Page 98 of His Curse

She nods as she sags into my embrace. “I know, Colt. I know there’s a lot to work through, and it doesn’t help that I insulted you and your mate as well as your future pups all within twenty-four hours, but I want to try. Not just for Ronny, either. I want to try for us because it crushed me to think of you finding your mate without ever telling me, and it made me realize I don’t want to miss out on anything else when it comes to my big brother.”

My chest goes tight and fills with warmth but I don’t say anything else.

Marigold knows this is going to be an uphill battle, one that’ll be riddled with setbacks and explosions along the way, and she knows that it’ll be hard for both of us to change our ways after over a century of being nothing short of enemies. Same as she knows I’m always going to be defensive and skeptical when it comes to our relationship.

Once upon a time we were thick as thieves. I doubt we’ll get back to that any time soon, but even when we were spitting venom there was love somewhere buried beneath it, and it’ll be a matter of uncovering it again if we really want to move on. I’ll take this as the first step, though, because Mary wasn’t wrong about our upcomingmissionand if it’s my time to go to The After, at least I can go knowing that my little sister wanted to try because she still loves me enough to do so.

And if I don’t go down in some horrible, fucked up blaze of glory at Kentworth Labs? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how sincere my sister really is.

Chapter19

Fired Up

COLT

What a weird fucking day.

With a sigh, I shake my head and turn down the trail that leads to my cabin, an odd calm settling in my chest as I do.

I was so angry with myself when I took off into the woods a few days ago and I assumed that familiar self loathing was going to last a lot longer than that, and I definitely didn’t expect an impromptu chat with my sister to be what calmed me down.

It was long overdue, I suppose.

We haven’t done more than argue and call each other names for nearly a century, so the fact that we didn’t really do any of that and actually managed to talk some things out is rather mind blowing. Things aren’t perfect, they’re far from it, and it’ll be a process for Mary and I to get back to any sort of normalcy, but the first steps were taken today and I can’t say that I’m not grateful for it.

I am.

I’m grateful that Marigold came to me out of concern—and guilt—then finally owned some of her role in the way our relationship has deteriorated over the years. And I’m glad, even if it makes me a touch petty, that she got a taste of what it’s like to be on the outside looking in at the life of someone you care about as it plays out without you.

Not that I wanted Lark to initiate anything between us.

I didn’t want her or Ronny to speak up on my behalf and not just because I thought it would fall on deaf ears.Again.

The shit between me and Mary is just that. It’s our mess, and I never wanted anyone else to get involved in it because it’s been awful at best. Ronny doesn’t need anymore reason to butt heads with his mother, and my mate didn’t need another reason to be angry with a female she’d never met. Ultimately, I’m sure that’s what sparked her unplanned visit in the first place.

Lark was fucking pissed when I got into the specifics of my curse and where it started—howit started—and that comes from our bond just as much as it comes from the way she was raised. As the daughter of an Alpha, Lark had the dynamics and values of a pack drilled into her from the time she was a pup and regardless of being an only child, my mate knows my relationship with Marigold is not how things are supposed to be. So, between feeling my hurt and anger over things, and what she knew of how siblings and pack members should act, my Birdie was less than thrilled and clearly decided to take matters into her own hands.

I’m sure Lark had a plan.

I don’t doubt it, actually.

We haven’t been together long when you look at the big picture, but from the second we met, I knew how my mate operated, and that means she definitely had a plan when she conned our nephew into taking her to dinner with him. Idon’t,however, think it went the way Lark intended because according to Mary, all she did was walk onto the porch with Ronny and my sisterknewhe brought my mate with him. Andthatwas enough to have Marigold seeing things a little differently.

Not that I can blame her.

Lark did that for me, too.

And rolling up to my cabin to see her outside fighting with my motorcycle reinforces that. Especially since I can feel her frustration over whatever the hell she’s doing so strongly it’s like it’s me kicking the wheel instead of her.

I grin as I put my truck in park, watching her for a few seconds before I turn it off and get out. “Need a hand, Birdie?”

She briefly glances at me over her shoulder, an annoyed little huff leaving her lips before Lark pretends like I’m not here.

Ah, so she’s still pissed at me, too.

This should be fun.

“Probably helps to have these.” I hold up my keys and give them a jingle as I shut the door and walk toward her. “Even better if you know how to drive one of those.”

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