Page 32 of Wolf's Endgame

“Nikan?”

My brother straightened his shoulders. “Perimeter is secure. We’ll leave two full units behind to protect the town. Weapons stock was low; it’s been replenished.”

I gave him a look. “Do I need to know?”

My brother glanced at Leo before giving me a half shrug. “Maybe later.”

Right, I wasn’t touching that one with a ten-foot pole right now. I had enough problems.

“We leave in two hours,” I told them. The three of them headed to the doors, while Doc remained seated. Royce glanced back once, but seeing my look, he left, closing the doors firmly behind him, the room once more spelled.

“You want to tell me?” I watched him as he kept his focus on the floor.

“If I say no?”

“I’m not asking, Mal.”

Doc raised his head and looked at me. “I hate when you call me Mal, reminds me of the man I used to be.” He shifted his focus from me to the window behind me. “Maybe I was a fool, maybe I will always be Mal.”

“What have you done?” I waited, unmoving and patient.

“I fucked up.” He took a shuddering breath. “I never meant to betray you.”

CHAPTER 9

Cannon

Doc didn’t turn his head from where his gaze lingered out the window. I didn’t want to look at him right now anyway. When he began to speak, I cursed my instincts.

“I mean it, it was never my intent to betray you or…”

“Or put Kezia in danger?” I scoffed. “Talk faster, Mal, I have a war to fight.”

“A war to start,” he corrected sharply.

“Watch your tone when you speak to me right now,” I warned quietly, folding my arms across my chest.

“The bond can be broken,” he stated bluntly. “I’ve been researching it ever since you two realized you didn’t want it.” Still not looking at me, he huffed out a laugh. “We all knew it was bullshit. You two were drawn to each other, and some mumbo jumbo bond had nothing to do with it.”

“Your lack of faith in the Goddess is going to get you in trouble one day.” Tilting my head, I regarded him. “If it hasn’t already.” I urged him to continue. “Speak.”

With a loud, resigned sigh, Mal sat back in his seat, finally meeting my stare. “As you are more than aware, information about shifters is hard to come by.” Mal rubbed his jaw. “I’ve read everything. You know that. The need to know how I exist has been my?—”

“Obsession.”

He glanced at me. “You say obsession, I say passion.”

“Both equally dangerous when it gets out of control,” I countered.

“Yeah, well.” His focus shifted to the bookcase. “How the DNA of a shifter and a human worked to create me, and the few like me, remains my torment,” he added bitterly. “The bond between you and Kezia was almost as much a mystery to me. Everyone knows chemicals, pheromones, and adrenaline cause attraction, but you and her, it’s more than that. It’s almost beyond science.”

“Or things in common?” I added dryly. “Physical attraction, attributes, recognizing similar likes and dislikes. You know…personality.” His questioning look made me want to shake him. I recognized that gleam in his eyes; I’d seen it before. There was a reason I used the word obsession. His next sentence jarred me out of my inner musings.

“You told me her brother was making contact with the Pack Council…”

He wouldn’t. The more I stared at him, I realized that he had. “You reached out to the Pack Council archives?” I asked him incredulously. “About breaking a mate bond? A sacred gift from the Goddess Luna?” Mal nodded. “Any request to the archives is public knowledge!”

“I know that…now.”

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