Page 155 of White Raven
“It’s fuckinghysterical,” Wren cackled, covering her mouth with her hand.
“You’re such a hateful bitch,” he laughed, rolling his eyes. Denver crept up behind him from the side of the bed and tried squeezing in the small space between them. “I was here first, you fat shit.” Wren thwacked him again, this time in the shoulder.
“I’m the only one allowed to talk about his condition.”
Brent raised his brows. “What condition is that? Obesity? Dia-beetus?”
“Shut the fuck up!” She hissed, dragging Denver toward her. “Don’t listen to him. He’s a dick.”
Denver purred against her, and Brent watched them both longingly for a quiet minute. “So…Denver, huh? I don’t remember us deciding on that one. Might be a dark mark on myboyfriendstreak, but I didn’t know that’s where you were from.”
Wren scratched the sides of Denver’s face. “Hence the name,” she smiled, nodding towards the rotten cat. “I thought it would be a good place to start. It’s also a good distance from my fuckingmother.”
Brent chuckled through his nose. “You don’t think Miss Peggy will follow you from Andover? She did move there to be closer to you, didn’t she?”
“She did, but Mom hates Denver. I think she just used me as a good excuse to leave. She’s very good at excuses and bitch fits.”
“It’s perfect. When do you wanna go?”
Wren snuggled in a little closer to him and pressed her forehead against his shoulder. “No rush…leaving’s gonna be hard, Brent. You know that right?” Brent leaned down, kissing the top of her head gently.
“Not as hard as staying, I think. One day at a time, yeah?”
“One day at a time.”
Rhaena’s back faced him, and he coiled around her, grazing gentle fingertips over her shoulder, and kissing every spot left bare by her tank top. She didn’t move. Didn’t respond to his touch. Brandon rested his chin on the crook of her shoulder.
“Hard to sleep with the two of them howling upstairs, isn’t it?”
Rhaena stared forward at the wall. “That’s not what’s keeping me awake.”
He sighed, and wound an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. When she closed her red-rimmed eyes, he heard her sniffle softly, and he pressed a kiss to her neck. “Rhaena, you know he wouldn’t want this. We gotta let him be at peace.”
She scoffed, and it sounded wet. Her body heated in anger, and he slid his palms gently down her arm to calm the beast that wanted to come out.
“Yeah right…” she whispered. “I don’t think Malcolm Foley was ever at peace a day in his life. I failed him, Brandon. He just wanted to find his place in the world…and I sat there, and fucking denied him at every turn.”
“Babe, no…you didn’t.”
She turned onto her back, and he looked down at her as she swiped her hands down her face. “Didn’t I?” she sniffed. That lip quivered, and he died not kissing it. But she needed this moment. This outlet to free it. She’d never break the glass surface if she didn’t, and he wasn’t about to let her hole up in her grief like Wren had. “He served in the military, tried to find his purpose. That backfired. He tried to join the force…got partnered with a sheistybitch…that not only stained his reputation, but it hurt him. In losing her, he felt like a failure, blamed himself for years for her death without knowing the truth…and…he ended up doomed to spend the rest of his life a werewolf because ofmyfucking uncle!” She let out a heavy sob, wiping her nose on the blanket. “If that isn’t bad enough, hefinds out he’s not alone, wants to find more like us just to beaccepted!For once in his life! Tobelong!And I fucking pushed him away!”
“Baby,” Brandon whispered, trying to pull her hands from her face. She jerked away.
“No!” Rhaena sobbed, heaving a sharp breath. “I danced around the possibility of having to face my mother!Iwas the one that refused to work with Ryan Sykes! If I hadn’t done all that shit, he might still be alive! Now Athan is gonna leave, and Iknowhe basically told me what Cap used his dying breath to tell me the other night. They want me to lead. How the fuck can I lead them, Brandon? How can I lead them, when all I’ve done is wreck everything I touch?”
“Rhaena, you couldn’t have known about Sykes. Not the biggest picture, anyway. We were onto her before, we just didn’t know what we were dealing with. That isn’t on you.”
She threw her hands to her sides. “Isn’t it?!” Her eyes were so red and puffy, that beautiful face just littered with heartbreak. It hurt. Deeply. “If I’d just done what he asked, I might have been the fucking detective I was supposed to be and figured her outsooner!Not only would that maybe have saved his life, it would have damned sure stopped her from fucking burying mypartneralive! I’m a disgrace, Brandon…”
Her eyes flashed with the presence of that wolf that was howling beneath her skin, and he challenged it. Dared it. “You’re a disgrace?” he huffed a laugh. “Yeah…you’re a real piece a work, Rhaena Northwood. You’ve played mother hen, judge and jury, best friend, lover, good cop, bad cop…you’ve orchestrated an entire regime to keep your animal form restrained to protect people you swore an oath to. You’ve bailed every single one of us out of countless situations, you’re determined to always have the last word, you call a man out on his bullshit, even if he’s five heads taller than you…and I’ve never once seen you flinch. Youbox like Ali, you kick like an infuriated mule, you can put away a triple cheeseburger in less than a minute, and you drink more water than Boston can filter in an hour. You’re strong-willed, loyal…you’re incredibly smart. You’re sometimes a cheap shot, but a damn fine one regardless. You fight hard, you love even harder.You’re right…I don’t see what the hell our captain saw in you.”
She sat up, staring him down and narrowing her eyes at him…and within seconds…that face crumpled. Her shoulders sagged in surrender, and her heart spilled out. Brandon caught her in his arms as she collapsed into soul-crushing sobs, and he gently rocked her back and forth. “Why did he have to die?” she wept, grasping his shirt in her fists.
“We all do, babe…but he went down a hero…protecting the one he cared about most. The same one I’d die for. The one thing he was most proud of…if you don’t take that exam for yourself…do it for Foley.” His hand ran through her hair, stroking gently while she let it all out. “You are a leader. You’re analpha. That’s what he was trying to say, babe. And you’re so worthy of this.” Rhaena peeled back, and he took her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. “He’s never seen you back down from a fight. Neither have I. None of us have. Cause youdon’t. You’ll get through this. I know you’re tired, but this round is just starting. It’s just gettinggood,” he smiled. “Lay it out on the mat,Gloves.”
Rhaena sobbed, pressing her forehead against his as she nodded, and tried to get her shit together.
That’s his girl.
