“I don’t like leaving you alone,” Jono argued.
Patrick glared at him. “I don’t want to have to explain your naked ass to the Chicago PD. I’ll be fine.”
Knowing he didn’t have time to argue, and that they’d argued enough lately, Jono gave in. He curled his fingers over Patrick’s chin to tilt his head up for a quick, hard kiss. “Be safe.”
Patrick smiled tightly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Don’t do anything stupid like last time I wasn’t around.”
Jono fought back a wince at the reminder he still wasn’t entirely forgiven. Sighing, Jono stepped back. He, Naomi, and Alejandro wasted no time in shifting back to their werewolf forms. Jono was warmer once on all fours, shaking blood from the shift off his fur. He paused long enough to headbutt Patrick before nipping gently at his hand. Patrick scratched between his ears with gloved fingers.
“I’ll find you after I deal with this mess,” Patrick promised.
Wade brandished Jono’s phone and waved it at them. “You can call him. I saved his phone after he shifted.”
Jono snorted, breath coming out in white puffs, grateful for Wade’s sticky fingers. He reluctantly walked away from Patrick to follow Naomi and Alejandro. Wade happily clambered onto a motorcycle, riding tandem with Eir and petting the motorcycle with a reverent hand. The motorcycle revved its engines without Eir’s hands on the handlebars, proving that what he’d seen in that split second during their charge hadn’t been a hallucination.
The valkyries put away their spears in the same manner as they had at the bar, the weapons dangling once more from their throats before getting tucked beneath their clothes. Brynhildr let Naomi and Alejandro take the lead. Jono stayed on their heels, the trek through snowy Chicago a quick one. The Chicago god pack’s home was three blocks away from Lincoln Park, in a mansion that rivaled Westberg’s.
Werecreatures stood guard outside the house in human form, and one took the stairs two at a time to open the front door. Jono followed Naomi and Alejandro up the stairs but paused on the porch to look back at where Wade was climbing off a motorcycle.
“We must keep searching,” Brynhildr said from the street, her helmeted head turned toward him, the visor flipped up. She didn’t raise her voice, and Jono could hear her even through the wind.
Jono nodded, then growled a warning at Wade when the teenager kept petting the motorcycle. Wade heaved out a sigh and jogged over to Jono, brushing snow off his shoulders as he climbed the stairs.
“I still want one,” Wade announced.
Jono nipped at his heels, gape-grinning at the squawk Wade let out before the teen hurried inside. Jono followed him, walking into a pleasantly warm home where other god pack members patiently waited in the living room with changes of clothes. Naomi and Alejandro were already human and getting dressed. Monica was there, and she arched an eyebrow as she held up a stack of clothes.
“I have something for you to wear,” Monica said.
Jono shifted back to human, going through the grinding change of bodies once more. When he was human again, he straightened up and took the clothes with a quiet “Cheers.”
The tracksuit bottoms were a little short, hitting just above the ankles, and the T-shirt was tight across his shoulders, but Jono didn’t complain. He’d ruined his shoes during the first shift, but he’d packed an extra pair. Jono ran a hand through his hair before nodding at Wade.
“Let me have my mobile,” Jono said.
Wade handed it over only slightly reluctantly. His desire to steal and keep things that weren’t his for a hoard they had to clean out monthly was a habit Jono and Patrick still hadn’t gotten him to break.
The front door slammed shut and a few more Chicago god pack members came into the living room. They spread out to keep watch, but none were blocking exits.
“Weather is getting worse,” one of them said. “Doesn’t feel normal.”
“It’s not. It’s a reactionary storm,” Jono said.
Naomi frowned at him. “The news isn’t saying that.”
Jono smiled thinly. “The news doesn’t want to incite panic.”
“I’m hungry,” Wade announced.
Jono sighed. “We need to get back to the hotel. I know the weather is shit, but could one of your pack members give us a ride downtown? I lost my sunglasses in the crash, and getting a taxi with my eyes is difficult enough without a blizzard in the mix, as I’m sure you know.”
“Every god pack member knows. Will our people be safe if they take you back?” Alejandro asked.
“I can’t make that promise. I don’t know what’s out there in the storm.”
Alejandro and Naomi glanced at each other, having a silent conversation. Finally, Naomi nodded. “I’ll go. You stay.”
“Take Monica with you,” Alejandro said.
“Of course.”
“I’ll go start the car,” Monica said.
She was the only one who left. The rest of the Chicago god pack who were present in the home remained where they were. Naomi approached, absently braiding her long hair with quick fingers and tying it off at the end.
“Patrick offered pass-through rights for any pack coming from Chicago who wanted to go to New York,” she said.
“If that’s what he offered, then I’m in agreement,” Jono replied.
“And what of Estelle and Youssef?”
Jono gave Naomi a hard smile. “They want a fight, so we’re giving them one. Our pack might be small in numbers, but our alliances include the fae and every Night Court in New York City.”
“Every Night Court?” Alejandro asked sharply.
Jono nodded. “Yes.”
Naomi eyed him. “You smell like truth.”
“We’ve taken in the packs who’ve left Estelle and Youssef’s protection, and we’re doing our best to keep them safe. We’ll do the same for whoever comes through our city from yours.”
“There is a pack who settled here five years ago from New York. Fifteen people who uprooted their lives came to us and asked for permission to stay and for protection. They didn’t trust the god pack alphas they
