Page 70 of His to Possess

“Tell me or I swear to God, Max.”

I noticed headlights coming in through the window and hissed but I could feel Gregor’s presence. “I will tell you. That much I promise you but wait just a minute.”

Kathleen studied me carefully before nodding, turning away from me in obvious disgust.

I headed outside before Gregor even had a chance to leave his truck. As I walked off the stoop, I could see his gaze moving toward the cabin. He could smell her on me. “Something is going on.”

Gregor nodded, a haunted look crossing his face. “One of our scouts found another body.”

“Where?”

“Just inside the city limits. It’s bad, Max.”

I almost stumbled forward, my gut churning. “One of our own?”

“No. I have no idea who it is but there is no doubt the kill was by a wolf.”

“Nightwalker?”

He shook his head. “No. This was a kill meant to teach both our packs a lesson. Trust me, Max, you need to see this.”

The scent of him was riddled with both fear and rage.

“All right.”

“We need to hunt,” Gregor said through clenched teeth. “Come with me. I’ll take you there. You cannot bring the woman.”

He was right. There was no other recourse. “Call the council and tell them. Whether they like it or not, we are hunting. I’ll come with you, but first I have something to do. Just wait. After that, we’re going to see Stone.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“It’s what I’ve decided to do!” My words reverberated in the darkness. “They are part of this nightmare and we’re going to need to work together. Period.”

“Understood.” Gregor nodded as he leaned against the front of his truck. “You love her.”

“I…”

“It’s obvious, Max. You should have let her go when you realized that.”

I knew exactly why he was offering this advice. Another wave of sadness shifted into my system, one that I feared would never leave. “I’m not certain I can do that. Human or not, she is my rightful mate.”

He shook his head. “You never wanted to follow the rules, Max, yet you were always the leader. There was never any question about you being the alpha. I was so damn angry when you left. You were my best friend, a man that I trusted more than my family.”

“And you know exactly why I left.”

The tension was far too intense.

“Yeah, I knew why. You made something out of your life and I was jealous.”

“Jealous?” I asked, half laughing. “Is that why you blamed me for Kayla’s death?”

Gregor took a deep whiff, glancing toward the sky. “My own father told me that I would likely never find a mate, that I wasn’t good enough or strong enough. When I met her, everything in my life changed. Suddenly, I was important to my family. Imagine that.”

The guilt hit me hard again. “I’m so sorry, Gregor.”

“I know you did everything you could, Max, to keep her safe, much like I can tell you’ve kept this woman safe. I learned the hard way that men like us aren’t allowed to have happiness. The sooner you learn that, the better. If you do not let her go right now, she will likely die, whether by a rogue wolf or one of our enemies. Whoever is toying with us has his sights set on destroying everything that we hold dear. She is your weakness and you can’t afford one. You must protect the pack at all costs.”

“And I will protect every member of the Wolfen with my life, but I will not be questioned.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com