Page 97 of Wolf's Endgame

Kris spoke over us both. “You will stay here.”

I turned to look at my brother. “I’m mated. You can’t boss me around anymore.”

“And you will stay here with my mate.” His blue eyes narrowed. “My pregnant mate, who is fragile and emotional because I am going to war against her father and possibly her twin brother.”

Sneaky, duplicitous asshole. Making me feel guilty like that.

“The shaman will be here,” I countered.

Kris raised his eyebrows. “Kezia…” he warned.

“That’s so underhanded.” I crossed my arms grumpily. “You’re a turd.”

Leo laughed, trying and failing to cover it with a cough.

I pouted in the corner while they discussed war tactics. Pissed off with them all, I knew why Cannon wanted me here. His fear that Moonstar would come forward was a battle he couldn’t fight at the same time as waging a war against the bastard Bale.

It didn’t matter that I hadn’t felt her since the bond was completed. He wasn’t ready to risk it.

Risk me.

“Where’s Doc?” Silence filled the study. As I looked at each of them, none of them met my eye. “Cannon?”

“Doc was compromised.”

“Mal?” My attention flicked to Royce, who studied his hands. “The Doc, Mal? Was compromised?”

Cannon cricked his neck. “He knows how to break the mate bond.” When I went to speak, he held up his hand. “He told Koda.”

Looking over at my brother, I saw his lips pressed into a thin line. I filled in the gaps they left out. “And Koda told Landon didn’t she?” Cannon nodded once. “Holy shit, that jealous bitch.”

“I’m sorry.”

Looking at Cannon, I blinked. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t tell her.” I had noticed that I hadn’t noticed her around town. “I wondered where she was. She in hiding?”

“Exiled,” Nikan told me. “We no longer let shifters stay who mean ill will to our alpha, or his mate.”

Exiled? That was huge. “Wow.” I wasn’t sure what to say. A heaviness lay over the study, and I didn’t want them to feel that, especially over a petty female who deserved her punishment. I tried to lighten the mood. “I hope you revise the whole ill will to his mate thing.”

“Why?” Royce asked curiously, but when Kris looked up and saw my smirk, he smiled slightly, knowing me well enough that I was going to say something ridiculous. I did not disappoint.

“Well, I can cook…but not that well. If the pack gets the shits because I was on cooking duty, I’m just saying…you may have a lot of ill will towards this mate.”

It broke the tension as I hoped, and they finished discussing their final plans with lighter hearts despite the seriousness of the topic.

“You have twenty minutes,” he spoke to the room. Cannon looked only at me. “Say your goodbyes quickly.”

I was surprised when Royce hugged me before he left the study, then Nikan, and even Leo, and I returned each hug warmly.

My brother looked down at me. “She’s pregnant with my child,” he reminded me.

“She finally tell you?”

Kris gave me one of his looks, then kissed my cheek. “Protect her.”

“Consider it done.”

I watched him leave, the doors closing behind him, and I turned to look at my alpha. “Eighteen minutes left?” He made a noncommittal noise. “Wanna do it?”

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