Page 53 of Fated to the Wolf Prince

She snorted, coming to sit on the edge of the bed beside me, and spread a dress bag carefully over what had once been the arm of a wingback chair. “Is your alpha reallythatoverbearing?”

“No, but it looks like yours is.” I nodded toward Gael, and she stiffened.

Her tone was icy when she answered, and definitely loud enough for the men to hear. “I don’thavean alpha, and if I did, he’d know I wasn’t up for repressive caveman behavior. Now, are you going to try to get ready in this war zone, or can you come back to our room to get spruced up? We’ve barely got an hour, and you’ve got major JHU hair.”

“JHU hair?” I patted it self-consciously.

“Just-hooked-up hair, duh.” She shimmied her shoulders playfully, ignoring Gael’s possessive growl.

There wasdefinitelysomething going on there, and she was either completely blind or pointedly ignoring it. Shay and I shared a questioning glance, but Leigh just shrugged. I’d have to ask her what was going on later.

Shay and Leighworked their bestie magic, turning me from a just-hooked-up mess into a studious, proper mate in a mourning gown in record time. For the finishing touch, Leigh sashayed over in her four-inch black heels and pinched my cheeks, hard.

“Voilà! Now he’ll be so distracted by how utterly fuckable you are that he won’t remember to be so sad.”

“Leigh! Really?” Shay jabbed her with an elbow and shook her head at me. “Youdolook stunning, Brielle, but we’ll keep our inappropriate jokes to ourselves today.” She shot a narrow-eyed glare at Leigh, who just grinned.

“Look, I’ve got to get them out now, or else they’ll slip out later at an inappropriate time.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure Alpha Kosta was lovely, but I didn’t know him, and right now, I’m mostly worried about Kane.” I picked at the cap sleeve of my little black dress, even though it was flawless, and Leigh swatted it away. My hands weren’t used to being idle, and funerals… well, they brought back my own parents’ funeral, and it was one of the worst days of my life.

So, yeah. I was going to fidget.

A staid rap on the door broke up our not-fight, and I rose slowly to answer it before Leigh could. She was still smirking and whispering something—which I would bet my medical degree was an inappropriate joke—to Shay.

I didn’t mind, though. Where I fidgeted and Shay retreated into her music, Leigh used humor to deal with her hurts. And while no one might guess to look at her, she had plenty of hurts in her life to hide from.

The sight of Kane in a finely tailored black suit on the other side of the door sent my heart skittering in my chest. He was tragically handsome. His solemn eyes and freshly shaved jaw definitely shouldn’t have sent a jolt of electricity to the apex of my thighs today, but they still did.

He stiffened, and I knew he scented my arousal when his pupils blew wide.

“You look stunning, mate.”

“You look fantastic too. I’m sorry for the occasion, though. I didn’t tell you last night, but I really am sorry for your loss, Kane. I know how it feels, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.” I placed a hand on his chest, his solid warmth radiating through the layers of finery and calming my wolf.

Such a simple touch, and yet she settled in my chest, content.

“Thank you. Having you at my side today means the world to me. If I hadn’t found you yet…” He trailed off, the words ending in a dark question.

Would he have gone feral? Torn apart all the gathered packs and decimated the wolf shifter world?

I froze, my blood like ice in my veins. Had that been why someone had done it? Were they trying to wipe out our entirespecies?

“What is it?” He stepped into my personal space, cupping my elbows in his hands and gathering me to his chest.

I couldn’t answer him, my thoughts moving too fast for words. Every wolf wasn’t here, but many powerful Alphas were, and if Kane had flipped and taken them out… wolf kind would have been left unprotected, vulnerable to attack.

“I just had a thought—”

“Alpha, you’re needed at the head of the procession. It was supposed to start five minutes ago, and people are getting antsy.” Reed’s head was respectfully ducked, but his tone brooked no arguments.

There was a funeral happening, and we weren’t dragging it out further.Especiallynot for my completely unfounded suspicions. I pasted on a supportive smile and patted Kane’s chest.

“Let’s go, Kane. Reed’s right, we shouldn’t keep everyone waiting.”

Shay squeezed my shoulder lightly as he released me and offered his arm. I slipped mine through, hanging on to his forearm like a lifeline. From the memories, as much as from the day to come.

THIRTY-THREE

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