Page 24 of Taming of a Wolf

“How did you know he was my brother’s mate?”

He shrugs. “It’s not hard to guess.”

I take a sip of my coffee. There’s a buzzing growing under my skin, and I’m itching to move. I tap my feet beneath the table to relieve the restless energy. “That’s what Wulfric believes.” I sneer the words. “As if a human could ever be one of us.”

“But I was human.”

“No. The Norns would never choose a human for my mate. They did it for Wulfric as a sign to tell us all he was unworthy. I am not. You wereraisedhuman. That’s different. Your grandmother was born to ulfhednar parents. All you needed was another wolf to bring out your innate shifter abilities. You would have manifested shifter abilities from a young age, even if you or your parents lacked the ability to change forms. Heightened senses, for instance.”

“Yeah. That makes sense. My senses have always been really strong. Still, you shouldn’t paint humans with such a broad brush, Anders. All of my friends are humans, and they’re really great. I bet if they knew—”

“No.” I slam a fist down on the table. “You can never tell them what you are, Jamie. Never. They would hate and fear you, desire nothing more than to see you dead.”

“That’s not true.” He shakes his head, anger spicing his scent. I’ve upset him. Best to change the subject.

“Kieran tried to change everything about our way of life. Modernize us. First by getting rid of our thralls. Eventually, he’ll convince Wulfric to give up Fenrir’s gift. Wulfric will obey, I know it, and then he’ll force us all to do the same! He will doom our pack.”

Chewing his pancakes thoughtfully, Jamie swallows. “I don’t know, Anders. It sounds like you’re making assumptions. I don’t blame you at all after everything humans did to your pack, but how can you know Kieran will do all of that?”

I sigh and don’t argue. Jamie is newly changed. He can’t understand. While my wolf may have insisted we trust our Alpha, I knew better than to obey my animal instincts. “Even if there was only the slightest chance Wulfric would weaken us and expose us all to hunters, I had to do everything in my power to prevent it. So I challenged him.”

“And you lost,” Jamie says, guessing correctly.

I growl out a yes. I can’t tell Jamie all the conflicting thoughts that warred in my head as I faced my brother. How angry I’d been and then how sorrowful. Old wounds had torn wide open, and I’d been forced to acknowledge my own guilt, my own helplessness and failings. I’d let my emotions cripple me.

“Wulfric should have killed me. Instead, weakling that he is, he chose exile as my punishment. He let me live, and it was a mistake.” My knuckles whiten as my fingers tighten around my utensils. “I will return, and this time, I’ll win. Once he’s dead and I claim the title of Alpha, my pack will never be threatened again, not by rival packs or hunters.”

Jamie bites his lower lip. “Anders—never mind. I’ll just say that sometimes, how we feel isn’t always a reflection of reality.”

I don’t know what he means.

“Will Wulfric kill you if you return?” Worry taints his scent.

I flash my teeth in a feral smile. “He can try, but he won’t be successful.”

“Why? What are you going to do that is different this time around? You should have a plan.”

“I will not fail. I promise you. But I will do what must be done to save my pack, and for that to happen, you must give me your necklace. I am willing to earn it. Just tell me what I must do.”

Jamie’s eyes brighten. “I do have an idea, actually.” He pulls out one of those handheld objects humans seem so fond of. “Come on, let’s get the rest of this to go. I’ve got somewhere to be, and you’re coming with me.”

Curiosity compels me to my feet. “Lead on, then.”

Chapter 7

Jamie

“Where to next?” Andersasks.

I drive out of the parking spot. “Brooklyn.”

“What’s there?”

“When my grandma died, she left me her bookshop.”

Anders hums. I’m not sure if he knows what books are. After we drive across the Brooklyn Bridge, it’s only ten minutes to the shop. Once we park, Anders follows me into the little blue shop with big glass windows. The sign over the shop welcomes us to Moon Beans and Books Café.

Every time I unlock the doors, memories of Gran rush back to me. When I was a kid, if my parents were busy, they’d drop me off here. I’d study at one of the tables while Gran baked fresh pastries, or I’d while away the hours reading fantasy books or blushing over a steamy romance novel. She always had the latest bestsellers. When I was a college student studying to earn a degree in entrepreneurship, Gran gave me a job and helped put me through school.

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