was beautiful and he could see why Rowan had lusted after her so hard and had eventually claimed her. Of course, she didn’t hold a candle to Maribel in Seth’s eyes.
“What are you talking about?” Rowan asked, finally breaking his string of grunts and growls. “Who the hell is this woman?”
“Her name is Maribel,” Eva said. “And she’s with Seth over here. They’ve come to talk to you.”
“You were supposed to capture her,” Rowan spat.
“She’s here, babe,” Eva said, making a sweeping motion toward Maribel. “And she’s not going anywhere. But she’s a very sweet and very scared girl, so drop the tough guy act.”
“You learned all of that from talking to her for two minutes?” Rowan asked.
“Call it woman’s intuition if you want, babe. She’s cool.”
“And what about this liar, here?” Rowan asked, pointing at Seth.
Seth was between the women and Rowan. He had to turn back to his half-brother to speak to him, effectively putting his back to the shotgun. “Stop calling me a liar. Take in my scent, look me over, do whatever you need to do. Your wolf will know I’m not lying.”
“Shift,” Rowan said.
“We’re not fighting again,” Seth said.
“Not yet,” Rowan said. “Now shift if you want me to trust you.”
Seth wasn’t sure what was about to happen. He hadn’t spent a lot of time around wild shifters and Rowan was one of the baddest. Still, it had only been two years since he had shifted to a wild lifestyle—and judging by the construction that was underway, he was melding the best of both worlds into one. He wasn’t a true wild shifter; he didn’t even have a den.
Seth complied with his wishes nonetheless. He quickly shifted into his monstrous wolf form. He had thought Rowan was big earlier, but as he stared at his brother he realized that in wolf form they stood eye to eye. He wasn’t sure how big of a shadow he cast over his half-brother, but he couldn’t have been too much smaller. Rowan was the true heir to the Bucklin throne, but in pure strength Seth was finding himself right up there with him. This was a pleasant surprise and one that invigorated him even more to lead his people.
Rowan moved around Seth, sniffing every inch of his body. He glanced back at Maribel, who had the strangest expression on her face, like she was watching something she wasn’t meant to. Eva wasn’t fazed at all by what was happening; she just leaned on the shotgun like it was a cane and looked bored.
Seth’s wolf was bristling at this intrusion and the hair all over his body was standing up, but he remained in control of the beast as Rowan slowly and methodically did what he had to do to vet his half-brother and make sure he was who he’d said he was.
Finally Rowan stepped away and gave a low growl before shifting. “The stink of William is all over you, as is the stink of another that I can’t recognize. But I still found your true scent.” He bowed his head for a second before looking back up with sadness in his eyes. “You are my brother, and my father… well, he’s not the man I thought he was.”
Seth quickly shifted and tried to stop Rowan, but he was already too upset. He pushed Seth away and began to walk towards the trailer with his head down, leaving Seth and the two women standing in the field alone.
Seth shrugged his shoulders and tried to call out to Rowan, but he kept walking. Finally he turned back to Eva. “What’s his deal? I need to talk to him.”
“Down, boy” Eva said, drawing a surprised expression from Maribel. “You just destroyed the image he had of his hero.”
“I didn’t destroy anything,” Seth protested. “Luke is still the man he thought he was. He was an alpha wolf. He still had some of the old ways in him.”
“You mean whoring and fathering bastards?” Eva asked. “I supposed that’s what an alpha does, if Aster was any indication before he got Leena back.”
Maribel looked up at Seth and he knew exactly what she
“What are you talking about?” Rowan asked, finally breaking his string of grunts and growls. “Who the hell is this woman?”
“Her name is Maribel,” Eva said. “And she’s with Seth over here. They’ve come to talk to you.”
“You were supposed to capture her,” Rowan spat.
“She’s here, babe,” Eva said, making a sweeping motion toward Maribel. “And she’s not going anywhere. But she’s a very sweet and very scared girl, so drop the tough guy act.”
“You learned all of that from talking to her for two minutes?” Rowan asked.
“Call it woman’s intuition if you want, babe. She’s cool.”
“And what about this liar, here?” Rowan asked, pointing at Seth.
Seth was between the women and Rowan. He had to turn back to his half-brother to speak to him, effectively putting his back to the shotgun. “Stop calling me a liar. Take in my scent, look me over, do whatever you need to do. Your wolf will know I’m not lying.”
“Shift,” Rowan said.
“We’re not fighting again,” Seth said.
“Not yet,” Rowan said. “Now shift if you want me to trust you.”
Seth wasn’t sure what was about to happen. He hadn’t spent a lot of time around wild shifters and Rowan was one of the baddest. Still, it had only been two years since he had shifted to a wild lifestyle—and judging by the construction that was underway, he was melding the best of both worlds into one. He wasn’t a true wild shifter; he didn’t even have a den.
Seth complied with his wishes nonetheless. He quickly shifted into his monstrous wolf form. He had thought Rowan was big earlier, but as he stared at his brother he realized that in wolf form they stood eye to eye. He wasn’t sure how big of a shadow he cast over his half-brother, but he couldn’t have been too much smaller. Rowan was the true heir to the Bucklin throne, but in pure strength Seth was finding himself right up there with him. This was a pleasant surprise and one that invigorated him even more to lead his people.
Rowan moved around Seth, sniffing every inch of his body. He glanced back at Maribel, who had the strangest expression on her face, like she was watching something she wasn’t meant to. Eva wasn’t fazed at all by what was happening; she just leaned on the shotgun like it was a cane and looked bored.
Seth’s wolf was bristling at this intrusion and the hair all over his body was standing up, but he remained in control of the beast as Rowan slowly and methodically did what he had to do to vet his half-brother and make sure he was who he’d said he was.
Finally Rowan stepped away and gave a low growl before shifting. “The stink of William is all over you, as is the stink of another that I can’t recognize. But I still found your true scent.” He bowed his head for a second before looking back up with sadness in his eyes. “You are my brother, and my father… well, he’s not the man I thought he was.”
Seth quickly shifted and tried to stop Rowan, but he was already too upset. He pushed Seth away and began to walk towards the trailer with his head down, leaving Seth and the two women standing in the field alone.
Seth shrugged his shoulders and tried to call out to Rowan, but he kept walking. Finally he turned back to Eva. “What’s his deal? I need to talk to him.”
“Down, boy” Eva said, drawing a surprised expression from Maribel. “You just destroyed the image he had of his hero.”
“I didn’t destroy anything,” Seth protested. “Luke is still the man he thought he was. He was an alpha wolf. He still had some of the old ways in him.”
“You mean whoring and fathering bastards?” Eva asked. “I supposed that’s what an alpha does, if Aster was any indication before he got Leena back.”
Maribel looked up at Seth and he knew exactly what she
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