Page 92 of Wolf's Gambit

“Shh, Kezia, it’s okay. I’m here, shh,” he soothed over and over.

The tears didn’t stop immediately, although I was sure my brother wished they had. I clung to him like I had as a child when it stormed, and Luna, bless this man because he let me cling.

When I eventually sat back, Kris watched me carefully, his eyes misty. “Hey, little sis,” he greeted gently, reaching out and touching my cheek. “How are you?”

“I’ve missed you,” I blurted. “I fucked up. Cannon got me. I’m a mess, and I fucked up.”

Kris sat back on his heels as he watched me, his eyes narrowed as he looked me over. “You smell of something strange. Is it him?” His look of disgust at the thought made me think Kris would not appreciate all that I had learned with the rival alpha.

“No, it’s just been a really long time since I had a shower,” I told him honestly. “Are you okay?” I reached out to him, my hand clasping his. “Did you mate with Cass?”

His smile was all I needed to know. Sheer happiness shone from him, and I felt so guilty for the terrible stab of jealousy and resentment I felt at how much obvious joy his mate brought him.

“It wasn’t easy,” Kris admitted. “She fought it for a while, but”—he shrugged, grinning from ear to ear—“we’re mates. You can’t fight it.”

Wanna bet?

He grew somber. “I don’t want to talk about that…tell me what you meant. What about the murders?”

I knew my eyes were wide with fear. “You know about that?”

He nodded. “We got the news that a girl who looked like you had been kidnapped by an escaped criminal,” he told me, his frown fierce. “Criminals, there were three of them. Cass showed me the report, and Bale and I looked into it, but she wasn’t you, obviously,” he added with a scoff. “They caught the guys, but the girl died.”

“Died?”

He nodded, looking away from me. “I was so scared it was you,” Kris admitted softly. “Bale let me go to their town so I could prove to myself it wasn’t my little sister.” Kris sighed. “I’ve never known such fear,” he told me quietly. “Knowing I had let you run, unprotected, and they had killed you, I would have never lived with that guilt.”

“There’s a body?” I didn’t understand. “Of a girl?”

Kris was watching me as I got to my feet. “Kezia? What is it?”

“Tell me everything. All of it,” I demanded.

He took a deep breath. “Three human males, they stalked and kidnapped women, hurt them…you know what I mean. They were on some rampage across the states.” He grunted. “I didn’t look at the details of their crimes too much. There was a picture shown on the news channels, and it was a girl who looked just like you, but with dark hair and some other slight differences that I knew couldn’t be you, but I still thought it was you. They caught the men, but the girl didn’t survive.”

“They caught them?”

“Yes.”

“They’re in jail?” I asked him.

“I don’t know. I was only interested in her.” Kris was also standing. “Kezia?”

“There was a manhunt for her, she was wanted by the police,” I bit out in frustration. “How did that change? Is that not what happened?”

Kris was becoming more and more agitated. “They said they wanted her for questioning, but it was all misled evidence or something.” He rubbed his forehead. “It was months ago, and I can’t remember much of it. I remember the fear it was you, but it wasn’t”—he took a breath—“because you’re here.”

“It was me.” I stepped back from him. “It is me. They didn’t catch the men…I killed them. I’m wanted for their murders.”

“What are you saying?” Kris asked me, his face white with horror.

“My wolf killed them. They caught me, were going to kill me, she took control, and we killed them.”

“Kezia, no,” he whispered, and for the first time in my life, my brother looked unsteady. He sank to the ground, his legs too shaky to hold him, it seemed.

I knew the feeling well.

“I’m so sorry, Kris. I…they left me no choice. I defended myself.”

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