Damon’s POV

I found Kiran outside.

“You always brood this loud?” I asked, stepping beside him.

He didn’t look at me. “You always sneak up like a ghost?”

I rolled my eyes. The amount of time Kiran and I spent together before this wasn’t much. He was more snarky than I remembered him, but I suppose I would be too if I were in his position.

“I’m the Alpha. Stealth comes with the job description.”

He huffed. “Or maybe you just like pretending you’re subtle.”

I let the silence sit for a beat. “You hear the rumors?”

“Yeah. Hard not to when every tavern within five towns is whispering about...