Page 44 of Wolf's Claimed Mate
But Declan only laughed and wiped the blood on the back of his hand. “Bet you call her your mate. Pretend she’s a wolf, so you can be like theactualalphas. But you’re not, Conall. You never will be. You’re just a b—”
I went to launch at him, but Sasha clung to me instead, holding me back. She was small and less strong than me, but just her scent made me still, made me remember her being there, and how I wanted to keep her away from violence.
I stared down at Declan. “You’re a little bastard, you know.”
“I’d rather be that than whatever the fuck you are.”
“Cut it out,” Sasha yelled. “Both of you. Con, sit down. Declan, get up. Stop antagonizing him.” Declan stared at her, but she stood over him, and despite her smaller frame, she was still menacing. She glared him down until Declan stood up and slumped back in the chair. His lip was split where I’d punched him. It looked like it hurt.Good.
“And for your information, if you’rereallyso curious,” Sasha said, “He does not make me call him alpha and never would do that.”
Declan only laughed. I wanted to tell her that didn’t entirely help things, but it didn’t make it worse, either.
“Whatever.” Declan shook his head.
Sasha sat down next to me. “Seriously, what’s your deal with each other?”
Silence settled in the room, neither of us willing to answer.
I couldn’t help but think of his question.DidSasha give me the power I sought? The thought made my mind want to spiral. I glanced at her. She slightly shook her head as if she knew what he questioned.
“All right, let’s continue,” she said, ever the mediator. Declan had been right; we did need a buffer.
“When the fuck did you stop speaking to me?” Declan asked suddenly. “Like, what the hell did I do wrong, Conall?”
“You’re the one who’s ignored me all these weeks,” I spat. “You’re the one who wanted a buffer. Withme, your own damn brother.”
“You stopped being my brother the day you chose Fenrys over me. The day you chose him over everyone.”
That was it; I was done. The picture was almost finished anyway. It was a rough sketch, but it would do. I recognized the man enough. I stood up, shaking my head. I didn’t look back as I stormed out of the house before I hit him again.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Declan called. “Walk away as you always do!”
I snarled, clenching my fists, but kept on walking. I heard footsteps running after me down the driveway. I opened my car door but Sasha slipped around me.
“Don’t leave me with the angry little wolf,” she said, half laughing. “Please.”
“I need to be productive,” I told her. “Want to come with me to do some investigating?”
“Sure,” she said, getting into the passenger side. “Where to?”
“Fayetteville. It’s where I was going to take you yesterday.”
***
I had scent suppressants in the car, and I took some, as well as encouraged Sasha to take some. By the time we approached the cabin, still in our human forms, she was trembling. I thought of taunting her over Kato’s death and realized how insensitive this whole ordeal could be for her.
This pack had been like a family to her once, and now she was working against them.
Was she happy about it? Did they scare her? Was she angry?
I could only hope that if she was angry, then she would use it against them.
I’d stationed some of the lower-ranked wolves in Fenrys’s pack to keep an eye on the cabin, finding intervals of free time. They’d reported it was usually empty for about two hours, eleven in the morning until one in the afternoon.
It was twelve-twenty now. We might have been cutting it close to the mark but it was better than nothing. Therehadto be something in that cabin that was useful.
“Is everything okay?” I asked Sasha quietly. “You’re shaking.”
