Page 194 of Marked

I blinked at him, confused by the change of subject, then nodded. “Yeah. Ollie knows her. She gave us some intel on Lincoln Masters.”

“Did you see the scar on her face?”

Of course I had. The jagged line that ran across her jaw marred what was otherwise a beautiful face.

“I did.”

JC ran his tongue along his lips and let out a sigh. He looked physically pained to discuss this. My journalist instincts kicked into gear, making me curious about where this story was going.

“Anita is a victim of the backwards laws we shifters have. The packs have made it difficult for people to live their lives the way they want.” He rubbed his jaw, then pinned me with his intense gaze. “Anita was bonded to a male. Her mate. Their relationship was fine at first, but it soon turned violent. He’d smack her around, talk to her like she was worthless, and rape her.” Heat rose in his face, and his eyes turned dark. “What’s most fucked up is that one of her only outlets to get away is to leave the pack.”

“But if she leaves, wouldn’t that make her a lone wolf?” I asked.

“It would,” JC sighed. “At that point, pretty much no pack would take her in. So, you see, the entire structure forced her toremain with the guy. You haven’t been a shifter long and didn’t grow up learning the stigma that comes from that. It’s what makes Nate brave in my eyes. In our world, being without a pack is almost worse than death. It’s a terrifying possibility.”

“But he was abusing her,” I argued. “Isn’t getting away from that better than staying?”

“You would think,” JC said, clenching his fists. “But it’s drilled into our heads from birth that youneverleave your pack—and that was evenbeforethe laws were enacted. The last twenty or thirty years have made it worse. Anita was too terrified to leave. One night, her mate truly snapped. He shifted and attacked her. Bit her in the face. Shifters heal pretty fast and rarely end up with scars, but an injury from a bonded mate is different. That finally sealed the deal. She needed to leave.”

“How did she join the Detroit pack, then?” I asked, frowning.

“She came to me. Begged me to help her and her young son. I’veknownAnita for a long time. She’s a few years older than me, but…” He glanced up as he trailed off, meeting my eyes for a moment, and I understood before he even spoke. “I’d always cared for her, if you know what I mean. Anyway, she knew I was the only one who could help her. I used up pretty much every favor I had to get her released from our pack and accepted into the Detroit pack. Even then, I had to jump through a lot of hoops to get it done. Her mate would have killed her next if I didn’t, and I was not going to let that happen.”

I frowned. “So you couldn’t snap your fingers and, like, transfer her or whatever? Even though you’re the alpha?”

JC shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “Again, the laws. I understand why they were enacted. A feral attacking an alpha’s mate sent shockwaves through our world. Igetit, but I think we went too far. Most people aren’t lone wolves by choice. They’ve been pushed to the limit for some reason. An abusive parent,a violent loved one, simple bad choices. None of those things should be a death sentence.

“Being a lone wolf is a one-way trip to becoming feral. For some, it happens fast. For others like Nate, it takes a while, but eventually they all succumb. I want to change that.”

“Change the laws?” I asked, intrigued by his insinuation.

“Yes. I’ve begun laying the groundwork. Slipped in a few comments here and there when talking with the elders. Made my opinions known so that no one is surprised by it when I make my play for change.”

It all sounded complex and difficult. JC was a capable man, and I thought that if anyone could get it done, he could, but how long would it take? Would Nate be left out in the cold for years while the wheels of change ground on at an incremental pace? By the time JC was successful, Nate might have already turned feral. Imagining him becoming some slavering mad beast like Lenny Nash broke my heart.

“What are the odds Nate can get accepted?” I asked, a tiny flame of desperation kindling in my chest.

JC held my gaze for a moment. “Not great.”

My face must have betrayed my emotions, because he held up a hand.

“I said, ‘Not great.’ That doesn’t mean impossible.” He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. “Has, uh, well, has Nate discussed joining the pack with you? Like, has he mentioned wanting to join?”

“What?” I asked, my frown deepening. “Oh, no. Of course not. From what he’s said in the past, he hates packs. I’m sure it stems from the bigotry about him being a lone wolf. But I think, given the opportunity, he would.”

“Uh-huh,” JC said, nodding slowly. “Interesting.”

A slight, introspective grin formed on his face. Something about his demeanor made me think he knew something I didn’t,but I had no idea what it might be. Before I could ask, he changed the subject.

“The hearing tomorrow? Are you ready for it?” he asked.

“I think so. I’ve got quite a few files ready to present.”

“Have you managed to find anything linking the Masters family to the Toronto drug trade? That seems to be the missing link for all this. Right now, even if we could prove Lincolnhadtraded in drugs years ago in Detroit, he could chalk it up to youthful mistakes. As far as anyone knows, he’s been a fucking boy scout since he joined the Toronto-Ottawa pack.”

“Not yet,” I said. “But I’ve sent some emails and texts to a few of my colleagues atThe Chronicle. I think they may have found some stuff. The office is obviously closed now, but I thought I’d head there to log in and see what they’ve found. I’d have time before the hearing. Hopefully, they have something that will stick.

“There are a few things in the confidential server at the office. Stories that are deemed too tenuous to publish. Journalists deal in verifiable facts. Some stories never get far enough to publish, but they might have enough info to be used as proof for this hearing.”

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