Page 104 of Taming of a Wolf

I snort as I carefully pass Jace over to him. The lad will be grumpier than a draugr if we wake him. “You just don’t want to get wet.”

“Of course not. These shoes are brand-new!” Jamie gives me a playful wink as he hoists Jace into his arms.

As I carefully lower the lad into the boat, a bright flash out in the water makes us wince. A portal shimmers not far from shore.

Jamie arches a brow. “Did you do that?”

“No.” I hadn’t even touched his necklace.

“Who is that?” Jamie asks, eyes wide.

I turn toward the ocean as someone rows a boat from the portal and out into the sea. Even at this distance, I’d recognize Lyall’s golden hair anywhere. “It’s Lyall. What was he doing in that portal?” I’d wondered why he wasn’t at supper tonight. What was so important that he’d miss out on dinner? I wave at my brother, and either he sees it and ignores me or doesn’t notice. I make for him, calling out to him as he moors his boat.

Lyall steps onto dry land and looks up at me. I freeze. His eyes are red-rimmed, as if he’s been crying. Despite his obvious distress, he still tries to smile, but it’s a mockery of his usual jovial grin. “Evening, brother. Sorry, it looks like I missed you.”

What in Hel’s name is he doing? Does he think I’m stupid?

“What happened?” I ask. “Did someone hurt you?” My gaze darts all over his body, looking for a wound, though I can’t smell any blood.

“It’s nothing.” Lyall tries to brush past me, but I grab his arm.

“Are we in danger? Did something happen?”

Lyall’s face twists in dismay. “Gods no! Would you just leave it?”

He tries to dart around me, but I block his path. “How am I supposed to believe you when you’re obviously hiding something?”

With a sigh, Lyall’s shoulders slump. “If I tell you, you must keep this between us.”

My suspicion deepens, but so does my concern. “Aye. You have my word. Now, tell me what ails you.”

“I found my mate.”

My heart leaps with joy for him, but as his words sink in, they make less sense to me. “But you claimed Soren, did you not? So how could you have found a new mate?” Understanding makes my breath catch, and when Lyall hangs his head, anger rises within me. “You went to findhim?The traitor who destroyed our family?”

Lyall’s head snaps up, his hands in fists. “Don’t you dare call him that! Soren never betrayed us!”

Jamie grips my arm when I try to close the distance between us. “He admitted as much! He’d used us all those years, then led his father and those hunters right to us!”

“No!” Lyall snarls, and I step back, alarmed by the sight of his fangs and claws. “He lied. All those years, he thought his father had died with his mother. He was as shocked as I was when his father raided our village.”

“Nonsense, all of it! Why would he have lied about such a thing?”

“To protect me!” Lyall’s voice echoes along the beach.

I don’t understand. Everything I’d believed so fiercely about the most tragic day in our lives has been thrown into question.

Lyall inhales, forcing his claws and fangs to become blunt on his exhale. “After the attack, we were lost, grieving, and desperate for someone to blame. Many suspected Soren once we realized it was his father who’d led the attack, but they also suspected that I’d been in on it.”

“I remember that.” A rush of anger makes me grind my teeth. “I punched a farmer in his face when I overheard him accusing you of having something to do with the attack.”

“Soren didn’t want me to take the blame for his father’s actions. So he lied and made all of you believe he alone was in on it.” I open my mouth to deny it, but Lyall snaps, “Think, Anders. Really think now that your mind isn’t besieged by grief and shock. Soren grew up among us, became ulfhednar, let me claim him as mine. Why do all of that for a lie?”

My hands ball into fists. Damn it. Lyall has a good point. If Soren was planning on betraying us all that time, why go so far as to mate with Lyall?

“Please, Anders.” My twin takes my hands. “Put aside your anger. I would never lie to you about this. If Soren had alwaysintended to hurt us so deeply, the Norns would not have chosen him as my mate. I could never believe that.”

No. No, this isn’t true.

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