That explains it. Okay.
Wait. No, that didn’t explain shit as far as Giuliana was concerned, no matter what her wolf thought. Littermate and packmate were the same thing. How the hell was that an explanation?
Can I mate with you now? I’ve never seen a wolf so red.
Um, no. And red? She wasn’t red. She looked down at her fur. Yeah, it was sort of burgundy under the black, but she wasn’t red.
Yes. I’ve been waiting.
Wrong again! She fought with her wolf as said beast lowered the front of her body to the ground but kept her ass in the air, tail high.
Not happening!
Let him. Mine!
No, you slut. I don’t understand.
Giuliana swore her wolf rolled her eyes. Let the children speak. They don’t seem to understand.
Can I mate you after?
Yes.
No!
Giuliana exploded from her wolf, shifting fast enough to leave her lightheaded and swaying. Strong hands gripped her arms and steadied her.
“Are you okay?”
“Pasquale?”
“Yes. I … apologize for my wolf. He can be pushy.”
“Tell me about it.”
Pasquale kept his hands on her, his finger tracing circles on her skin.
She liked how that felt.
“I’m going to tell you something no one knows outside my pack because my wolf was at least right about one thing.”
“You are not mating me right now.”
“At least you said right now.” She growled in response, and he shook his head with a chuckle. “I get it. Fabiana was the woman you smelled, but it isn’t what you think.”
“Well, here’s your chance to explain it. We don’t have time, and we’ve delayed things long enough. The sooner we get back, the faster we can end all of this.”
“She’s my sister.”
What? “Is … is that what the wolf meant by littermate?”
Pasquale nodded. “For us, the whole pack is family, though we can recognize who we share blood with. The wolf’s only way to describe it was to link it to litters.”
“He meant that literally. Wait, your sister?”
Pasquale smiled softly. “My younger sister. I was raised to be my father’s weapon, not his Alpha. That would mean he’d have to give up power, and he wasn’t willing to. Fabiana was easier to control.”
Open mouth and insert foot. She really did suck at this, and she’d allowed her fears and self-doubts color her understanding instead of just asking first. Giuliana knew not all Alphas shared a bloodline with previous ones. The strongest wolf would always rule, but in a lot of cases, a child of an Alpha would prove to be one as well. It made sense why Pasquale was so strong. But … Fabiana.
