Huh?
Go to bed. I’ll be here tomorrow.
Good night, Soren.
11
SOREN
I stood there leaning against the wall of Yana’s neighbor’s house. I held a lit cigarette. My wolf refused to leave her. We were so close, so close to being one. She had fears, and I was giving her space, as the humans called it.
She needs space, I told myself. She’s still human.
The sound of heavy footsteps on the pavement alerted me. I was already touching the gun in the back of my pants. It was a game. I felt his scent inside my nose and released a deep rumble.
Next thing I knew, a large hand landed on my shoulder, and a deep rumbling laugh filled the silence after the storm. He probably walked because there was no sound announcing a car while I was outside.
“I was sure I’ll find you here, brother,” Torin said with his deep bass voice.
I nodded. We had perfect vision even in the dark.
“What happened with your plan?”
“You know what happened.”
He laughed again. “She’s human. Give her time.”
“I hate not being with her.”
Torin squeezed my upper arm. “Go for a ride. I’ll guard your mate.”
“I can’t leave her.”
My body refused to move. I felt like a bronze statue, unable to turn away and leave the spot.
“Just one Demon escaped, and we’re on it. There will be no harm coming to your mate. Go home. Get some sleep. I’ll stay here.”
My brother’s eyes lit up, flashing red. There was no one I trusted more. We have known each other since we were born centuries ago.
“I’ll stay a little bit longer.”
He pulled his cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. “You smell like blood, Soren. What happened?”
“I had a run-in with a human who was disrespectful to my mate.”
“Is there a body I need to dump?”
“No, I didn’t kill him. I just broke his nose. He should be fine. Whatever.”
“Softy.” Torin laughed his deep, low, rumbling laugh and smacked me over my shoulder. “We should have ended that husband of hers long ago. I never liked him.”
“She liked him. It was not my call to make.”
“Bullshit, brother, and you know it. If this was my mate, I would have never stood by and watched another man touch her. How could you stand it?”
The question was not meant to hurt me. He was being honest. Torin had to listen to my complaints about the way Nick treated Yana and always offered to kill him.
Torin released one of his deep, rumbling laughs again. “Why do you think I had the highest kill rate in our pack over the last twenty years?”