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She shrugged. “It’s true. You guys spend too much time distrusting one another instead of building an alliance. That plays into the hands of whoever has it out for you. You said the packs fear you. Better for the alphas if you’re suspicious of one another. Makes you easier pickings.”
“You’re right.” The simple truth of it was stunning. So intent on protecting himself, he’d never stopped to realize that though mistrust might protect him, it could also be a disadvantage. One that could be exploited.
“You sound surprised.” The saucy reply made him grin. This was his Zoe. “What? Why are you smiling?”
Before she could go off on a rant, he dropped a quick, hard kiss on her lips. “Because you’re so smart.”
“Well, yes. I could have told you that.” She caught his wrist and held it. “Why have you never gotten closer to them? It goes deeper than mistrust. Has either of them ever done anything to betray you?”
“No.” They’d kept out of one another’s way, but they’d never actively done anything to harm the others. “When I became the white wolf, I lost my family, friends, and pack. Whatever bonds we had were immediately severed. The lone wolf is meant to be alone. I didn’t want to befriend the other two and find myself in the position of having to kill them someday. It’s the first time all three of us have existed at the same time. We’re the hand of justice for our kind. If one of us turns rogue, it would take a coordinated attack by a pack to stop us…or another lone wolf. We’re an anomaly during normal times. These are anything but normal times.”
Her eyes widened and flooded with sadness. “I never thought of that. I can’t imagine having to kill a man you’d called a friend for decades or centuries. Maybe your way is best.”
He shook his head. “No, you’re right. I feared losing something. Rather than reach out, I convinced myself it was smarter not to want it.”
“Nothing has changed. You said it yourself. Maybe one of them is working with a mage. Maybe one of them is behind all this.”
“If magic is part of this, then maybe magic is the reason all of us came into being at the same time.”
“When you think about it, it does make an odd kind of sense. You also said none of this has been normal from the beginning. If that’s the case, they can’t be the ones behind it. What do you think it all means?”
“Damned if I know. We need information. That means digging into all available sources.”
“Do you think the other lone wolves will help?”
That was the question of the day. “It’s worth a shot.” It made him uneasy to have to ask another for anything. Paying an unknown broker or employee for something was totally different. This required a level of trust. If he was on his own, he wouldn’t hesitate. Having Zoe with him changed everything.
Lone wolves didn’t have mates. If they did, they wouldn’t have a human one. If they both came through this unscathed, there would be others who would seek to take her from him for payback, power, or plain bigotry at believing the species shouldn’t mix. Looking at her, every cell in his body screamed otherwise. Magic or instinct or a melding of both, Zoe was important to him.
He caught her face in his hand and turned her head toward him. “Whatever is going on, we’re in this together.” Her safety was priority. Her tongue flicked out and touched the tip of his thumb. Heat shot straight to his groin. He growled low and long.
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t back off. Her heartbeat increased, followed by the intoxicating bloom of arousal. “I don’t want to be used to hurt you.” Her tortured whisper made his heart clench.
“Do you have such little faith in me?”
“It’s not a matter of faith. You’re a badass werewolf assassin. I get that. I’ve seen you in action. But you never had an Achilles’ heel before.”
“You leaving would weaken me. I’d be more worried about you than my own safety. This is not the first time I’ve been targeted. There’s always someone who wants to make a name for themselves by taking out a lone wolf. I’ve survived all this time by honing my skills. Whoever is behind this may think they’re the hunter, the puppet master behind the scenes pulling the strings. Targeting you was a mistake. Now they’re the prey.”
Chapter Sixteen
A cold shiver trickled down her spine. If they hadn’t tried to murder her, she’d almost feel sorry for whoever had devised this plot. Devlin would stop at nothing to destroy them.
Now they’re the prey.
All she could do was pray he was right, that she wasn’t a detriment. She wasn’t convinced, but what he’d said rang true—worrying about her would leave him vulnerable.
Stewing about his lack of a reply when she’d told him she might be in love with him wasn’t helping matters. That was on her. She was responsible for her own feelings. No way was she about to become one of those sullen women who sulked when a guy didn’t respond the way she wanted.
Yes, his lack of response had hurt, but it was better than brushing off her feelings. If she wasn’t sure they were real, why would he? They had much bigger problems than him not saying, “I think I’m in love with you, too.” Just because her heart had opened, and she’d leaped in feet first, didn’t mean he had to.
“Did we stop here for a reason?” Parked on the side of a busy city street, there were too many eyes on them. They were way too exposed, considering they had a body strapped down in the back.
In answer, he put the truck back in gear and pulled out into traffic. “We need a place to crash and regroup. I need to research Pietro Cardelli and Ryan O’Reilly.”
“Who is Ryan O’Reilly?” The answer came to her as soon as she asked. “He’s the dead guy we’re carting around, right?”
“I found his clothes outside the house. His wallet was in his back pocket.”
