Page 8 of Crossed Fates
“That’s where you’re—”
My phone’s ring cut her off, the sound shrill in the otherwise quiet, dungeon-like room. I pressed my finger to my lips, telling her to be quiet without words, and put the phone to my ear. “Calder,” I said, using my last name.
The female rolled her eyes and started toward me, her destination clear as her eyes drifted up the stairs. I caught her by the arm.Stay, I mouthed as the caller said, “Son,” over the line.
I blinked, surprised to hear my father’s voice. I pulled my phone away to check the time, noting the postmidnight hour. “What’s wrong?” I immediately asked. Not only did he rarely call me, but he also never phoned this late.
The woman beside me twisted out of my hold, causing me to growl in annoyance. “Stop,” I demanded, grabbing her harder this time. “We’re not done yet.”
She snarled.
I replied by squeezing harder, holding her in place. “Sorry, in the middle of a mission and one of the caged animals is overreacting,” I muttered, refocusing on my dad. Then I repeated, “What’s wrong?”
The words had barely left my mouth when the she-devil grabbed a knife from my belt and thrust it into my shoulder before I could even think to react.
My phone fell from my hand as my father’s reply floated in the air between us.
“It’s your brother.” My phone clattered to the ground, my wolf senses picking up the words that followed as agony ripped down my arm. “Alaric, Tyler’s been poisoned.”
Makayla
“Fuck!”Alaric shouted. At least, I assumed that was his name because his father had called him that over the phone.
Right before saying his brother had just been poisoned.
Fuck, I echoed in my head, eyeing the furious shifter in front of me. He hadn’t crumpled to the ground in defeat or cried out beyond the curse, just stood there bleeding and glowering at me with an expression that said he sincerely wanted to repay the favor.
I ripped the blade from his joint and jumped backward out of his reach, which was the exact opposite direction of what I’d originally intended.Up, I reminded myself.I meant to goupthe stairs and run.
Only now I was well and truly blocked by an alpha male with an axe to grind.
Awesome. Well done, Makayla.
He slowly bent to pick up his phone with his good arm, his now-black eyes on me the entire time. I still held his knife in my fist, but he wore a gun on his belt. While I had good aim for a throw, I suspected he’d be faster, even without the use of his dominant hand.
Rather than place the phone at his ear, he put his father on speaker and held it in a way that suggested he would drop it in exchange for his pistol if I so much as moved. “Poisoned with what?” It came out in a grated tone that sent a shiver down my spine. My wolf practically purred in response, intrigued by the rumbly voice.
We are so not going there,I told her.
Not that she had any intention of listening. When she sensed an attraction, she dove headfirst into it. Which was usually fine because I didn’t mind hot one-night stands. But something about this male told me it wouldn’t be just a night.
Probably because he appeared to be under the dubious impression that I was his mate.
Damn Bitten wolves, always talking about fate. They didn’t believe in the concept of choice—a fact that was really too bad for him because I had every intention of making my own decisions, and I did not choose him. Or anyone.
Some wolves were made for mating. And I most certainly was not one of them.
“Silver,” his father said, drawing me back to the conversation with another shiver.
Silver poisoning.What are the chances of that being a coincidence?I wondered, sighing to myself.Definitely not high.
Damn it, that meant I needed to help this jackass now. After his bout of manhandling, I wasn’t very keen on that idea.
Although, I did stab him.
And from his expression, he wasn’t likely to forgive that anytime soon. Despite the fact that my action had been justified.Mostly. Okay, it might have been a little harsh.
Bitten wolves didn’t heal the way my kind did. I was immortal, but I could be killed if injured severely enough. Meanwhile, his kind were practically human. They aged normally and could die from natural causes—apart from disease. However, they typically healed faster than a mortal. He’d probably be good as new in a day or so.
