Page 60 of Stealthy as a Wolf

My recommendation?

Avoid them at all costs.

As if he felt my eyes caressing him, Matty glanced at me over his shoulder. Tension lined his frame, his shoulders so stiff, he looked ready to jump out of his own skin.

While part of me wanted to soothe him, I was tired of being left in the dark. They’d almost gotten me captured by the wolves, and it had barely been a day. I deserved to know just how far up shit creek we’d traveled and what size life vest I’d need.

Matty’s lips tightened, then he released a heavy sigh and ran a hand down his weary face. “My younger sister was a handful, way worse than just the typical bratty sister. From the moment she could walk, it was like she was already channeling her animal. She was just so happy and free…and so fucking bloodthirsty. Not a day went by without her getting into some sort of trouble, either getting into a fight or just plain running wild.”

A wan smile fluttered across his face. “She was a cheetah. Even though I was her bigger brother, she loved to torment me. You might almost say it was hate at first sight. She was so savage and untamed that it was only a matter of time before she got into a situation where I couldn’t bail her out. After the cops stopped by for the third time in a week and her sixth suspension from school, I knew she wasn’t going to survive the year if I didn’t do something.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the fond way he described his sister. While he might have said it was hate, it was obvious that he loved the little hellion. “But something happened, and you ended up being the one sent to prison.”

The spark in his green eyes from when he talked about his sister dulled, and his face hardened. “I was working on a way to tame her wildness. It was like she had ADHD on steroids. I was afraid she’d turn feral if she continued on her current course, so I tried to create a drug that would allow her to function in the normal world.”

He fell silent, lost in his memories, and my heart clenched at the way his sorrow saturated the air like a thundercloud. “What happened?”

“She vanished without a trace before I could help her.” He dragged his fingers through his hair, gripping the strands tightly in his frustration. “I searched for her everywhere. When others gave her up for dead, I refused to give up hope…”

“What went wrong?” I asked when he trailed off. Because as much as his sister had been a pain in his ass, he obviously adored her and he clearly blamed himself for her disappearance.

“I messed up.” He grimaced and shook his head. “I drew too much attention to myself during my search. News about my drug got out. At first, the snakes put a hit out on me, wanting to eliminate the potential competition. When they realized my miracle drug was better than anything they had on the market, they decided to take it for themselves. They stashed me in prison, out of their way, while they set up their trade, but it also allowed them to keep me around in case the drug needed to be tweaked.”

“And left you there to rot.” I was outraged on his behalf.

They stole his life.

Stole his chance to locate and rescue his sister.

To be locked up in prison, helpless to do anything while his sister disappeared without a trace, must have been the worst kind of hell.

I didn’t know how he survived without climbing the walls and going insane.

“When they decided to transfer me to a different prison, I knew I’d outlived my usefulness. It was time to escape. I contacted the twins to helprescue me.”

That was the last thing I expected him to say.

Hehired the twins?

I turned toward the boys, viewing them differently. I thought they were law-abiding citizens, white knights. Knowing they were mercenaries for hire put a different spin on things.

Made them a little more dangerous and unpredictable.

I didn’t have a problem with the dangerous edge to them—it was a given in their line of work—but I couldn’t help but worry that if the wolves offered them enough money, if they’d turn me over to the pack.

I wasn’t aware of moving away from the twins until Burke scowled, his bright blue eyes freezing me on the spot. Before I had a chance to even flinch, he cupped the back of my neck and dragged me closer, leaving only inches separating us.

A feral snarl echoed between us. I didn’t doubt that if I so much as twitched, I would find myself pinned beneath him. Too bad for him, my wolf refused to be dominated, and I met his scowl without flinching.

His hold loosened, his fingers brushing along my neck, leaving my skin tingling. The backs of his fingers skimmed down my cheek, his touch almost reverent. I wouldn’t even have felt it, if not for the spark that arced between us.

Attraction or lust or something else, I had no idea which, but it was something uniquely him. Even if I had my eyes closed, I would be able to tell it was him.

He was mine, even if I had to fight him for it.

It was as simple as that.

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