Page 86 of In the Mouth of the Wolf

He paused, considering. “What if a male tries to hit on you? Can I still punch him?”

“Depends if he’s serious or not.” I shrugged.

“And how will I be able to tell that?”

I turned on my side to face him, our noses close to touching. “Just check with me. If I nod, go for it.”

A relieved grin spread across his face. “Deal.”

My stomach gurgled ominously. “Terrific. Now, if you would be so kind, would you escort me to the bathroom? I believe I have another appointment with the toilet.”

“Well, better keep it short. The funeral is in two hours.”

40

MARLOWE

Idonned my funeral dress. It was made of a heavier knit, styled with a crew neck and long sleeves, falling to just below my knees. Perfect for late fall and early winter, so I sent a sad, sarcastic thanks to my parents for having the foresight to die in the same season.

Despite Nolan’s suggestion that he become my public husband, I rode with Cam and Elias to the temple, since we three were the closest to my father.

The outside of the building was rather simple and reminded me of the late-modernist churches I’d go to with my friends and their families as a kid whenever I slept over at their houses on Saturday nights.

“I thought you said shifters were Pagans?”

“We’re similar, but not the same,” Elias replied. “But we also have to keep up appearances in case humans pass through. You know how it is in rural America – if we didn’t have something that looked like a Christian church, humans would be suspicious.”

I thought back to that awkward moment in kindergarten when my teacher had been assigning roles for our Christmas pageant and I had asked who Jesus was. Everyone had looked at me like I had two heads.

“Yeah, I know.”

Cam opened the door to the building, and the gentle hum of the HVAC system and the echo of hushed voices greeted me, the air calm and fragrant from incense.

Unlike the intricate detailing and majesty of a cathedral, the space felt sleek and cool. The floor was polished stone, reflecting the modest, dark pews and the white flower arrangements placed alongside them.

At first glance, the large, empty wall at the front appeared to hold an abstract crucifix. But as we got closer, the stark, angular lines and proportions felt off. My eyes widened in shock when I noticed the center figure – an elongated, distorted crescent moon.

There were other details as well that spoke to the temple’s true deity – crescent moons and other celestial symbols were strategically placed inside all the artwork and carvings on the altar.

My gaze then fell to the open casket, and my heart raced. I grabbed Cam and Elias’s hands to steady myself, my heels clicking down the aisle as I approached.

My dad looked peaceful, and I took in every feature, every line, every color of his face and willed it to memory. It would be the last time I ever saw him.

He looked so much like Ezra it hurt.

But he wasn’t my twin brother, he was James Linden. Our dad. A male who had left, but perhaps not of his own volition. Who had watched from afar, manipulating my life in the background so he could still be in it, in some form or another.

I smelled them before I heard them and soon, Nolan and Archer had joined us, surrounding me with their love and support.

Perhaps my family was gone, but I wasn’t alone.

41

ARCHER

Marlowe was still a little reticent about “coming out” as our omega, but had agreed to let Camden bring it up during his eulogy.

He talked mostly about how lucky he was to have learned how to be an alpha, not just from his own dad, but Marlowe’s as well, and gave two anecdotes to illustrate his point – one funny, one poignant.

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