Page 58 of Grace of a Wolf 1
"And how did he 'find out'?" His voice carries an edge that makes me pause mid-bite.
My brows draw together. "I told you, after the Mate Hunt. When I didn't shift."
He circles to face me, blocking the light from the window. "Did he ever bring up shifting before?"
"No."
"Not even at sixteen?"
"No—oh." Staring blankly at the lasagna, I recall, "He did throw me a pretty big sweet sixteen. He would always get me a cake for my birthday, but it wasn't usually a big party like that."
Caine frowns. "I see. How was his mood?"
The memory is clear, because the day was so special to me. "He had to leave halfway through because something came up. I didn't think much of it because Rafe was with me." Poking my lower lip with my fork, I squint in the air, as if it'll help me see my memory with more clarity. "He was happy when I first saw him that morning, but he was pretty subdued by evening. I thought he was just busy."
A low growl rumbles through the room and Caine spins away from me, pacing the floor. Five steps. Turn. Five steps. Turn.
I set my fork down, my appetite vanishing under the weight of his agitation. He's ruining all my meals.
"Did Brax intend to mate you with Rafe?"
The non sequitur throws me for a loop, and I blink. "No, Alpha had nothing to do with our relationship."
"Stop calling him Alpha." Caine whirls toward me, his voice sharp as a blade. "He's not your alpha anymore."
I flinch, my shoulders hunching. "Alpha Brax," I correct myself, my voice smaller than before, "had nothing to do with our relationship."
His scowl deepens, storm clouds gathering in his eyes. "How long were you in arelationshipwith the pup?"
The way he spits the word 'relationship' makes my skin crawl. It's so venomous. "You mean Rafe?"
A sharp nod answers me, his jaw clenched so tight I can see the muscle jumping beneath his skin.
"I don't know. We were friends from day one, and it just grew to more one day." Rubbing at my arms to soothe my crawling skin, I add, "Alpha Brax wasn't against the relationship. He was fine with it until the Mate Hunt."
"Of course he was," he mutters, resuming his pacing. "Your mother. She was his mate?"
"That's what Alpha Brax told me." My fingers twist in my lap. "But I don't know anything about her. His mate, I mean. The pack never said a word about her."
Rafe probably knows… and kept it from me. It's a depressing thought.
"There's probably a rule against it." Caine's pacing slows, his broad shoulders tight with tension. "Because of his pride."
He knows. My heart pounds against my ribs. He knows something. "Do you..." The question sticks in my throat. I swallow hard and force the words past the knot. "Do you know about her? My mother?"
His jaw works, muscles jumping beneath his skin. "It's old history. Most in the region would know."
He's too busy pacing to look at me, so he probably doesn't see my face as my heart splinters into jagged pieces. I just want to know more about Mom, to piece this mystery together. Is it so hard to share a few words?
But he's the Lycan King, interrogating a prisoner. There's no reason for him to soothe my injured heart.
Lowering my head, I stab out another bite of lasagna. "I see."
Andrew might know something. Maybe during the drive to Sterling City, I can get him talking. It'll give us something to talk about, anyway. I was already dreading his presence for the ride.
The pacing stops. A shadow falls over my plate as Caine hovers by my side, towering over me.
I peek up through my lashes. His brows draw together, creating harsh lines across his forehead as he scowls down at me. "Eat more."
