Page 76 of Forever Mine

“Liam?” she asked hesitantly.

“You're on speaker, Annie. It's just the two of us. If you truly know anything about our kind, you know I can't keep any secrets from him.”

“Because he's your mate?” she asked.

“Yes, and soon-to-be husband.” Maddie beamed.

“You're getting married?”

“We are, and I'd really like you and Jacob to be here for it.”

I quirked an eyebrow at her and she shrugged, giving me a sheepish look.

“Is that really what you want?” I mouthed to her. She stared at me for a moment and then nodded. I sighed. “Okay,” I mouthed again. Whatever Maddie wanted or needed this wedding to be, I was damn sure going to give it to her.

“You really mean it?” Annie said.

“I do,” Maddie confessed. Both women began to cry, and plan, and I sat back in my chair, knowing we weren't going to get any further anytime soon. They talked for nearly an hour before things started to turn serious again.

“Annie, I have a few more questions for you. I'm not sure you're going to like them though,” Maddie said, drawing my attention back. She walked around my desk and sat in my lap. It was clear she needed my touch to get through the next part. I wasn't sure that simple gesture should have brought me so much joy.

“My friend, her aunt is missing. It's been alluded to that the Verndari are researching, perhaps even experimenting on, our kind. Is that true? We think they may have Raina.”

Her quick intake of breath through the phone was heard loud and clear. “I-I can't talk about that, Janie.”

“So it's true then?” she demanded.

“It's not safe to discuss that here, Janie.”

“Annie,” I said, “what did you mean about the legends and lore? Can you answer that?”

There was relief in her voice when she responded this time. “There are so many, I don't even know where to begin. Nearly every myth or legend in existence is a cover-up by the Verndari to protect some shifter or another.”

“Can you give me an example?”

“Okay, how about werewolves. A silver bullet will kill a werewolf. Have you ever touched silver, Liam?”

I laughed. “I have actually. We are entirely immune.”

“Exactly!” she said, like that was precisely the answer I was looking for. “Do you know that your metabolism runs seventy-five percent faster than a human’s?”

“I'll take your word for it.”

“During the medieval period, shifters were struggling. It was a hard time for everyone and it was easier to find food as a beast than as a human, if you get my point. So more and more began appearing and the humans were taking notice. Several wolves were even killed. What we observed was that the lead from the bullets would enter your body, and because of your high metabolism, would speed through your circulatory system at an alarming rate, causing severe lead poisoning. Many died from this. Silver, on the other hand? Nothing, so the Verndari began the story that the only way to kill a werewolf . . .”

“Was to shoot it with a silver bullet,” I finished for her.

“Exactly. Therefore, in reality, saving the poor creature from a miserable death.”

“Are you aware that, even to this day, we rarely keep silver around? It's almost a rite of passage with young men to handle it, because they are so fearful because of that myth. Now, I know it was bullshit, because I have touched it and even swallowed some on a dare, but it is still a common fear.”

Annie laughed. “I promise, that was never the intent.”

“What else?” I asked, growing more curious.

“Um, how about vampires.”

“Don't tell me vampires are real!” I said, smelling the bullshit on that one.

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