Page 43 of Kai's Hunger

Wyatt’s eyes flashed with anger. “No,” he said firmly. “She’s not.”

“But what if she is?” I insisted. “It would explain why you’re so drawn to her, why you can’t stand to be around her yet can’t stay away. Why you took her blood.”

Wyatt shook his head, his expression hardening. “Drop it, damn it.”

I frowned, but I knew better than to push Wyatt when he was like this. “Fine,” I said reluctantly. “But you can’t keep running from this forever. If she is your mate, you owe it to both of you to figure it out.”

Wyatt didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on the table. I sighed, taking a sip of my coffee. The conversation was over for now, but I knew this was far from the end of it. The truth had a way of coming out, no matter how deeply it was buried. And when it did, I just hoped Wyatt would be ready to face it.

Wyatt pointed toward the parking lot. Miggs had pulled up in his ’67 red Mustang. And he wasn’t alone. Fostine got out of the passenger seat. Even from a distance, I could see the stubborn expression on her face.Great, let the fun begin.

“I’m going to kill him,” Wyatt muttered. “She has no business here.”

“She could help us, Wyatt,” I offered, hoping to smooth the waters. “She spent time with Patterson, remember? A shit-ton of time. She could recognize scents that we can’t.”

“Catching a scent that reminds her of the hell she went through?” He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and how’s that going to go? She’ll either panic or go into a rage. Neither are good.”

My brother had a point. Still, I remembered the scars on Fostine’s back. “She deserves to see this through. We both know she does.”

Wyatt let out a heavy breath. “You’re right. I hate when you’re right.”

“Look, she’s not the silly little girl who left us, brother,” I replied. “She’s strong. Been through something that we could never imagine. Give her a chance.”

Wyatt watched me for a few tense seconds, as if weighing my words, then nodded. “She’s changed. I worry about her.”

As Miggs and Fostine approached, Miggs held up both hands as if in surrender. “There was no stopping her.”

Fostine crossed her arms over her chest. Her glare was so like Wyatt they could’ve been twins. “Dad saved my life. I owe him.”

Wyat slid out of the booth, then came nose to nose with Fostine. “You obey my orders or I’ll hogtie your ass and throw you in the trunk. We clear?”

Her head tilted and I held my breath, hoping she wouldn’t say something that would get us all in trouble for causing a disturbance. Finally she nodded. No words of consent, but the nod would have to be enough. Without another word, Wyatt walked out of the café, leaving me to pay for the coffee. I tossed a few bills onto the table, then followed him, with Miggs and Fostine in tow. When we reached Wyatt’s truck, I glanced over my shoulder and saw Miggs nearing his Mustang. “Stay close,” I shouted.

We tore out of the parking lot and headed south. I glanced in the side mirror, noticing Miggs’ car not far behind, then turned toward Wyatt. “I can’t stop thinking about that guy by the dumpster. His face was mutilated. That’s next-level crazy.”

“Puts new meaning to the word ‘psycho.’”

“Jesus,” I muttered.

“Keep your eyes peeled. We’re looking for any building that appears abandoned. Something isolated.”

“If he was smart he would’ve left the area. He has to know we’re coming for him.”

Wyatt shook his head. “He won’t do that. He thinks he’s God. That he can’t be stopped.” He paused before adding, “Besides, he wants to be close to us in case he needs another subject to experiment on.”

“As if losing his job at Cedar Haven wasn’t enough. Even the government didn’t want anything to do with his twisted shit.”

“I’ve been thinking about that.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“How is Patterson funding all this?” He glanced over at me for a second, taking his eyes off the road. “He has to have someone backing him.”

“True,” I agreed. “The equipment. The warehouse. The hired help. It all costs money.”

“Yeah, and hiring the kind of people willing to keep their mouths shut isn’t cheap.”

I cursed under my breath. “So, there’s someone else out there as crazy as he is. A wealthy nutjob. Terrific.”

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