I flinch at the word “mates,” the retort dying on my lips. I do trust Wynn. That's not the problem. I hate the idea of not being there to protect him. Which is laughable, considering my current useless state. If conflict arises, Wynn will do all the protecting himself. But still, I want to try. I want to take care of him.
Wynn’s special. God, he’s gloriously responsive in bed and beautiful as he falls apart. The strength is a major turn on andhe’s so eager for me. The rest of the Wynn Blackwood package is just as appealing, like all the little details he revealed when he had nothing better to do than stay in bed and talk. How his favorite movies are romantic comedies, which surprised no one, but his second favorite genre is horror. And he can still recite most ofThe Art of Warby memory because his lunatic uncle forced him to memorize it as a kid.
When the hell did this happen? When did I start caring so much about a werewolf's safety? Caring about everything he says or does, wondering if I could ever be a part of his life, his real life…
Half an hour later, we're almost ready to leave. We exit the guest bedroom for the last time and Wynn steps into the hallway and spots his cousin, immediately pulling him into a fierce hug.
Josh will drive us back. The guards are less likely to stop him for a chat like they might with Wynn’s cousin. Liking Bane better than Josh makes absolutely no sense to me—Bane returns the embrace, holding on so tightly I worry he might break something inside Wynn.
“Be safe,” the Alpha orders, like he can command the world to obey his orders.
…Maybe he isn’t so bad. It even makes sense he hates me. At least someone has Wynn’s best interests in mind.
"You too,” Wynn says when they pull apart. “Seriously, you’ve already done enough. Don’t risk it.”
Josh says goodbye next. Their hug starts more friendly and less emotionally charged, but then Bane crashes the party and the three of them are wrapped together and clinging onto each other. And here I am watching three grown ass men share a group hug and there’s not even one single snarky comment in my mind.
Only guilt. A whole ocean full of guilt, enough to drown me.
I'm the outsider here, an intruder on this moment. This is Wynn's family. And I'm the reason his life is completely in limbo. Without me, he could drop by his cousin’s place anytime and have movie nights and eat pizza that was more meat than pizza.
How could I really be Wynn’s mate? I’m a giant complication. The kindest thing I could do is let him go. Let him find someone better than a trouble-making demon who puts him in danger.
But I never do the right thing.
I’m not sure I can start now. I’m not sure I want to let him go.
21.Back in the Wolf's Den
Wynn
Adelaide is a creature of habit. Being Alpha hasn't changed that. So I head to the most likely spot to find her, the training barracks.
She’s in the back, a powerhouse in motion as she lifts at a weight bench. Pumping iron with such ferocity, her growls echo through the gym. It's likely no coincidence that the machines surrounding her are empty. I watch long enough that she senses my presence. She stops mid-rep and slams the barbell onto the rack with a crash that makes the entire bench shudder. The closest shifters flinch and shuffle even farther away.
Wow. Not much scares these wolves, but a pissed-off Alpha does the trick.
I wait by the bench as she towels off. She's more composed when she finally focuses on me, but her shoulders remain rigid and packed with tension.
“You’re back sooner than I expected,” she says evenly as she views me.
“Yeah, I… I came back early.”
Whatever explanation I prepared promptly fled my mind. These other wolves were right to give her a wide berth. She has so much anger simmering under the surface that I feel about as tough as a newborn deer facing a hungry beast.
"It’s funny,” she tells me. “You spent most of your life running away from us and now you can’t stay away."
“Is that funny?" Neither of us is laughing.
“The smart thing to do was to stay gone. Our situation hasn’t improved in your absence, and the escaped prisoner is still at large.” Her eyes lock onto mine. “But you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
"W-what, what are—" I will my voice to stop trembling. "What are you talking about?"
Oh god, what? She knows?!? How does she know? My throat constricts, tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth as I struggle to form words. I pray she can't hear the frantic beat of my heart or smell the fear radiating off me.
Standing there fighting off sheer terror must take several years off my life. The unbearable tension threatens to suffocate me. Then Adelaide's harsh demeanor softens. The hard line of her mouth twitches, then cracks. A sound bursts from her that I barely recognize—a laugh.
Not just any laugh, but a full-bodied roar that makes her powerful frame shake. She keeps going, her hand slapping against her thigh as she doubles over.
