Almost lost her,my wolf growls, thinking about what it would mean for Kerrianne to lose someone else.
Valor makes like he’s going to sit beside them and be this perfect fucking family. And letting my anger ride, I step into his way.
Even though he’s second-in-command with Neil out of the way, he’s always outranked me. But I hold my ground — picking his wife, a newly turned wolf, a woman I’ve only known for a couple of weeks, over him — as he appraises me. It should say a hell of a lot about how angry I am at him, even if I don’t obviously convey it in my actions and words. How I don’t forgive him, not yet, for hurting her.
Valor nods slowly, then steps around me, keeping his distance from Antonella and taking a seat on the couch.
Tension ripples off me, and I force myself to contain the yawn that tries to escape. It lessens the tension all the same.
“Grandma says we might not go back to school after Christmas. Is that because you’re part of the secret now?” Kerrianne questions.
“It is.” Antonella gives her another squeeze. “You know how your wolf gets tired and cranky sometimes?” Kerrianne shuffles backward a bit to see Antonella better before nodding, which prompts Antonella to continue. “Mine is like that a lot too. So, I might not be a good enough secret keeper for a little while. I may need to take some time to make sure I’m good and ready to be a secret keeper.”
“Grandma says Leticia knows the secret and is keeping it, but she doesn’t have a wolf. I didn’t know that was supposed to happen.”
Kerrianne’s statement leaves Antonella lost. Her eyes dart to Valor and then to me, trying to answer.
“There are special times when secret keepers don’t have wolves, like Father Michael doesn’t have one, but he knows.” Valor offers some clarity, and I admire how easily he breaks down complex wolf laws into child-sized pieces. “If you’re ever not sure if someone knows our secret, it’s best not to tell them. Not even to test and see if they know it.”
“Are we going to give Leticia a wolf like we gave Antonella?” Kerrianne turns, trying to look over her shoulder at Leticia.
“Not unless we absolutely have to,” I snap. The sound of my teeth clicking makes me pause.Don’t protest too much. Remember, you’re just friends today.I try to dial back my answer, rumbling a bit, turning it into a joke. “It’s kind of nice having a human around.”
Leticia glares at me upon approach, a tray of mugs held in her hands, but she turns it into a mocking smile. “Hardy, har, har. Asshole.”
Asshole?I’m stunned but keep my mouth shut.What the hell did I do to get called that?
It dawns on me slowly. She doesn’t know how to play it cool. Leticia doesn’t know how to act disinterested.
Adorable.My wolf sighs.
She sets the tray on the coffee table. “For the best cousin.” Leticia holds one out to Antonella. “For the asshole I like.” She offers one to me.
Her hand trembles for a second, and I want to forgo the agreement to be friends and question her and the new animosity. But I force myself to let it go.
Our mate is hurting like we are. We’ll fix it later.My wolf consoles me.
“For my favorite little bestie.” She gives one to Kerrianne and leaves Valor’s on the tray on the table before sitting down with her own.
“Be nice, Leticia.” Antonella warns her.
“He has arms,” Leticia answers before bringing the cup up to her mouth. “I could have poured it down his shirt . . . or worse.”
The threat has even me pausing to see if it’s viable because this is a new side of Leticia I haven’t seen before. The way Antonella looks at the ceiling and lets out a heavy sigh has me less certain that maybe there isn’t something I’m missing about Leticia.
Maybe our mate has fangs and bites after all?My wolf cocks his head.
Valor, unconvinced, stands and takes the cup from the table before examining it. “Should I be concerned this is . . . different?”
“Should you be?” Leticia cocks her head. “Do you require something different?”
I lean forward, offering my mug of hot cocoa to Valor. He takes it and passes me the mug intended for him.
Would our mate poison us? To get back at Valor?My wolf rises to the surface, trying to smell the cup contents.
Would Leticia poison someone at all? I mean, she spends enough time in the kitchen, so why shouldn’t she know something about poisoning?
I keep my eyes locked with her for a moment. “Speak now...”
