“Tessi. I know.”
“How?”
He hangs his head and swirls his glass, making the ice rattle. “You didn’t think I would avoid watching the race did you? I don’t hate you, brother.”
“Then why wouldn’t you open up to me? Have I not been there for you?”
Azrim turns around and faces me. He’s definitely drunk. “I hated myself for dragging her into our life, for breaking up our pack to be with hers. I know I abandoned you.”
Everything he’s saying is too much too fast.
“Azrim, you’re wasted.”
He moves to down the last of his glass. I stop his hand. He growls at me. “I do not want you to know my pain, brother, the emptiness… I left her here. She died because I was not here to break open the hatch and get her to safety.”
He wavers.
“Weweren’t,” I correct him.
“You do not get to take this from me. It ismyburden. Now Nebs invade the woods with their portals. They are looking for a female and a pup.”
Alarm grips me.That’s very specific.“It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known.”
“It doesn’t fucking matter!” Azrim’s hand tightens around the glass until it shatters.
A soft gasp makes us both look to see Tessi stop just inside the door and hold Radar back.
I hang my head. This is not how I wanted Tessi and Azrim to meet.
“Radar, no.” Tessi scrambles to hold Radar back, but he drags her across the floor as he strains to sniff Azrim.
Tessi releases his harness and backs up a step. “Please don’t hurt him.”
Azrim’s jaw muscles dance as he looks down at Radar.
“It’s a dog, from Earth,” I tell him.
“She has another mate?”
“No. Radar doesn’t shift. He’s like a pup forever.”
Tessi laughs sadly. “Well, ten or fifteen years. He’s three. But he won’t live as long as we can.”
Radar sniffs Azrim’s hand, the one that drips blood from the broken glass that’s crumbled to a pile on the floor. A single lick is all it takes to make Azrim back up and stagger out of the house.
“Stay here,” I tell Tessi. “He’s a bit intoxicated.”
“I can tell. I tended bar during college.”
I charge after Azrim and reach him just as he starts to shift under the fading sunlight. “Stop.”
He wrestles free of my grip.
“Would you just stop and talk to me for one fucking minute?” I snarl.
He huffs and stands upright again. “What?”
I scan the property for signs of Lunas and portals because I know his vision is swimming at best. “Tessi brought bottles to feed Rhysan. She’s from a rough life. Give her a chance. And give us a chance. Not to mention the Isonians are struggling to combat the Nebs. They really need our team to infiltrate.”
