Page 11 of Bullied Wolf Mate

Declan’s attention sharpened. “Do you think she’s right?”

I shrugged. “Maybe? She knows a lot more about these things than I do.”

He rubbed his chin, as if an avenue he’d thought was closed had suddenly reopened. “We need to get the diadem,” he said. “If we can get our hands on it first and destroy it, we’ll be able to stop whatever it is she has planned. It might even leave her vulnerable.”

He studied me, looking at me with a different type of interest. The type that said I wasn’t just some witch he had to rescue, but someone who might actually prove to be an asset if the circumstances lined up.

“Would you be willing to train?” he asked. “I might be able to find a witch willing to help, or at least lend you some books. If we can figure out how to open The Trove, we can stop them from coming after you. Everything can go back to the way it was.”

Going back to the way things were was exactly what I had been dreaming about for the last two weeks. “Of course I’ll help,”I said. “If it means she’ll stop coming after me and I can go back to my old life, I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Absolutely not,” Mark chimed in. I’d nearly forgotten he was here for a few blissful moments. “There’s no way I’m going to allow it.”

“You don’t get a say in it,” I snarled. “It’s my decision. Since when are you in control of my life? You came back into my life less than an hour ago, and right now, I’m starting to wonder if Inara was the better option.”

Mark ignored the jab. “There’s no guarantee they’ll stop coming after her. For all you know, they’ll decide they want something else from The Trove. This is a stupid idea. The best option is killing Inara and keeping Lorelei safe until we’re able to do that.”

“There are other items in The Trove that can fight against Inara,” Declan said. “Opening it is still our best option.” He eyed Mark with annoyance. “Are you going to keep arguing about this or actually listen to me?”

Mark snarled. Jameson stood next to him, his hand going to Mark’s shoulder. “Leave it,” he muttered.

“I’m not going to leave it,” Mark snapped.

By now, I had already turned back to Declan. “I’m happy to help,” I repeated. Whatever would get me back to my old life and my privacy the fastest.

“No—” Mark said, falling short when I glowered at him.

Declan, for his part, ignored Mark. He nodded at me. “Once we get to Brixton and things have settled, you and I can start figuring out the best way to go about all this.”

“We have some witches nearby,” Jameson said. “They’re not willing to help directly—they made that pretty clear whenI asked them to join the mission to come break you out—but they’re willing to make talismans and potions and the like. I’m sure one will loan you some of their spell books or something.”

I shrugged. “That’s as good a place to start as any.”

Mark had been watching this with an uncomfortable intensity, the darkness in his eyes deepening with every moment. Despite myself, the look sent shivers running from the soles of my feet to the crown of my head. He came to stand next to me, his body close enough that I took two steps back. That didn’t stop him from bending down so he was closer to my height.

“Lorelei, can I talk to you privately?” he asked, his voice low.

My eyes narrowed. Every time I saw him, I thought about all the ways he had tormented me as a kid. It was impossible not to see the guy who had tripped me in the halls on more than one occasion. I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. Whatever he wanted to say to me, I didn’t want to hear it.

“I’d rather not,” I said.

Irritation flickered across his features, giving me a bit of savage satisfaction. Then, his shoulders sagged, and he sighed.

“Please?” he asked.

I studied his features, still trying to quell my own frustration. Genuine earnestness and desperation were on his face. A little nugget of something that was either sympathy or guilt worked its way inside me, and I exhaled in frustration. I didn’t want to talk to him, but I also didn’t think I could avoid it, either. Might as well get it out of the way.

“Fine,” I grumbled.

Mark nodded, shoulders relaxing slightly. He jerked his head deeper into the woods.

Exhaling, I took a look over my shoulder at Declan and Jameson. Declan’s eyes flicked over at me, then darted to Mark for the briefest of moments before he resumed his conversation with Jameson. The rest of the shifters were chatting, tending to injuries, or keeping an eye out. Without any more excuses to delay the inevitable, I followed Mark through the trees.

We walked a few minutes in silence until we were well out of earshot of the others. He finally came to a halt and turned back to face me.

It felt strange being this close to him after all this time. The youthful features that had been burned into my mind had all dissolved, replaced by rugged good looks. A perpetual five o’clock shadow ran along a square jaw. The boyish fat had melted into well-defined cheekbones. I wasn’t short, but he still towered over me, muscles ripping, and I knew without a doubt he could haul me over his shoulder and carry me for miles without breaking a sweat.

I squeezed my eyes shut. That was a fantasy I had no interest in encouraging in any way.

---