Free LIAM (The Rylee Adamson Epilogues, Book 2) by Shannon Mayer

at him. “We’re going to wait for her at the bakery and hope to all that is holy she shows up in the next few hours.”
    I slung my bag back up over my shoulder and headed toward the growing scent of fresh bread and pastries.
    “Have you been there before?” Levi asked.
    “No.”
    “How do you know where you are going, then?”
    I touched the tip of my nose. “I can smell it.”
    “Wow. That’s cool. Do you think I’ll be able to smell stuff like that?” He looked down at the palm of his hand, but no water appeared. I shrugged.
    “I don’t know. Elemental magic isn’t the same as supernatural. Like I said, Nigel is the one you want to talk to about it.” I picked up my pace, which kept him from asking more questions. Half an hour later, we were in front of the dark windows of Vanilla and Honey. A Greek specialty bakery, if the sign was correct. By the smells, though the windows were dark, the bakery was in full swing in the back. My stomach rumbled, but there was nothing I could do for it at the moment. It had to wait too.
    I made my way around the side and found a shadowed recess against the building to tuck into. “You might as well try and sleep.” I pointed to the step and Levi didn’t argue. He sat and pulled his jacket up around his ears. Moments later, his heartbeat slowed along with his breathing as he slipped into dreamland.
    The fact that he could crash in such an uncomfortable position made me think he’d slept more than one night on the street in order to keep away from his father. I shook my head, hard pressed to understand why a man would do that to his own child. There was no reason I could see that would ever make me turn away from any of my kids. Or any of my pack for that matter.
    I kept watch, noting the cars that came and went, none of them passing more than once. We weren’t being watched, which was a good thing, a small good thing considering everything. The slowly shifting light as the moon sank further through the sky made my shoulders tighten with anxiety. How long did the ogre need to decide if she would help us or not?
    Four a.m. came and went, and a few people drifted into the bakery for their coffee and sugar-laden breakfasts. Five a.m. rolled around and I began to doubt. No, she had to come, she had to, there was no other choice.
    Six a.m. and the moon set, the sun rose above the edge of the world, and a dim light grew around us. We were down to thirty-seven hours. I adjusted my stance, watching, knowing that while I’d told the female ogre we could only wait so long, I was not being entirely honest. I wanted to believe there would be other females, but . . . I wasn’t sure. And then there was something about this ogre that stuck with me. The wolf in me bobbed his head in agreement. This was the female we needed.
    End of story.
    Which meant I would wait, and if she didn’t come, I would go looking for her.
    The faint scent of milk and ogre wafted down the alley. I stood straighter and took a few steps to the edge of the building. There she was, but with her was a big-ass male ogre. His skin was as dark as hers, minus the purple splattering, and he was speaking in low tones.
    “You aren’t listening to me, stupid chit,” he snarled. “I am trying to save you.”
    “No, you’re not. You’re going to sell me out to them. I’m one of the last females this tribe has, and you don’t want to lose a warm body that isn’t one of your boyfriend fuck buddies.”
    He grabbed her arm. “You can have another child, but not if you’re dead. The council is speaking right now and unless I stand for you, they’re going to kill you this time, and not just beat you.” He leaned into her. “What did you think you were doing, getting knocked up by Tul when you were supposed to be bedding Pic? Did you think they would just let you go?”
    She jerked her arm away from him. “And if you speak for me? What does that cost, Buk?”
    “You’ll bed who I say, when I say. You know the