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scowling. “You don’t waste any time, do you?”
    He smiled, unapologetically, smug male satisfaction written all over his face. “Can you blame me?”
    “Yes, but I’ll save it. Although at this rate, I’ll just beat the crap out of you.” Even as she scolded him, something hot and bright lit her heart. Somehow, knowing she bore his mark was arousing and comforting at the same time. But neither could she stop the annoyance. 
    She had been trying to maintain emotional distance from him, and failing miserably. Every time she thought she’d gotten a handle on things, something like this happened. It didn’t improve her frame of mind.
    Lukas sat down at the desk, followed by Aaron. The Beta never fully stopped watching Aria. She ignored him and curled into the plush red sofa chair next to the fireplace. As she moved across the cushions, Lukas’ scent became more pronounced. She wondered if he slept in his office more than his bed. The mixture of soap, trees, and musk wrapped around her like a warm embrace. She surreptitiously rubbed her face against the cushions, inhaling his unique scent. That smell had clung to her flannel shirt and kept her sane the first few weeks when she had been held captive, and then, again, when she had been running for her life.
    She curled against the arm of the chair, propping one hand up, and watched the group of men. A rare opportunity to listen in with what was going on in the supernatural world, even if she had no intention of staying or to be involved with any of the Pack politics and needs. It couldn’t hurt to be aware of current events.
    Lukas leaned one elbow on the table, turning his chair sideways so he could see all of them. “I spoke with Alec, and he says that Steven will be fine. I also spoke with Steven.”
    “Did he start it?”
    Thaddeus’ seriousness surprised Aria. Lukas had automatically assumed Steven had nothing to do with it. At least, she thought he had.
    “No. But he did mention something interesting. He mentioned that he tried to shift, but couldn’t. The boys taunted him about it. And judging by the questions she asked, I think”—Lukas swiveled his chair in her direction—“Aria knows why.”
    “Imagine that.” Mistrust dripped from Aaron’s words.
    “I didn’t beat that boy up, so just get the thought out of your pea-sized brain,” she hissed. The implication sent her temper skyrocketing.
    Thaddeus interjected, rolling his eyes, “Children, don’t make me stop this meeting!” When she and Aaron remained silent, he continued, “Steven is a little old, but he is still a teenager. It might’ve just been a lack of control.”
    Aria shook her head. “I don’t think so. Haemon has this obsession—”
    Aaron cut in. “You mean you don’t have the monopoly on Haemon’s thoughts?”
    Irritation gritted her teeth. Lukas growled, staring down his Beta. “Drop it, Aaron. There are more important things to do than listen to you two bait each other.”
    Aria curled her fingers into the couch. How did she get dragged into this? She hadn’t started it. Determined to ignore the rage building inside, she focused on the problem at hand.
    “Anyway, Haemon likes mythology and legend. He’s made it his hobby to track down old legends about supernatural relics and then find them.”
    “But if they’re legends, how does he know they’re real?” Thaddeus appeared genuinely confused.
    “I don’t actually know. But he picks the legends that turn out to have truth in them. And there’s always a relic.”
    “What do they do?”
    She shrugged. “Depends on the item, and what he wants to tell you about it. But I do remember him mentioning a talisman created to protect the wearer by keeping a Shifter in human form, and diminishing their abilities.”
    Lukas’ brows furrowed. “If Ethan and his gang had that, it would explain the severity of his injuries, as well as why he hadn’t been able to fight back or shift. But only one of them could have been