Page 7 of Forsaken Fate

I’ve been through this gauntlet before, but right now, standing this close to Theo ... the last thing I wanted to do was talk about Grayson. It was the alcohol, I told myself. I was losing focus. The smart thing to do would be to turn my back and walk out of here. “Office romance,” I answered. “I got hired as a filing clerk in the Governor’s office.”

“Ah,” he said. “That’s the rumor I heard.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard plenty,” I said.

“I heard you’re letting him claim you in the old way at The Gathering. A bold move. A power move. Interesting.” Theo asked. My heart tripped in my chest. Something about the way he looked at me. Like he could see right through to every lie I told, could lay me open with just a glare. I needed to get the hell out of here.

“Samhain,” I stammered, as if Theo needed me to explain what The Gathering was. “In five weeks. We want to do it under the full moon. We think it will be good for the packs. Good for the covens too. Give them something to unite about again. Remind everyone what we fought for.”

Theo bared his teeth. His whole body began to rumble. “We? What fighting did you do? What sacrifices did you make? You’re human. I can sense it. And you’re going to let him mark you right away?”

“Grayson doesn’t want to wait,” I said.

“Hmm. I don’t believe I got my invitation to the ceremony.”

“Since when did an Alpha of the Dorran pack need an invitation to The Gathering? Does that mean you’re staying in town that long?”

“For a little while,” he answered. “There are some things I need to clear up with my father’s affairs now that Diana’s passed.”

It was the right question to ask. Theo tried to cover it by flashing a smile, but I saw something darken his eyes for just a brief second when he spoke of his father. I knew about the bad blood between Diana and Theo over his father’s affairs. I didn’t think Theo had any of the information I needed, but before he left town, I would have to make sure. I could figure out how later.

“Well, I’m glad,” I said. I took a step back from Theo, exploiting the opening so I could end this conversation without him turning those inquisitive, wolfish eyes back at me. “Grayson and I would love to spend some time with you before you go. Since it looks like I’m about to become your sister, in a manner of speaking.”

That seemed to unsettle him, and I knew well enough to quit while I was ahead. “It was very nice to meet you today, Theo.” I leaned forward to give him what I thought would be a quick, sisterly embrace. He responded, pulling me against his chest for just the briefest of seconds as he leaned down to kiss my cheek.

His touch seared me and I pulled away, but half a second later than I should have. I smiled awkwardly and headed for the door, not daring to look back at the penetrating eyes of Theo Dorran.

* * *

Theo

When Brynna Carrington turned her back and walked out of the room, I was sure of two things. One, she and Grayson weren’t fated. Two, I wanted her. What I would have to decide is which of those two things I might dare to do something about.

I was still thinking about her when Doyle made his way back to the study to find me. From a distance, Brynna Carrington looked the part of the trophy that I now realized Grayson made her up to be. That dress: it was just the kind of thing Grayson would have picked out so he could show her off. She was smoother, cooler and smarter when you saw her up close. I couldn’t stop thinking about her pale skin. She had a dusting of small freckles across her chest which showed above the top of her dress and I wanted very much to know how far they went down.

It was one of the mysteries about her I wanted to puzzle out. Twenty minutes earlier, if Grayson had asked me to stick around for The Gathering, I would have found a way to blow him off. I wanted to meet with my father’s former lawyer and pack brother, and get the hell out of Dodge. Now, I could think of at least one reason why I might extend my stay for at least a day or two.

“You about ready to head back out there?” Doyle poked his head through the doorway. I picked up the bottle of vodka Brynna left behind and set it back up on Ridley’s fridge.

“Yeah,” I said, still staring at the bottle. The rim bore a small pink smudge where Brynna’s lipstick had brushed off. I ran a thumb across it to wipe it away.

“You okay?” Doyle knit his brows together.

“Yeah,” I said again.

“You sure, man?” Doyle persisted.

I shook my head, trying to clear it from thoughts of Brynna’s scent, how she felt when she pressed against me for that brief instant when she leaned in to kiss me. I wanted to feel more of her. I reached down and adjusted my fly. It wouldn’t do well to walk back out into the funeral parlor sporting the hard on that I knew would come if I kept up this line of thought.

“Yeah,” I answered Doyle again, reaching back to flick off the lights to Ridley’s study. When we headed down the hallway, I was sure of one more thing.

I wasn’t done with Brynna Carrington.

CHAPTER 3

Theo

After suffering through Diana’s funeral service and watching Grayson paw Brynna, I needed to hunt. I needed to shift.

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