Page 127 of Broken Wolf Heart
“Because he didn’t understand how loving someone can make you stronger,” I say, laughing, but there’s no humor in it.
Mac grins, a wicked glint in her eye. “When are these idiot alphas ever going to realize fated mates are the key to everything?”
“How do I let her in?” I ask, impatience and frustration sending me pacing back and forth along the boundary line. “We claimed each other. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do.”
Another exchanged look, and I have to bite back curses atthe way they seem so in sync with one another. They’re right, though. Lexi and I aren’t this connected. Not yet.
“According to Chloe, magic helped create the problem, so magic should be able to fix it.”
“And if I don’t have a witch lying around?”
He frowns. “The only other thing I can think of is a hex blade, but they’re impossible to?—”
“I have one.”
They both blink at me.
Mac just shakes her head.
Levi snorts. “Of course you do.” He looks at Mac. “He’s still the most mysteriously resourceful person I know. And that’s saying something, considering Tripp.”
“There’s nothing mysterious about Tripp,” Mac retorts, but the shared joke is lost on me.
I can’t think about anything except the hex blade. About using it to remove whatever magic is allowing my wolf to be held hostage by this creature it’s borne inside me. To be free of that, to deepen my bond with Lexi, and feel the kind of connection with her that Levi and Mac have—I’d risk my own life for that. But not hers.
I swallow hard, stomach clenching as reality crashes in around me. “Lexi’s wolf is already unstable. Isn’t it a risk—giving her more power?”
“I don’t think so,” Mac says. “You and Lexi—you’re mates. Your true bond, without hex magic clouding it, could stabilize both of you. Nature intended alpha pairs to share the load, offer strength to the other when necessary. It’s why our very lives are tied together. She can handle this, Grey.”
Can she? My heart races. Lexi’s fierce, strong, but her wolf… it’s barely under her control as it is.
“Look, Grey,” Levi says, “we can’t make this choice for you. And even though I haven’t met your mate yet, I’m willing to bet that, if your wolf chose her, she’s not just any wolf. She’sspecial. And strong as hell. Trust that. Trust her. Hell, trust yourself.”
“I do,” I whisper, emotion thickening my throat. “I trust Lexi with my life, but I’m terrified of hurting her.”
“You're not going to hurt her. You’ll protect her. Just like you protected us.” Mac sounds so sure.
A lump rises in my throat, memories flooding back—the battle we fought together, the rebellion they endured. How I’d guarded their backs, watching them find each other, becoming stronger together. And now, they’re doing the same for me.
“Thanks.” For one fleeting moment, I allow vulnerability to show. “Both of you. I missed you.”
“Missed you too, brother,” Levi says quietly. “You deserve to be happy, Grey. You’ve spent your life fighting, protecting everyone else. It’s time someone had your back. Your wolf picked Lexi for a reason. Don’t be afraid of that.”
Their words sink deep, calming the storm inside me. I stand, grateful we’ve had this time together. It grounds me, reminding me of who I am—who I could be without my father’s constant threats and violence.
When we part, Levi gives me a knowing look. “You need any backup, just say the fucking word.”
“I appreciate that. But I think I have to face this on my own.”
Mac smiles, eyes fierce. “If he’s anything like Crigger was, he underestimates you. Let that be his downfall.”
Their confidence bolsters my own, and as they turn to leave, the ache in my chest eases slightly. I glance toward the sky, breathing deeply as I note the blue hues of dawn lightening the horizon. My heart speeds as I think about everything that awaits us today.
The hex blade’s location pulses in my mind, calling to me like a siren.
This has to work. If it doesn’t… I don’t let myself think about what will happen to our mate bond if that creature takes me over for good.
The sun’sjust beginning to rise when I return to the estate. Lexi’s in the kitchen, pacing between the sink and the stove, a mug clutched in both hands. Her eyes snap to mine the second I enter, and relief softens her features.
