Page 56 of Wolf Fated
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Time for a different tactic. “Werewolves? Stephen, are you tripping on some bad drugs?” There was no way I was going to give in to his scheme. "You've known me for almost a year, and I've never turned into a wolf."
"Did you know that werewolves have no choice but to turn during the full moon." He held up a finger. "But not just the day of the full moon, one day before and one day after. Three days which is how long they left you alone in their mansion, wasn't it?"
I tried to school my features, but I was never good at hiding my emotions and his eyes lit up.
"Yeah, I don't trust you, Brookie." He shook his head. "See, I know they're fucking werewolves. I've seen them change with my own eyes. I might not have been very old at the time, but my daddy taught me well. Took me a while to track them down again, then to track you. Had to fucking bide my time till you were old enough though."
He spoke as if he were some proud big game hunter after a rare kill and it sent chills down my back to know that he'd been keeping tabs on me.
"A hunter doesn't always go in guns blazing. No, we're patient, we wait for the right moment to strike." He glanced at me and an evil smirk touched his lips. "And now that you've been bitten, it's the perfect time."
This time, I didn’t hide my shock. “Then aren’t you afraid I’ll shift and come after you?”
He laughed. “You know shit about werewolves. There’s no way you’ll be able to turn on your own until the full moon.” He clicked his tongue, pretending like he was scrolling through the internet. “Which is, let me see, not for almost three weeks. So, I think we’re good.”
“Then why am I here if you’re not going to wait for me to become a wolf and hunt me?” But I already knew the answer even before I asked the question.
“I’m the bait,” I whispered.
“Exactly.” The gleeful way Stephen said that made my stomach knot. "With you, I've got four of a kind."
He’d planned this before we officially met, which was when he had proposed to me. Suddenly all the articles and photos of Axel, Drake, and Nathan he had in his apartment all made sense now. He wasn’t studying them as his idols, he was learning about them so he could do this.
Stephen tapped the side of his head, then pointed at me. “You figured it out. Whew, I knew you would soon or later. Don’t know how hard I tried to keep you from figuring it out ahead of time. You’re too damn smart for your own good.” He laughed bitterly. “But throw some compliments your way, pretend to love you and you spread your legs faster than lightning striking. Guess that’s from your momma not able to stand the sight of you.”
“Shut up,” I yelled, jerking on the chain.
“Poor Brookie, looking for love in all the wrong places.”
Tears burned my eyes, but not for this asshole. Never again for him. But for my mom and my real dad and how the bastards had killed him and broken a family because of their prejudice. Before all this, I would have crumbled at Stephen’s hate filled words. But that was then, this was now, and I wasn’t going to cower.
And even though I had never shifted, I was a fucking werewolf.
“When my men get here,”damn, it felt good to say that out loud, “they are going to rip you to shreds.”
“There’s the animal I knew was in there.” He waved his phone at me. “Now the bait is set, it’s time to spring the trap. And when your lovers get here, there will be a big surprise for them. Dozens of hunters with itchy trigger fingers.”
All the vibrato whooshed out of me, and my legs gave way. I fell to the ground. I couldn’t let my ex hurt my men. Not when I’d found them and discovered the truth about myself.
“Going to get myself four of a kind, Brookie.”
“My name is Brook, not Brookie. Get it right.”
“Whatever.” He huffed out a breath. “Either say, I’m going to make bank on those losers.”
It was time for my gamble.
“They won’t come for me.” I kept my voice as level and emotionless as possible, lifting my chin. “Right before you came by, they broke up with me. Paid me off to leave.”
Stephen’s eyes narrowed. “You’re fucking lying.”
“Am I?” I shrugged. “Pity you’ll lose out on all the money they gave me to keep quiet and go away. You kill me and you’ll never see a penny of it.”
“I’m your fiancé,” he balked. “Your death means everything you own goes to me.”
Thank God I took Dawn’s advice and didn’t change any of my financial stuff to have Stephen as my beneficiary. She’d told me to wait at least a few years after we were married. Plus, I’d been so busy with work, saving up for the wedding and trip, I hadn’t had time to contradict her and do it anyway. Now I was so grateful I could kiss her.
