Page 113 of Unforgivable

"My males," I interrupt Thjis. "You are my males, my lovers, my pack. Don't ever think that you don't measure up to Daan," I spit his name like it's something foul. "You're so much more than him. You're brave and kind and talented. I love you, each of you. I never thought I would say that to anyone but my truemate. I'm not saying it now because it's easier or convenient. I'm saying it because it's true!"

"He's coming back soon, baby," Thjis says. Tears shine in his eyes.

I stand up and go to sit in his lap, squeezing between his chest and the table. I straddle him, staring into his dark eyes. "I love you. I'll fight the bond. And if it starts to get to me? Then you'll fight it for me."

"So we stay," Rhet says with satisfaction. "We stay and fight."

---

Ezra

I slouch into the Watering Hole. I wanted to stay with Lyri tonight, but Thjis claimed her first after the scene in the kitchen. I guess I have to be satisfied with winning the 'stay-or-go' argument.

Eyes turn my way. More than usual these last few months.

"What is everyone looking at me like that for?" I mutter to Owen.

"Pack members have been disappearing," he tells me. A tiny smirk hovers around his lips. "Brian and Yule are gone. Yesterday, Nic hung himself."

I choke on my beer. Holy shit, wasn't expecting that. Well, damn... good. One less bastard on the planet.

I start the count in my head. Rhet. Brent and Todd. Liam, that ball-less fuck. The mountain male and his two headless compadres. Brian and Yule. Nic.

Ten males. There were fourteen there that night. Who else? I feel a thrill race through me. Four left. Only four of the mother-fucking bastards left.

Liam. The bestie from hell. I'm not sure what the fuck Rhet is waiting for, except that he's Penny's mate. Beating him up once isn't enough. He needs to die. This is war, now, and he's an enemy with inside information about our female.

I know of another two. Cal Jensen, Brent's older brother, and Mike Ferguson, the trainer who has stayed under everyone's radar for the last five months. He's a special case, isn't he? He was too old and too close to Lyri to take part in her Shaming.

Two more... who were they? I wrack my brain, thinking... I just can't remember a male on her. There were a few males who shifted to paws. Thjis kept them at bay. Some of the males didn't actually... well... they didn't get that close. Too close, too much, but I was focused on keeping Rhet from going berserk.

"Hey, Ez," the sultry, feminine voice murmurs in my ear. Fingers curl around my shoulder. I snarl reflexively. No female should touch me, but Lyri or my mother.

"Kylie," I spit out. Her eyes, darkened to perfection with smoky makeup, widen on me in surprise.

"Hey," she says slowly, "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight?"

I stare at her in confusion. I get the invitation, but really? I reek of my female. "I'm good here, Kylie, no thanks," I say slowly.

She pouts, her red, puffy lips shining in the dim light. "Are you sure?" Fingernails that match her lipstick caress my chest. Great, now I have to burn this t-shirt.

"I have a female, now, Kylie," I say with exaggerated slowness.

A hint of a scowl mars her pretty face. "Lyri Song? The rankwhore?" she snarls.

The glass breaks in my fist as I stand up. Kylie gasps, reeling backward at what I guess is a look of murder on my face.

Owen takes the broken pieces from my grip and hands me a towel. I sit back down, shrugging off the rage. I should have never let myself fuck that bitch in the first place. Doesn't she have standards? Then again, a few months ago, I didn't have standards, either.

A sick feeling curls in my gut, I squeeze the towel on my cuts. I get why Thjis is concerned. Rhet is alpha-blood, but Thjis and I are just your regular run-of-the-mill wolves. Lyri is a Luna. She puts every female in this bar, in this pack, to shame. We've captured a piece of the moon and are trying to keep her for ourselves.

"'Nother beer, Owen," I tell him dully.

I stare at my fingers, curled around the beer glass. My hand is shaking. My wolf, my feral, crazed wolf, is salivating at the thought of blood, gore, death.

I shake my head, closing my eyes, chasing away the murder on my brain. It's not enough to erase it all. I take another swallow of beer. I just need to hang on, talk to Thjis about those two males, and forget about my wolf howling in my mind.

---

---