Page 107 of A Wolf's Heart

“I’m not afraid of the council,” Kage said.

“Neither am I.” Rainor took a deep breath, calming the beast within. Straightening his tie and brushing his hands down his suit jacket, he finally said in a controlled yet shaky voice, “I’m afraid of losing her. We thought claiming her was a mistake. Enemies would go through her to reach us, to take down Cridhe. It’s the opposite. Her enemies, whoever they are, will use us to get to her.”

The very thought had me growling. “They could try.” I’d shred them. I might not be as savage as the beast, but there was a monster within me, nonetheless. I’d protect her with my life.

“That’s it, then… isn’t it?” Kage said, turning to face us with a heavily guarded face. “That’s the link, the markings, it’s why it came to the three of us.”

“Why?” I asked.

Rainor’s shoulders dropped as something clicked in his mind. “We are meant to guard her.” His face fell slack, calculating, formulating. I couldn’t keep up with all the thoughts flying through his mind, so I closed his thoughts out of mine. “It would make sense. If there was something within Lila that the fates wanted protected, why wouldn’t they give her mates? Hand selected, gifted with a link, and part of the largest, most powerful pack closest to her.”

“The only question now is, what is it they are trying to protect? Will it bring with it deliverance, or will it be the collapse of Cridhe?” Kage said.

“If balance isn’t upheld…” Rainor repeated the mantra he and Kage had said all our childhood.

I shook my head. “Chaos reigns on us, no matter what we do. So, now what do we do?” I asked. “Tell her about the council, the marks, the possible power she possesses? Because I can assure you, she has no idea. This all comes down to us having to tell her one thing.”

I reached out to Lila, stretching at the same time as opening my mind, wanting to know where she was, what she was feeling.

“We can’t say a word,” Kage said. “You think her trust will be as easily gained when she learns that her pack is dead, annihilated by the hand of Cridhe?”

It was at that moment that my heart flickered, a small blip within my chest telling me that Lila was not only nearby, but in the act of stretching out to her, I’d somehow opened the link to include her. Which meant…Kage’s words had accidentally flowed through me and to her.

“Fuck. Me,” I whispered. We had all felt it.

“How did you do that?” Rainor demanded. “I felt her. How did you—”

The door opened and Lila walked in.

31

LILA

It was the beast that reached me first. I could feel his fury, his power, pushing against Rainor’s barriers. Emma and I had been talking about going on a shopping trip in town, but I held up my hand, pausing her from talking as I felt the twisting turmoil in my chest.

I rubbed at it.

“Are you okay?” Emma asked.

“Yeah, it’s just…” I wasn’t sure what, only that Rainor might need me. What would happen if the beast broke out now? I had to calm him down. “I’ll be right back.”

“Wait,” Emma said, “they might be, well, talking and…”

“I know, some things are just pack business, and I’m not pack yet. No harm, I’ll knock. I just need to check in on them.”

I respected their space when they took it, understanding they had matters to deal with that wouldn’t always involve me. Kage, thinking he was being slick, had started leaving his door open when he wanted me to come into his office and sass him. It was almost like he was leaving an invitation hanging every time the door was open. If the door was closed, I knew to give him space or to knock first.

I had only caught on to this the other day, when I’d gone to give him a piece of my mind about the security he sent with me to the precinct. It was hard to do my job with Clark breathing down my neck. I needed space.

I’d walked right into the office, through the open door, and instead of standing at his window, brooding over the city, he was leaning against his desk, hands in his pockets, and the whisper of a smile gracing his lips, as it so rarely did.

He was waiting for me. Instead of giving him a piece of my mind, I’d watched as he stole a piece of my heart with a simple “well, let me have it” look. I hadn’t said a word then. I just chuckled, shook my head, and left. He called out,no complaints?And I had answered,thanks for the extra security detail, I’ll never pee alone again!I could hear him laughing as I left his place, but the next day, Clark was ordered to keep his distance.

Now, I walked up to the office door, hand raised, knuckles ready, when I was hit in the heart with a punch. Kage’s voice echoed in my mind, and for a split second, it was as though I was already in the room.

We can’t say a word.You think her trust will be as easily gained when she learns that her pack is dead, annihilated by the hand of Cridhe?

Just as quickly as the voice sounded, it was gone. However, what it left in its place was hauntingly empty.

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