Page 121 of The Wolf Prince's Mate

The moment wasn’t funny.

I wasn’t there for fun. I was there to cover the physical scars from a hellish experience that I would never be entirely free from.

Silas snorted. “Yeah, I need some more cellophane in my life.”

“Called it.”

I closed my eyes as Silas began working, and we both fell silent.

That evening,I hugged Silas fiercely in thanks before dropping some cash with the receptionist and leaving. He always tried not to take my money, but I wasn’t about to owe him anything.

I made it back to the Lodge in time to grab food with Sydney and Olive, who oohed and ahhed over my new ink. Then, it was time to meet with Clay’s brothers.

I knockedon the door to Enzo’s office at 8 PM on the dot. I’d never been there before, but the room was near Clay’s office.

Hunter called for me to come in, and when I opened the door, I realized the office was almost exactly the same as Clay’s.

The furniture was just slightly different.

I padded into the room and found Enzo sitting behind the desk. Hunter sat across from him. There was a chair on the side of the desk, putting me halfway between both of them, so I took it.

Neither of them said a word when I sat down.

I guess that was why Clay was in charge of everything that required socializing.

“Clay’s wolf claimed me, but the man is determined that the beast will kill me if we act on it,” I said. “He won’t tell me what happened to make his wolf violent, but he told me I can ask you two.”

Both brothers’ bodies went stiff with my words.

A moment of silence followed.

Finally, Enzo let out a harsh breath. “The bastard is trying to protect us. It’s our fault.”

I frowned.

Hunter dragged a hand through his hair. “Our dad was fucked up. He told you that, right?”

“Yeah, I definitely got that.”

“When we were kids, he used his dominance to force us to fight. He always wanted to know who was the strongest, like that fucking mattered. Clay beat us both separately once, and dad thought it would be funny to put both of us against him. We were seven. Our wolves pinned Clay’s, and dad forced us to draw blood. We tried to fight the command, and failed. When we hurt him, his wolf snapped. Tore into us. Enzo’s dominance finally came in when our dad couldn’t stop laughing—and Enzo put an end to the fights.”

“It was too little, too late,” Enzo growled. “His wolf has been insane ever since.”

“He’s not insane. I see him in Clay’s eyes all the time. Even when we’re just talking and laughing,” I countered.

Both men looked stunned by the information.

Or at least as stunned as two stoic males who rarely showed any emotion could look.

“That can’t be true,” Hunter finally said.

“It is. He’s not insane. He might be convinced you two are out to get him, but he’s just a normal wolf. If I try to convince him to meet you guys without attacking you, I think it could work.”

The creases deepened.

Enzo shook his head. “Clay is never going to let that happen. He doesn’t even want you near him. If the wolf hurt you, it would kill him.”

“Clay is terrified, and it’s ruining his life.” I set the book Hunter had left for my man on the desk, open to the chapter. “He can’t hurt me if we seal a bond. Wolves can’t hurt their mates.”

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