Page 13 of Wolf's Endgame

“Do I get to see him?” I asked tentatively, scraping the spoon along the bottom of my bowl, making Landon wince.

Landon shook his head, watching me with more attention. “Not yet.”

I nodded, placing my bowl on the floor. Straightening, I smoothed my hands over my bare legs. “I have herbs I take…”

“That suppresses your heat.” Landon sat back on the bed, completely at ease, his elbows propping him up as he held my gaze while I sat across from him. “You won’t need them with me.”

The soup turned sour in my belly. A reminder that I had only needed them to keep me and Cannon from completing the bond. With my first full heat passed, the others wouldn’t be as intense, not without my mate near me. Pain clutched at my heart, and I forced myself not to cry.

“Everyone in this pack knows you do not touch what is mine,” he added, interrupting my thoughts. “Next time your heat comes, we’ll lock the door and come out when it’s over, and your belly will be full of my kid.” He winked at me, and I resisted the urge to swipe the bowl from the floor and smash his face with it.

Landon stood smoothly, bending to scoop the bowl from the floor, almost as if he could read my mind. “You did well,” he said, pressing his lips to my forehead. “This is real progress, Kez.” Walking to the door, he looked over his shoulder at me, his smile wide. “Dad will be pleased.”

He left me with the stark reminder that we were never alone. Despite my best efforts not to, I stared at the camera in the corner. I wasn’t Landon. I had never been good at acting, but he and his sister excelled at it. I would know, I’d been their best friend.

What did I used to do when they were both putting on a show to get what they wanted? I played along, by not playing along. Mainly because I was shit at hiding my reaction. Hoping that Landon was performing for someone other than me, and only I knew he was acting, I tried my best to be who I used to be in this pack.

Landon had a small bathroom adjoined to his room, and I walked to it, still not sure there wasn’t a camera in there too. After washing my face, brushing my teeth, and using the toilet, I walked back into the room, the tightness of the silver chain lessening as I walked back.

On the bed, I examined the chain. The links rubbed against my wrist when I examined their strength with my other hand, hissing in pain as the silver burned my tender flesh.

Curling into a ball, I gave the camera my back. Stretching my arm out in front of me, I studied the links.

Moonstar?

Tears slid down my cheeks as I felt the emptiness within me.

Moonstar, please?

Silence answered.

A while later when Landon disturbed my sleep by pulling me into his body, I felt more than his presence.

Child?

CHAPTER 4

Kezia

When I was sure that Landon was asleep, I cautiously got out of bed and made my way to the bathroom, maneuvering the chain under the door and cursing inwardly when it didn’t fit. I closed the bathroom door as much as I could with such care that it only caused my anxiety to peek. The click of the chain against the wood sounded like a crack of thunder in the quiet of the room, and I held my breath as I waited for Landon to wake and ask me if I was okay.

No, dickhead. I would never be okay again.

Moonstar?

She answered instantly. The silver burns.

Her voice was faint, but it didn’t matter. A relief so intense washed over me, and I slipped down the wall as my knees gave way. Pulling my knees to my chest, I rested against the wall as I fought to control my emotions. All I needed was to start sobbing again.

Child?

I’m here. Licking my lips, I wasn’t sure how to do this. This was one of the first times I had spoken to her knowing she wasn’t just my wolf spirit.

She was just a spirit.

A shudder ran through me, and I pushed that thought aside. I needed to deal with the things I could control. Like Moonstar. Because I was so good at controlling her…

I snorted so loud in the quiet of the night, that I froze once more, terrified that Landon would wake at any moment.

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