Liam focused on Spike again. “I came to find out why you didn’t report right away to me. Now I know. But you need to tell me what happened with Gavan.”

“Ellison was there.”

“Ellison didn’t hear all what you said. He said Gavan moved close to you and got chatty at the last, but the ambient noise from the bar was enough to confound even Shifter hearing. Makes me think Gavan chose that spot on purpose because of that. What did he say to you?”

Spike didn’t unclench, but he glanced behind him to Ella, still hovering worriedly in the foyer. “I’ll be inside in a minute,” he said.

Ella nodded and withdrew. Myka looked up at Spike. “Are you waiting for me to go too? Is this man talk?”

“It’s Shifter talk,” Liam said. “Shifter business.”

“Oh, yeah?” No way Myka could stop these two men tearing each other apart if they started something, but she didn’t feel easy leaving Spike alone with this guy. Whatever Spike had done, or not done, Liam was annoyed about it—dangerously annoyed.

Liam kept his gaze on Spike. “Myka, why don’t you wake up the cub and take him along to meet my mate? She’s human too. I think she’ll like you. Ella will show you the way.”

He spoke casually, but Myka knew it wasn’t a suggestion. She did not want to go, but it was clear that they’d stand like statues until she went.

Myka made a show of nodding and turning away, but not before sending Liam a look that warned that if he tried to hurt Spike, she’d . . .

Well, she didn’t know what she could do. She’d seen the way Spike had fought that bear-man at the Shifter fights, and knew Spike could take care of himself. And Myka could always call the police on Liam’s ass if he tried anything.

Even that didn’t make her feel better, but she went inside to find Ella and wake up Jordan.

*** *** ***

“Dad wanted to come over here and talk to you himself,” Liam said to Spike once they were alone. “I talked him out of it. I’ll take your thanks for that any time.”

“What did that shithead Ellison say to you?” They were still on the porch. Hierarchy dictated that Spike should invite Liam inside, showing him trust, and politeness dictated that he should get the man a beer. But Spike remained stubbornly in place, not wanting Liam in his house.

“The shithead Ellison didn’t tell me more than I’ve already said,” Liam answered. “But you wouldn’t tell him everything about Gavan, and you hightailed it home instead of talking to me. He’s worried.”

“He’s worried I betrayed you. I didn’t. I wanted to get home to my cub.”

“I understand that.” Liam had a cub too now, a cute little half-Shifter girl. “But I sent you to gather intel, and you didn’t give me any intel.”

“Nothing to say. Gavan is a crazy Feline—you know him. He thinks Shifters are losing the instincts that make us strong, that we shouldn’t suppress the ones that tell us to kill.” Stupid. Gavan didn’t get that strength and fighting were two different things.

“You mean like at the fight club,” Liam said with canny perception. “Shifters fight, but then suppress the instinct to take the fight to its natural conclusion.”

“Something like that.”

“You think anyone else at the fight club agrees with him?”

Spike shrugged. “No one’s mentioned it.”

“Aye, but you win all your fights, don’t you? The Shifters you beat aren’t going to be telling you they’re in favor of letting it go to the death, are they? No, Gavan must just be talking shite. I’m guessing he’s in favor of not suppressing instinct and letting others kill off the weak so he can move up in dominance.”

“Maybe.”

“He ever go to the fight club? Apart from last night?”

“Not that I’ve seen,” Spike said.

Liam never went to the fights himself, because the fight clubs weren’t sanctioned by Shiftertown leaders. Technically the matches violated both Shifter and human laws.

But Shiftertown leaders understood that their Shifters needed to blow off steam, and so looked the other way. Fight club fights also had two very strict rules. First—no killing. Second—the results of fights didn’t change anything in dominance in day-to-day life. What happened at the fight club stayed at the fight club.

Spike knew, however, that the fights did change things, even if the changes weren’t acknowledged. Hard to forget that the dominant clan member telling you what to do today had lain flattened at your feet in the ring the night before. True dominance battles didn’t happen among Shifters very often, but when the next one occurred, Spike suspected there’d be many, many adjustments.

“All right, lad,” Liam said, his shoulders going down a fraction, which meant he believed Spike and had decided to trust him. “Keep an eye on Gavan for me, eh? If he wants to meet again, don’t say no. Get what you can out of him. If more Shifters at the fight club start thinking he’s right, you tell me that too.”

Spike gave him a nod. He decided not to mention that Gavan already had asked to set up a second meeting. Spike would assess the Feline one more time, without Liam breathing down his neck, and then decide what to do.

“Congratulations on your cub,” Liam said, business over. He stepped forward, ready to pull Spike into an embrace.

Spike didn’t want it. He’d withdrawn in a huge way since he’d turned around in the hospital room last night to see Jordan waiting for him. Right now Spike didn’t want to touch anyone except Jordan, his grandmother . . . and Myka.

Not mate-claimed, Liam had said, and Spike’s answer had come out instantly. Not yet.

Which meant that something in Spike wanted it to happen, sensed it would happen, was impatient for it to happen.

Not yet. But soon.

However, Spike denying his leader a congratulatory hug would scream to Liam that Spike was challenging him. Spike didn’t have time right now for the big hairy deal that would bring down on him.

Spike let his body go slack as Liam wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. Spike put his hands on Liam’s back, returning the embrace, but not as soothed as he usually was by his leader’s body heat.

Male Shifters hugged each other in a different way than they hugged females. Males didn’t hold back their strength from other males—the embrace contained a warning as much as acceptance.