Page 46 of Mate
“A disagreement between the former Alpha and the Assembly. The huddles separated and became self-governing. The Alpha remained in control of the core. The five huddles made for about half of the population, so it was an even split.”
“Were the huddles and the core at war with each other?”
“What? No.” More breathless laughter. “We interacted constantly. I was born in the Moon Craters huddle, but my mom was working in the Den when I was five or so. Koen and I learned to read at the same school.”
“So what happened that made the core and the huddles reunite?”
“Outsiders tried to destroy us. The Northwest’s strength comes from its unity.”
I must have gotten too engrossed in the conversation, because Brenna frees herself. We both shoot to our feet, and then it’s a flurry of hooks and push kicks. She tries to corner me, but I move laterally. I strike her with my elbow and aim at her knee, but she’s no longer underestimating me, and that’s a shame.
“Was it Humans?” I ask. “The threat, I mean.”
“Isn’t it always?” She tries an inside trip. I attempt a clinch. We both fail. “There’s so fucking many of you, it’s no surprise you’re involved ineverything.”
I step back. Gain space. Reset the fight. I can feel the beginnings of bruises blooming under my skin. “How did Koen reunite the pack?”
“He cleaned up. Made promises. Took on and won countless challenges.” She moves forward. Throws a body shot that I slowdown with hits to her chest. “I lost my parents and my infant sister in the span of hours. Do you think I gave a shit about a breakup?” Her strikes become more forceful, and I can no longer parry them. She dives in, shoulders against my abdomen, and forces me to the floor again.
“Fuck.” I try to squirm away, but she’s heavy on top of me.
“The worst part is . . .” We’re both breathing heavily. Her blue eyes bore into mine as she tries to set up an armbar, this time on me. “I wouldn’t have wished this on him.”
“This?” I choke out.
“You.”
My heart drops, even though there’s no cattiness in the word. She’s just sorry, I think. Sorry for Koen, for the way he’s saddled with me, and I’m almost curious enough to ask her why.Brenna, what specifically about me is not full-package material? Because we’re positivelybesiegedby choices here. Is it the fact that I’m a hybrid? That I don’t know how to be a proper Were? That there’s a bounty over my head? That I grew up with a Vampyre? That I’m unemployed?A snort of a laugh hiccups out of me. Honestly, it’s genuinely amusing, how poor a fit I am for the Alpha of this pack.
Brenna is less than entertained. “I don’t want to be unfair. Your life has been hard. But I hope you will leave soon, Serena. I appreciate that you’re trying to protect Lowe’s sister, but I hope you’ll know better than to stick around once this is over.”
It would be so easy to snap back, if she was being deliberately rude. But she’s obviously in pain.Andtoo distracted to notice her slackening grip and the opening she’s giving me. I rip my arm free, shift our positions, and swing my legs over her body. Putting pressure on the joint of her elbow, I watch her thrash for a few seconds.
It’s there in her eyes, the moment she realizes that there’s no way out.
“I’m not going to stick around,” I puff out, winded. “I’ll be out of your hair before you can swat me away. And you don’t have to worry about Koen and me. We’re not together. The mate thing has no bearing on our relationship. We’re not secretly in love with each other. We’re not even fucking.”
“Oh, I know.” Her smile is strained. “Believe me, weallknow.”
“Good. He explained the situation to you.” I glance up and find him staring at us. Atme. If he’s angry that I won, he hides it well. There is a shadow of a smile around his eyes, at the edge of him, that resembles . . . pride.
I hope what he reads in my wide, smug grin isGuess I’ll be living on my own.
And maybe he does. Because he nods, once, as if conceding that I’m right. I open my mouth to say something obnoxiously victorious— and that’s when I realize that my celebration was premature.
With an explosive burst, Brenna lifts me off her. She breaks free and takes full advantage of my absolute shock to wrap an arm around my neck from the rear, and . . .
“He didn’t need to explain any situation to anyone,” she whispers in my ear. “There arethreethings I believe with utmost certainty. Death will come for all of us. No matter what, the sun will rise every morning. And Koen is never,evergoing to touch you. Not even if youbeghim for it on your knees.”
She lets go of me so abruptly, I fall back against the mat, disoriented, dizzy, breathing in big gulps of air. When I open my eyes, Koen is staring down at me, mouth upturned in an unsurprised smile.
“For your sake, killer, you better not leave dirty dishes in the sink.”
CHAPTER 12
Cute, how she thinks he’d ever let her out of his sight.
ILOST FAIR AND SQUARE, SO I FOLLOW KOEN OUT AND KEEP MYmouth shut, gingerly moving my bruised, achy body. Any half-decent guy would solicitously ask whether I’m okay, but that’s clearly not him. He walks ahead, ignoring me, and when he comes to a sudden halt, I nearly bump into his back.
