Page 15 of To Keep A Wolf
She looks back at me, and her expression softens. I think, for a second, it might be affection. That maybe some part of our friendship was true for her. That maybe she regrets hurting me so badly. But then I realize the softening is pity.
“Oh, Mac,” she says as if I’m pathetic for even asking. “You can’t.”
CHAPTER5
Kari’s words hit me like jagged glass, cutting into the wounds she’s inflicted on me since the moment she stopped pretending I mattered.
“Why is Jadick keeping you here?” I ask. “What information does he want?”
“Honestly, it’s like you’re not even listening.”
My hands ball into fists, but I bite my tongue, waiting.
She sighs—or tries to. Her wounded throat makes it sound like a wheeze. “Under a black moon, we split ourselves. Rejects and Romantics. We call ourselves cursed—”
“I know the story,” I snap.
“You think you do,” she says. “The truth is that the only curse we carry is one brought on ourselves. The rejections break us down a little each time. And our connection to our wolves gets weaker with each new generation. Soon, our wolves will vanish completely, and our pack will go extinct.”
I stare at her, shock giving way to indignation. “Jadick knows this?” She shrugs. “And he’s still going to end fated mates?”
“He thinks it’s a lie. Another loophole. He thinks doing this will give him strength and power.”
“He’s an idiot.”
She snorts. “Preaching to the choir.”
“But…” I shake my head to clear it for all the good it does. “What does he want from you?”
“The bones of our ancestors,” she says, sobering now. “They are the missing link from the past to the present. The only other item he needs to make his black magic work.”
Her gaze on me is steady. My heart pounds.
“And you have them,” I say.
She doesn’t answer. Her eyes reflect pain beyond the physical.
“He would have killed my father,” she whispers. “Even if I hadn’t. It was the only way to get the bones he needed.” Her eyes shimmer with tears. “Everything I did was to protect us.”
I can see it—her belief in that truth. Even if she became a monster to do it.
“Don’t let him have me.” She clears her throat, blinking until her eyes are clear and resolved and devoid of the emotion that goes with her plea. “Don’t let him have the information.”
“Why me?” I ask quickly. “What is it about me that he needs?”
Voices rumble from outside the door.
“We don’t have time for this,” Kari hisses.
She’s right.
Seconds left to decide if I’ll give her what she wants. What we both want, really.
Kari tosses the covers back and pushes to her feet. Swaying, she makes her way to the bars until she’s close enough to grab them.
“Mac,” she urges. “Just fucking do it already.”
I step back and glance around the room, not even sure what I’m looking for. My eyes catch on the table, the items scattered there. Something silver glints, and I lunge for it. A short blade.
