Page 102 of A Wolf's Wound
“Except that I haven’t,” Brian says.“Not all of it.And I haven’t spent all this time and energy to stop now.”He chuckles, a low rasp that sends shivers up my spine.“And then all those deaths would have been in vain.You wouldn’t want that on your conscience.Would you?”he says, directing his words toward Hannah.
“No, I wouldn’t,” she says.“But they’re not on my conscience.I didn’t ask you to do any of this.This is all on you, Brian.”
“I can live with that,” Brian says.“Because what I’ve done, what this gift is, it’s so much bigger than just me.Or even just you two.”
“What is it?”I ask.“You’re right, Brian.We were trying to stall you, to see if we can get you to change your mind.But I’m convinced you’re not going to.”
“I’m glad you finally figured that out,” Brian says.
“So what is it?”I ask again.
Brian flashes that creepy grin again.“Don’t worry, Ryder.You’ll love it in the end.”
Chapter 58
Hannah
IcantellRyder’spuzzling over Brian’s words, trying to figure out what he means.
I’m trying to figure it out too.A gift that Ryder will love…in the end.That involves me somehow.And that had to be fine-tuned through multiple deaths.
Closing my eyes, I try to visualize all the different pieces of the puzzle on a piece of paper.This is a technique one of my professors taught me during my first year of college when the work seemed overwhelming.Break the pieces down, she told me,and move them around until they fit together.
A gift…shifting…the councilman…me…Ryder…Ryder biting Brian…shifting…
“Oh my god,” I gasp as the pieces click together.“Oh, holy fuck.”
“Have something to say, Hannah?”Brian asks proudly.
“You…you…” I can’t say anything else.I’m too stunned by what Brian’s planning.And by what he’s already done.
“What is it?”Ryder asks, looking concerned.
“Oh, poor dim Ryder.”Brian laughs.“Your girlfriend is so much smarter than you.”
“It was a scent you were using,” I say slowly.“That’s it, right?The scent must have affected the shifters.”
“Exactly!”Brian says.“Gold medal for the vet.”
“Brian was using a scent that wolf shifters could smell,” I explain to Ryder.“The scent would make them go crazy and bite people.”
“And whoever survives the bite deserves to live,” Brian says as Ryder’s eyes widen in horror.“Just like I survived when you bit me.”
“What happened to the councilman?”I ask.
“He smelled the scent the first time,” Brian says.“It literally drove him crazy.He couldn’t handle it and, well, you saw what happened.”
I shudder at the memory.“Yes, I did.”
“So after that I realized that I needed to fine-tune the scent,” Brian says.“I tested the next iteration on myself.”
“Didn’t that affect you?”I ask.
“Oh, yeah,” he says bluntly.“It fucked up my mental health.”
“That’s an understatement,” Ryder mutters.
I whirl around and glare at him.Shut up, I mouth.Ryder shrugs but doesn’t say anything else.
