Chapter 65: His Return

Noah led me through a side exit at the back of the conference hall. Once we were under the open night sky, away from prying eyes and the din of the crowd, he halted and turned to face me. His expression was dark, his voice a low rumble. “I don’t like him.” “Me neither,” I admitted, shoving my hands deep into my pockets. “He’s arrogant, but I’m not convinced he’s dangerous. He seems to be casting a wide net among the single females, not focusing exclusively on me.” Noah’s brow furrowed, his lips pressing into a thin line. “I asked around,” he said after a moment, “about him and his reputation.” The tone of concern in his voice set off alarm bells in my mind. “What did you find out?” I pressed. He took a breath, as if steadying himself. “Apparently, he’s on the hunt for a mate.” That had been my suspicion, too, but even so I felt a fresh spike of unease. I touched his arm for reassurance. “Wait,” I said, “if Alpha Griffin is trying to encourage him toward me, that makes no sense. He’s