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“She, uh, she said Uncle Odin is dying.”
“And?” I demand. The taste in my mouth is as bitter as they come. I wouldn’t give a fuck if the entire Adalwulf pack died off tomorrow.
Well, I’d have mixed feelings about my mother. And therein lies the conflict that eats me up every day.
“I don’t know. I think it frees her up somehow. She said she wants to spend time with her grandbabies.”
I gnash my teeth. “Are you going to let her?”
“Um…yeah. I want to.”
I want to tear the metal trash can out of the concrete on the sidewalk beside me. I don’t know why in the hell we’re having this conversation. Just to make an already sour day worse? Then it dawns on me.
“You’re asking my permission.” She may be my older sister, but I’m the alpha. I knew my sister had been in sporadic contact with our mother since our father’s death, but I didn’t consider it my problem. It’s Ruby’s choice. Personally, I know I couldn’t handle seeing her. It would tear me up too much.
“Well, no. Not exactly.” I decode that to mean if I sayno,she’s going to do it anyway. “I just wanted to run it by you.”
“Do you actually think your young are safe with her? August is in line for the throne if anything happens to me. You think the Adalwulfs will let him live?”
“Brick, she didn’t kill Dad!” Ruby says hotly. She sounds close to tears, which makes me back off. I may be a nutsack to most of the people around me, but Ruby doesn’t deserve it.
“You know I don’t believe that, Rubes,” I say gently. I stop my brisk walking and rub my forehead, causing the foot traffic around me to change flow and drawing muttered curses.
“Why would they kill a five-year-old? If they killed anyone, it would be you, and that obviously hasn’t happened. There’s no reason to kill. They think they won when Odin poached all the whales to Adalwulf Associates. Blackthroat Investments isn’t even open to outside clients anymore. We’re no longer a threat to them.”
I am definitely a threat to them. Every. Single. One of them.
“You haven’t talked to her, Brick. I wish you would. She’s devastated over Dad and losing her relationship with us. I know she didn’t do it.”
“I’m not sure we can trust ourselves or our judgment when it comes to our own mother.”
“I am. I’m sure, Brick.”
She’s delusional. But my sister is a peacemaker. She was always trying to weave peace between our parents and the two families.
“Well, do what you want to do, just keep me out of it,” I mutter and start walking again.
“Okay. Understood. Auggie has a karate tournament tomorrow night if you want to come.”
Just the mention of my nephew makes me soften. “How’s that working out?” I still can’t believe my sister risked putting Auggie into any kind of sport with humans. The danger of him showing superhuman abilities is way too high. But I suppose the sooner he learns to hide it, the better. That was his parents’ idea, anyway.
“It’s good. He loves it. It’s a good way for him to get his energy out.”
“I’m sure. Yeah, I’ll be there for sure. Text me the details.”
“All right. Oh–and I’m making plans for the ball. You’re coming alone, right?”
“Right.”
Her voice turns mischievous. “Just checking to make sure you don’t want me to set you up with a date.”
I catch myself thinking about New Girl and snarl, “Hell no.”
“You sure?” she teases but backs down immediately. “All right. Love you.”
I soften a little more. “I love you, too.”
There’s a ten year gap between my oldest and youngest sisters, but Ruby and Scarlett and I are close.
