Page 108 of Promise of the Wolf Moon

“Don’t.” I interrupted. “Don’t try to give me hope. I can’t...” I shook my head again. “Decker made his choices. He always has.”

Seff’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and stared down at the lighted screen as it continued to vibrate. “How much you wanna bet this isnotyour brother?”

He held the phone out. Decker’s name flashed on the screen. My heart lurched inside my chest. In my desperation, I reached out to answer my brother’s call, but Seff lifted the phone out of my reach.

“Des, it’s not Deck, and even if it is, he’s only calling to—”

“I know!” My wolf snarled.He’s calling to say he’s sorry. He’s calling to say goodbye.

“That’s the point, Des!”

Embarrassed at my outburst, I banged my forehead on Seff’s hard chest.

“Des, darlin’.” Seff cupped my face as he spoke low and even, “We can’t let this rogue sonofabitchknowweknow.”

I nodded and tried to keep from hyperventilating as Seff tapped the phone and held it to his mouth.

“Hey, Deck, what’s up?” Seff’s eyes locked on mine.

“This session is getting outta hand, dude.” Deck’s voice sounded tired and thin.

Brenin stripped and took on his wolf form. Seff motioned to him to lead us to wherever it was we needed to go. “That’s what happens when you sneak off for some fun.”

“Listen, I need Gunner Boldof’s phone number.”

We picked up the pace as we slipped through the shadows of a house. “I’m pretty sure Gunner’s mate wouldn’t be all too happy—”

I stumbled as a white-hot, stabbing pain pierced my side. Decker’s blood-curdling scream sounded not only from the phone but close by.

“Deck, what the hell?” Seff tucked me into his side and pulled me along, his dark eyes focusing on where we were heading. “Dude, what’s your problem?”

“I fucked up, Seff.” Deck groaned, breathless. “I fucked up and got caught. This rogue asshole wants to talk to the Comfort Alpha.”

“Listen, that’s not—”

“I’m not fooling around here,” Deck shouted. “Just get me the number!”

Something stabbed and twisted in my other side. My brother’s next pained scream came from close by and echoed a second later on the phone. Seff wasn’t prepared when my legs buckled. I collapsed with a grunt, curling in on myself as the pain shot through me.

“Tell him I’ll get the number,” Seff ground out. He bent to my side to help me up.

A growl came over the line. “You have one minute.”

The phone screen went dark. The rogue had hung up.

Seff grabbed my shoulders. “Are you—”

“I can handle the pain. Just send him Gunner’s number.”

The scent of smoky mesquite, leather, and lemon hit my nose as an enormous wolf moved out from the shadows. Bright lime-green eyes stared out at me from the massive head, then blinked. In the next second, the wolf straightened up into a well over six-foot, heavily-muscled, naked male with a silver goatee and mustache.

“Do it, Seff. Send that murdering bastard my number.”

Seff nodded and tapped at the phone, sending out a text message.

Gunner Boldof reached out to me. “It’s good to meet my nephew’ssakana, but I’m so sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

Gunner’s warm fingers dwarfed my tiny hand. He stared, unblinking, at Seff. Whatever silent message they exchanged flowed through mysakanabond and directly into me. My stomach dropped, and my throat tightened. More tears sprang to my eyes. I trembled all over as I reached out to Seff.

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