“I don’t know.” She did her best to sound calm, yet confused. “I told you, my lead was a dead end.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and pinned her in place with his stare. “What were you doing in Idaho Springs?”
Knowing he could span the distance separating them with one large step, she pushed back her chair and stood. She’d been on the receiving end of her father’s legendary temper too often to take it sitting down. “Do you have someone following me?”
“I don’t, but apparently I should have.” His voice dropped to a menacing growl. “Answer the question.”
“You gave me an ultimatum, so I took my best friend to Beau Jo’s so she could help me think through my options. They have the best pizza in Colorado, or hadn’t you heard?” She crossed her arms over her chest and mirrored his glare. “Either that or I’ve got Dhane stashed in a motel down there just to piss you off. Which makes more sense to you?”
He lunged forward and backhanded her so hard she lost her balance. Pain exploded through her head and lights distorted her vision. Then her hip slammed into the corner of her desk, sucking the pain in a different direction.
“Utter another lie and I’ll convene the council.”
She pressed her hand against her burning cheek as she fought to think through the throbbing. How much did he know? Had his spy seen Jake or just her and Lexxie?
“Who was the dark-haired man in the SUV? Why did Lexxie spend the night with him?”
He’d inadvertently given her enough information to build an alibi. Even so, she chose her words carefully. Nate Fitzroy didn’t make idle threats. If he didn’t believe her story she would find herself in front of the council, and their judgments had been especially merciless lately.
“You know Lexxie. She doesn’t always think before she acts.”
“Meaning?”
“Lex met him in a bar down in Denver and one thing led to another.” Her legs began to shake, so she took a step back and collapsed into her chair. Better to sit than to end up on her knees. “He’s human, so once the alcohol wore off, she wasn’t sure she wanted him to know where she lived. She called me. I went and picked her up.”
“What was she doing in Denver? There are plenty of Therians willing to scratch her itch. What was she doing with a human?”
“Therian males expect their females to be obedient and docile. Sometimes Lex needs someone willing to indulge her wild side.”
Nate scoffed at the idea. “That’s not natural.”
Ignoring his obvious distaste, Heather remained still. Each of her movements intensified the pulsing in her temples and the last thing she needed was to throw up in her lap. “Natural or not, she was protecting the pack. She knew last night was a mistake and she wasn’t going to make it worse by bringing a human into the heart of your territory.”
Silence stretched between them as she tucked the hair behind her ears and stubbornly blinked back tears. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Her father was a bully and she hated bullies. Little by little his violent tendencies were eroding what was left of her loyalty.
If she joined the rebels, Dhane would doubtlessly follow. And then there would be no one left to lead the pack. At least no one to which Heather would willingly pledge her allegiance.
“Why did you lie to me?” He sounded disappointed, not angry, and Devon almost smiled. The ploy used to work when she was a child. Now he’d used it so many times the ruse had lost its effect.
“She’s my best friend. What was I supposed to do? She didn’t want the entire pack to know she’d been playing around with a human. No one respects her as it is.” If he had other clues, she needed to know about them now. “Why did you presume this had anything to do with Dhane?”
No such luck. He just shrugged and reiterated what she already knew. “The hunter saw Lexxie get out of the guy’s SUV, but he was at the wrong angle to see the driver clearly. He said Jake Parlain drives the same make and model, so it sent me down the wrong path.”
“Jake Parlain? The tiger-shifter from Aspen?” She rolled her eyes as her heartbeat lurched. Had she dodged the bullet or was he still probing? “What would Lex be doing with a cat?”
“That’s what the hunter wanted to know.”
“Which hunter has been carrying tales?” She concentrated on her annoyance, knowing her father would smell fear. “And what was he doing in Idaho Springs?”
Nate suddenly laughed, the warm sound as out of character as it was unexpected. “Actually he’d just had lunch with some other pack leaders and you’ll never guess where they ate.”