"How is it that the man and I get in a fight and still I can't say no to him?" I shut the door behind myself, stomach rumbling at the appetizing smell that wafts up my nose.
Soren’s shoulders bounce through a hushed laugh. "What happened?"
Sighing, I take a seat at the counter and lean onto my elbows. "Evidently, Kimi's still freaking out about her first shift. Said she's adamant on not living her life with the wolf gene at play and that she's threatened suicide."
"Fuck," he hisses, which isn’tat allwhat I was expecting as a response.
"What?"
Soren quickly goes about shutting off all the burners and wiping his hands clean with the rag laid over his shoulder. "We need to talk, man." He’s dead serious, too, stare unfaltering.
"Should I be concerned?"
"Maybe. I hadn't told you yet because I wasn't sure what would come from it. It all started so suddenly and—"
"Spit it out." He knows better than to play ring around the rosey.
But whatever it is, it’s not something easily put into words. He stands there for quite some time, tight-lipped as ever, until finally he sets his hands onto the counter top and bows his auburn head.
"I marked Kimi."
"Youwhat?!"
Soren nods, head still hanging low. "It happened before I even realized it."
Holy shit. "Since when are you and Kimi...?" I can’t even finish the question. He has never,evermentioned a single thing about her to me.
Not that I care, Kimi isn’t my type, but he’s my boy. We share fucking everything with each other.
"It's been a while,” he admits, peeking up at me. “Super casual at first, just meeting each other's needs and what not. But then it spiraled,fast,and I fell for her. Before I knew it, she was mine."
The way he says it is real. Genuine. He loves her, a bare fact I find myself grinning over. "Well, shit. My man," I laugh, offering him my hand.
But he doesn’t take it, his face somewhat sullen, hard-pressed even. "She hasn't told her mom."
What?
"How is that even possible? Wouldn't she have seen it?" The term mark isn’t figurative. It’s both literal and physical.
"No, it formed on her back, near the nape of her neck. Her hair hides it.”
"I'm still not following here. Marking aside, Aiyana didn’t know about you two at all?"
I mean, I know he hadn’t shared it with me, but I’m not Soren’s mother.
"No. She didn’t want her to know what we're about to do until it's done."
My. Stomach. Lurches.
No part of that sounds good.
"What the hell are you about to do?"
“There’s a loophole,” he starts, visibly considering how to relay the rest. “It’ll inert the gene, Tav, but I don't know if I can do it."
"Can’t do what?"
Soren blows out a breath as if steeling himself to even utter the words. “The only way the witches can cast the spell is if she's bitten first."