“She is,” I tell her, my lips almost curling. “And she’s fine.” I say it with a confidence I don’t feel.
But I’m determined to believe it.
“He told us she was dead,” the female adds. “Bryson. He said she went feral and killed her mom.” She swallows. “Clove would never kill Serena.”
“Another one of his lies,” Volt says as he steps up to my side. “And we really need to go.” He voices it gently, but with a touch of urgency.
She nods. “Yes. G-Gafton isn’t a bad wolf. He’s… he’s just under Bryson’s control. But Kin…” She shudders, her shoulders turning in on herself as Volt and I share a look. “You’re not like him.”
“You’ve met Alpha Kin?” Caius asks, inching toward the female.
Her son is wrapped around her legs again, his face buried into her thigh as he tries to rumble for her in the same way I did for him.
It comes out as a grumble more than a purr.
Because he’s not a Carnage Wolf.
“Alpha Bryson… he… he lets Kin…” Her violent tremble tells us all we need to know.
Jimmy clings to her tighter and she clears her throat.
“There are two Carnage Wolves that heintroducedto certain members of our pack. Always in secret. He didn’t know that I…” she trails off, clearing her throat again. “He never knew that I saw it happen. I was only six the first time. But I saw what that Alpha did to Serena. His scent haunted me for years. It’s how I knew when he returned. And then, one day, he broughtKin.”
“Do you know the name of the other man? The one you can scent?” I ask, gentling my voice.
She shakes her head. “I only knew Kin because he made Evelyn scream his name while… while he… hekilledher.”
I understand what she’s saying. He forced his knot on her.
“What did he smell like?” Caius infuses a hint of his purr in his words.
“Like sour mud,” she whispers.
My brow furrows. I’m not sure any of our wolves has that scent. “Thank you. We’ll find him and make him pay for what he’s done.” It’s a vow I intend to keep.
She nods again, her cheeks pink as she fights more tears. “I’m sorry, I know you need to go to Clove.”
“We do,” Caius confirms. “But we’ll be back.”
“And we’ll bring her with us,” Volt promises.
My throat constricts.
It’s a promise I hope we can keep.
33
CLOVE
They’re here.
It’s an intrinsic reaction, one that causes the hairs along my nape to stand on end.
Alpha Dirk must sense it as well because he perks up in his chair.
“They’re going to try to kill you,” Alpha Ebony tells him conversationally.
“I know,” he replies with a sigh. “I probably deserve it.”
