Page 29 of Broken Wolf Heart
“My mom gave it to me to suppress the LAG gene Franco activated,” I tell him. “But the dose was so high it suppressed my wolf.”
“And the serum was the antidote,” he says almost to himself.
“Wolf venom for the change, a gene booster to activate the LAG gene, and, yeah, the antidote.” A beat of silence passes. “Are you pissed?” I ask, stealing his line.
He sighs, running a hand through his tousled hair. It’s amove I recognize for when he’s stressed. But he doesn’t look angry as he says, “I’m disappointed you didn’t wait for me so we could figure out your wolf together.”
“I was so tired of being weak, Grey. I need to be able to fight, to protect myself.”
“I would have?—”
“Don’t say you would have protected me.”
His smile is rueful, but it vanishes quickly. “Okay, I get it. But I do have to wonder what exactly you promised him in exchange for such a thing?”
I wince. “Two things. He wants a blood sample from me so his researchers can access my wolf’s gene code.”
His cheeks flush, and I know he’s doing his best to hold his temper. “And the second thing?”
“Relinquish my title to him.”
He flushes red. Okay, definitely pissed now.
I rush to say, “At the time… my title was nothing more than an unnamed heir. It seemed like a small price to pay.”
His brow lifts. “And now?”
I blow out a breath, despair and worry leaking in again. “I know it was only my first shift, but my wolf was so out of control. She feels… wild. And I think that’s because of whatever Franco did to me. I worry she’s too powerful. And if there’s one person who shouldn’t have access to more power, it’s him.”
“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, spending a few days out of town would?—”
“No.”
“I’d come with you,” he counters. “We could use some time to ourselves.”
“Jericho Grey Diavolo, are you using the idea of a honeymoon to manipulate me into running away from a war with your father?”
“Depends. Is it working?”
I punch him on the arm, and he grins, but we both sober quickly. “I can’t run away,” I say quietly. “I have to face this.” I can’t bring myself to saymypack, even though I think that’s what it is now.
He frowns. “Lexi, you don’t have to do this?—”
“Yes, I do.”
He looks pained. “If anyone finds out you don’t have Franco’s power?—”
“I don’t need it,” I say.
Mostly because I can’t imagine being much stronger than I already am. My wolf seems pretty capable already of taking out our enemies.
He looks like he wants to argue, but then he sighs. “You don’t,” he admits. “I felt it when I chased you here. You have more than a newly shifted wolf should. They must have felt it when they bowed to you.”
Either that, or the triple murder convinced them.
“I will deal with my father. Later. Right now, all that matters is making you alpha.”
“I thought you said I already was.”
