apprehension.
• Being left with someone and separated from Colton reminds me that for all the things I am mad at him about, I still feel secure when with him. His strength, quiet confidence, and air of control are the calm to my nervous floundering, and it only hits home that I need his presence more than I want to admit. He’s my safety net and the only person in the world who cares about me in any kind of way.