keeping his voice carefully casual. “For coming to rescue us. You probably saved our lives.”
His brother shrugged it off. “Whatever. I knew something was wrong as soon as you said that you loved me.”
Seth’s smile slipped off of his face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I knew you were talking in code.”
Seth hung his head and kicked his foot in a clump of snow.
Actually, he had just been thinking about how much he had been fighting with Abel—especially since Rylie had come between them. And he figured that there was a pretty good chance of Eleanor killing him.
He didn’t want to die without his brother knowing the truth: that he really did love him.
Seth laughed and raked a hand through his hair. “Good thing you caught onto the code.”
“I’m not an idiot,” Abel said. He blew a breath of fog into the cold air. “Who am I kidding? I’m a huge goddamn idiot.”
“I don’t know about idiot , but you did kiss my girlfriend. That’s not cool, man.”
“Look,” Abel said. “It’s probably hard for you to understand with your meaty doctor brain, but—God, you’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?” He folded his arms. Unfolded them. Stared at the ground. “What I… feel … for Rylie… is nothing that I’ve ever felt before. But she wants you. Not me. And now I’m feeling really gay, so can we drop the subject?”
A smile slowly grew on Seth’s face. “And Abel’s heart grew three sizes that day.”
“Screw you, dork wad.”
“No, it’s cute. Really cute.”
“Shut up.” Abel shoved Seth a little too hard. “You guys will make great Alphas together. Just the perfect fucking prince and princess of wolves.” He stripped off his shirt and unbuckled his pants. “You don’t need me. Not tonight. Not ever.”
“Wait,” Seth said, but his brother only turned away and loped into the night.
Seth stayed outside, waiting for his change. Younger werewolves changed later—sometimes not until midnight. But midnight came and went, and he still felt fine. Cold, but fine.
He went inside and listened to the wolves howl until he fell asleep on the couch.
Seth woke up after sunrise totally human.
T EN
An Answer
Rylie didn’t expect to be able to sleep the night of the moon—not when she couldn’t reach the California sanctuary, Cain and Eleanor were still out there, and there was a chance that her boyfriend was about to become her mate in a literal way.
But she did sleep, and she woke up with the sun creeping over the horizon. She felt just as tired as she had been before sleeping.
And nauseous.
Rylie rolled over in bed and threw up on the floor.
She groaned. Her mouth tasted horrible.
Where did that come from?
Rylie staggered into the hallway. Seth was on the couch, human and asleep. She sneaked a towel out of the linen closet and wiped up her bedroom floor.
He was still sleeping when she threw the towel in the laundry and got into the shower.
Rylie stood under the hot water feeling dizzy and tired. She had to lean against the wall to stay standing. As if getting kidnapped by her zombie in-laws wasn’t enough misery on its own, she had to go and catch a bug, too.
“Bad timing,” she muttered to the showerhead, like it cared.
Rylie popped open the shampoo bottle, and the smell of flowers wafted through the bathroom. It reminded her of Pagan. Her stomach clenched.
She closed the bottle and breathed shallowly, trying to suppress the nausea.
When the surge subsided, she toweled off, wrapped herself in her robe, and slipped back into her bedroom. The couch was empty—Seth must have finally woken up. The house smelled like cooking bacon. That didn’t help her nausea at all.
Even though it was cold, Rylie threw open her window to try to air out the room.
A piece of paper fluttered to the ground.
She bent down to pick it up, and for an instant, she thought it was going to be another gift from Cain—another threat. But the handwriting was too blocky and uneven.
It was
His brother shrugged it off. “Whatever. I knew something was wrong as soon as you said that you loved me.”
Seth’s smile slipped off of his face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I knew you were talking in code.”
Seth hung his head and kicked his foot in a clump of snow.
Actually, he had just been thinking about how much he had been fighting with Abel—especially since Rylie had come between them. And he figured that there was a pretty good chance of Eleanor killing him.
He didn’t want to die without his brother knowing the truth: that he really did love him.
Seth laughed and raked a hand through his hair. “Good thing you caught onto the code.”
“I’m not an idiot,” Abel said. He blew a breath of fog into the cold air. “Who am I kidding? I’m a huge goddamn idiot.”
“I don’t know about idiot , but you did kiss my girlfriend. That’s not cool, man.”
“Look,” Abel said. “It’s probably hard for you to understand with your meaty doctor brain, but—God, you’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?” He folded his arms. Unfolded them. Stared at the ground. “What I… feel … for Rylie… is nothing that I’ve ever felt before. But she wants you. Not me. And now I’m feeling really gay, so can we drop the subject?”
A smile slowly grew on Seth’s face. “And Abel’s heart grew three sizes that day.”
“Screw you, dork wad.”
“No, it’s cute. Really cute.”
“Shut up.” Abel shoved Seth a little too hard. “You guys will make great Alphas together. Just the perfect fucking prince and princess of wolves.” He stripped off his shirt and unbuckled his pants. “You don’t need me. Not tonight. Not ever.”
“Wait,” Seth said, but his brother only turned away and loped into the night.
Seth stayed outside, waiting for his change. Younger werewolves changed later—sometimes not until midnight. But midnight came and went, and he still felt fine. Cold, but fine.
He went inside and listened to the wolves howl until he fell asleep on the couch.
Seth woke up after sunrise totally human.
T EN
An Answer
Rylie didn’t expect to be able to sleep the night of the moon—not when she couldn’t reach the California sanctuary, Cain and Eleanor were still out there, and there was a chance that her boyfriend was about to become her mate in a literal way.
But she did sleep, and she woke up with the sun creeping over the horizon. She felt just as tired as she had been before sleeping.
And nauseous.
Rylie rolled over in bed and threw up on the floor.
She groaned. Her mouth tasted horrible.
Where did that come from?
Rylie staggered into the hallway. Seth was on the couch, human and asleep. She sneaked a towel out of the linen closet and wiped up her bedroom floor.
He was still sleeping when she threw the towel in the laundry and got into the shower.
Rylie stood under the hot water feeling dizzy and tired. She had to lean against the wall to stay standing. As if getting kidnapped by her zombie in-laws wasn’t enough misery on its own, she had to go and catch a bug, too.
“Bad timing,” she muttered to the showerhead, like it cared.
Rylie popped open the shampoo bottle, and the smell of flowers wafted through the bathroom. It reminded her of Pagan. Her stomach clenched.
She closed the bottle and breathed shallowly, trying to suppress the nausea.
When the surge subsided, she toweled off, wrapped herself in her robe, and slipped back into her bedroom. The couch was empty—Seth must have finally woken up. The house smelled like cooking bacon. That didn’t help her nausea at all.
Even though it was cold, Rylie threw open her window to try to air out the room.
A piece of paper fluttered to the ground.
She bent down to pick it up, and for an instant, she thought it was going to be another gift from Cain—another threat. But the handwriting was too blocky and uneven.
It was
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