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As a shifter, there are only two ways to actually bypass our regenerative properties and leave a true scar: mating marks, and a shifter tattoo. Unless he treats the marks with a blend of silver and herbs, Theo’s face will heal. Considering the raised ridges and jagged flesh are more of a purpley-pink, I know it’s a fresh injury; from this morning, at least. Claiming marks turn white when a shifter chooses to keep them, and a shifter tattoo shimmers with the silver shoved into the wound to make it permanent. Those marks are neither. In a few hours, there would be no sign he was carved up at all.
No wonder he’s trying to cover it up. He never meant for me to see them.
Now, it could just be that he’s a vain alpha. After living under Wicked Wolf Walker, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of my bio-dad’s vanity rubbed off on his packmates. Something tells me that there’s more to it than that, though.
“What happened?” I ask again when he doesn’t answer me.
“It’s nothing—” My look of disbelief has him changing his story halfway through. “Just an accident. Really. I was sparring with one of my packmates and it kinda got out of hand.”
Yup. Still a lie.
He’s totally lying to me.
It’s hard to explain to a non-shifter, but certain emotions—and some actions—have a scent. Like how fury smells like a fire burning, happiness smells like cotton candy, and dishonesty stinks like rotten milk.
The ability to tell when someone is lying to me is one I’ve had my whole life. My dad—my real dad, Paul—has it, too. So does Ryker. I figure it’s an alpha thing, which means Theo should have it, too. But if that’s the case, why would he think he can get away with such a blatant lie like that?
Then again, my sniffer has been a bit on the fritz since I crossed into Walker’s territory. I know now that Elizabeth has something to do with that. Like how she can somehow cover up a shifter’s innate scent—but not their aura—being around Elizabeth has made it harder for me to tell when someone’s full of shit.
Or maybe it’s just when I’m leery of her and Walker’s answers. Because I’m not having a problem with knowing Theo is lying his ass off.
“A sparring accident? Who were you sparring with?”
“No one you know.”
Lie.
Lie, lie, lie.
I blink up at him.
Theo coughs, then looks away. “Anyway, don’t worry about it, Gem. I deserved it, and I know what I did wrong. It won’t happen again.”
“Mm.” That part, at least, is true. “So what’s up? What are you doing out here?”
His gaze darts back to me. The way his eyes shadow over next is a sure sign that I wasn’t supposed to call him out on that, either.
Oops.
“I had some free time and Christian told me that you were alone. I thought I’d stop by, make sure the perimeter was safe for you.”
Right. Because he wanted to be gone before I noticed his claw marks.
I blink again, slower this time. “You do remember our conversation from the other day, right? You know. When I admitted that I was a female alpha?”
“I remember.”
“Great. So why, exactly, do you think I need a bodyguard? Unless,” I add, daring him to lie to me again, “you know something I don’t know. Because I only said I would stay because the Alpha promised me that me and my people would come to no harm while we were here. That hasn’t changed, has it?”
Theo hurriedly shakes his head. “Not at all.”
Damn it. If Walker reneged on our deal, I could use it as an excuse to demand that he release Trish and Duke before the three of us hauled ass out of here.
“What about you?” he asks, changing the subject. “Were you heading somewhere?”
“Yeah. I was hoping to get something to eat.”
I could’ve grabbed something from the kitchen, but it didn’t seem right to do that with Elizabeth gone. Besides, I like the community set-up for food that this pack has. It’s never easy to navigate meals when accepting them from the wrong shifter might send the wrong message. The buffet laid out for any packmate in need is probably the only upside to staying in the Wolf District.
