Page 13 of Kai's Hunger

Wyatt’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

I’d never threatened to leave before. As the enforcer in the family, I took pride in my position and responsibilities. But I’d never had a mate either. This was different. “She’s not just another woman, Wyatt. She’s theone.”

Wyatt took a deep breath, his gaze softening slightly. “We’ve segregated ourselves from the others because of our sister. Fostine is missing, but she’s still the key to understanding the virus. The only female of our kind. Or have you forgotten that? Forgotten her?”

My claws extended involuntarily, anger flaring at the suggestion. “Of course I haven’t forgotten her! She’s missing, not dead. But that doesn’t mean I’ll abandon Lily.”

Wyatt sighed, rubbing his temples. “We’ve already lost too much. We can’t afford to lose you too.”

I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my emotions in check. “I don’t want to leave, Wyatt. But I won’t let anything happen to Lily. She’s my mate, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”

Wyatt looked at me for a long moment before nodding slowly. “All right, we’ll find a way to make this work. But you need to understand the risks.”

“I do,” I replied, my voice firm. “I’ll protect her with my life.”

My brother cursed a blue streak, then threw a marble paperweight across the room. It put a neat, round hole in the drywall. “How the hell is this going to work? She’s human, Kai. They cannot know about our kind. Not to mention having her around seems to be stirring up your hormonal brothers all to hell. Miggs is particularly intrigued.”

I got to his feet. “What the hell did he say?”

“Enough to earn a fist to that pretty face of his.” Wyatt waved a hand in the air. “I believe he’s nursing his wounded pride by hacking some government site in that freakish room of his.”

Miggs. The computer genius of the bunch. Always cracking a joke and often getting a beatdown because of it. “He’s going to push a little too far one of these days.”

Wyatt glared. “He’s not the issue. Lily is. What are you planning? The instant she sees yourYucilonform she’ll lose her shit. You do realize that, right?”

Tension skated along my spine. My brother was right, but that didn’t mean I needed to admit it. “She’s my mate,” I firmly stated. “She’ll get over it.”

He snorted. “I’ll allow this only because I don’t want to lose my enforcer.”

That had been the last thing I expected. A beatdown at the very least, possibly banishing me from the compound. “You will?”

“Listen closely, Kai. She stays in your quarters. And if she runs, you’d better catch her.”

“She won’t run,” I vowed, though even as I said it I knew I wasn’t so sure. Lily might be brave, but would she accept me when she saw me on all fours?

“And if she tells anyone about us, I will end her life myself,” Wyatt warned. “I won’t put this family in jeopardy. Not even for you.”

My teeth extended at the image of Wyatt tearing out Lily’s throat. I barely kept my ass in the chair. It was only Wyatt allowing me to keep Lily that calmed my beast. It would be my job to keep Lily alive and by my side.

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