The realization hits me like a sledgehammer. That’s why Ethan was so comfortable around her. Why he went with her without fear. The cap carries my scent, and to my son’s wolf senses, that meant safety.
“Just sit. Ethan’s not upset about the bruise. He’s fine.”
She looks hesitant, but before she can say anything, her phone begins to ring.
“Hello. This is Miranda speaking.” She presses the phone to her ear.
After a moment, her face goes pale, and she murmurs, “Are you sure? How many?”
She presses her lips together, and I can smell her upset. “I—I’ll be right there.”
Ending the call, she doesn’t quite meet my gaze as she says, “I have to go. There was a…a leak in my apartment.”
I can smell the lie, but I don’t call her out on it. She hurries away, and I watch her.
The beast inside me is tense. Coiled. It wants to follow her. It wants to know who put their hands on this woman who looks at me like I’m something nasty stuck on the bottom of her shoe.
“Daddy?” Ethan’s small voice pulls me back to reality. His tears have stopped, but his face is still blotchy. “Why didn’t you make her stay?”
I sigh. “She’s human, Ethan. You shouldn’t get too close to her. She’s not from our world.”
“But I like her,” he begins to protest. However, I cut him off by putting another slice of pizza on his plate.
“Eat. And then let’s go home.”
He sighs in disappointment, and I catch him glancing at her now empty seat.
It’s so rare for Ethan to get along with anyone, and I feel like the world’s biggest jerk by not letting him have his way thistime around, but it’s simply not possible. He’s just too young to understand.
By the time we leave, Ethan’s wilted, and I feel bad.
The drive back to the mansion is quiet. He falls asleep in his car seat, exhausted from his adventure. I keep seeing that bruise. It makes me uncomfortable. She didn’t have it that night at ER. Which means it happened after that.
I didn’t smell a man on her, so no partner.
Maybe it was a mugging. My mind is trying to come up with reasons, but nothing satisfies me. Maybe she really did walk into something. But unless it was a doorknob, I don’t see how she would have a perfectly round black eye.
I pull into the driveway and immediately spot Leon Ramirez leaning against his car in my driveway. The alpha of the Silverpeak Wolf Pack.
I unbuckle Ethan carefully, trying not to wake him, but his eyes flutter open anyway.
“Are we home?” he mumbles.
“Yeah, buddy. We’re home.”
Leon pushes off his truck as I approach, his dark eyes taking in Ethan’s disheveled state. “What happened?”
“Long story.” I shift Ethan to my other hip. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk.” His tone says it’s not optional.
I sigh and lead him inside. The mansion is quiet, empty without the elderly Linda bustling around. I settle Ethan on the couch before following my alpha into the kitchen.
“Beer?” I pull two bottles from the fridge without waiting for an answer.
“Thanks.” He takes the offered bottle and leans against the counter. “The human government is getting involved.”
I pause mid-sip. “What?”
