Page 32 of In the Mouth of the Wolf

But perhaps this was good for another reason. How much longer could she deny the existence of shifters when she was reacting this way to perceived threats? Humans didn’t typically go nuts at the sight of their partners standing near someone who could be their sexual competition. And the humans who did tended to have a shifter somewhere in their line.

The sound of car doors closing had Camden looking like he was about to burst. “Camden!” I barked. “Go take a cold shower, you’re going to ruin this.”

He growled, but when Elias nodded his agreement, he swore under his breath and stomped upstairs.

Nolan opened the door and Marlowe stuck her head in tentatively, looking around and subtly sniffing the air for danger. I was sure she didn’t even realize she was doing it, which made it all the cuter. Finally deciding it would be safe, she stepped through and took off her shoes. “Wow, this is a nice house.”

Elias chuckled. “Cam would be real happy to hear you say that.”

She rolled her eyes as she made her way to the fireplace, warming her hands while we did our best to maintain plenty of distance. “Well in that case, it’s a dump.”

Nolan cleared his throat nervously, giving me and Elias pointed looks. “Marlowe’s fiancé is in Eau Claire. She needs a ride down there and a plausible excuse as to why she hasn’t talked to him since Friday.”

Disappointment coated the air. Of course he would fly out here if he hadn’t heard from Marlowe. I’d expect no less from a devoted partner. I hated him for having her, but I could at least respect how much he cared. Even if he was just a human, he would do what he could to protect her.

“I see,” Elias responded, trying hard not to sound too downtrodden. “I can take you. And for an excuse, why don’t you just say you’ve been grieving more than you expected and had just turned your phone off? It’s simple, and you don’t need a web of easily provable lies to prop it up.”

She shivered slightly. “Thanks, that sounds good. I just need to call him, and then can we head over? I know you probably don’t want to be in a car again so soon…”

Nolan handed his car keys to Elias, who started putting on his coat. “Not at all, it’s not that far. Besides, I have some work to do in my office. Two birds, one stone and all that.”

“There’s a spare bedroom down the hall, why don’t you call Mike in there?” I offered.

Marlowe breathed in deeply, steeling herself for what was likely going to be a very difficult conversation, her gait slow and full of dread.

Once the door clicked shut, Nolan whistled, getting our attention. “She was ready to tear out Megan’s throat,” he said in an excited whisper. “She growled –growled! Her first omega tantrum, it was glorious. I never thought I’d be lucky enough to have an omega ready to throw down for me before. And she’s not even in our pack yet!”

“Yetbeing the operative word here,” I reminded him. “Elias, you can’t bring this up with her. She needs to figure this out on her own. Coming to terms with her identity means she will likely realize her incompatibility with the human fiancé. But if we try to force it, she might deny us further out of fear or even spite.”

The water upstairs turned off, and Camden came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. “I can smell her,” he bellowed from the balcony. “Where is she?”

Nolan groaned. “Dude, get some clothes on. She’s talking to her fiancé. He freaked out when he couldn’t get in touch with her and flew up to Eau Claire a few days ago.”

Camden gripped the railing tightly, his knuckles turning white. “That human piece of shit ishere?”

“That human piece of shit is my fiancé, thank you very much, and I just lied to him for the first time in our relationship. So who’s the real piece of shit now?”

Marlowe’s face was streaked with tears, her hands shaking as she made her way back to the living room. Nolan approached her first, rubbing her arms. “How did it go? Is he okay?”

I held back rushing in to comfort her as well, my hands balling into fists at my sides. An omega in distress kicked every beastly impulse into overdrive, but I doubted she would appreciate me rubbing my scent all over her.

She bit her lip, her eyes glassy. “I’ve never heard him so upset before. Elias, can we go now?”

His shoulders slumped. “Of course, California.”

17

MARLOWE

My heart raced as we pulled up to the front of the hotel. “You can just drop me off here.”

Elias put the car in park and reached over, grabbing my hand. His bergamot and pepper scent washed over me, followed by a fresh wave of my own guilt. Another man’s smell shouldn’t simultaneously calm me and turn me on like this. When had I become such a horny, unfaithful monster?

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay and wait?” he asked.

I really did, for some reason. But I didn’t think Mike would appreciate having my dad’s very attractive lawyer acting like a chaperone.

“No, it’s probably for the best you don’t.”

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