“She’s an unfaithful deserter, and I want her out of here for good. I mean it.”
He boiled over inside. He staggered away from them, out into the yard. His legs gave out, and he huddled in the grass.
“Trevor.” Ezra was at his side in the time a human took a single step. “You okay?”
Behind them Sydney’s voice shook. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know,” Ezra said. “Come on, let’s go inside.”
No, not inside, not with them, not while they maligned his Kelsey, but Trevor’s legs were steady as he let Ezra usher him into the house. He couldn’t speak, even when they both stepped back to stare at him. The howl building in his chest was harder to absorb today than ever before. He didn’t understand why, but understanding wouldn’t bring relief anyway.
At last Sydney said, “Trevor?”
He ducked his head.
“What’s going on, Trev?” Ezra said. “Your scent’s all over the place.”
Trevor shrugged. He’d given away enough for one day. Besides, he had no idea how to bring back the things he had absorbed into his body—howls and growls, losses, words to express it all.
“I’ll keep my mouth shut,” Sydney said. Slowly she stepped to his side and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll listen. We’ll listen.”
Another nod. But the words stayed where they were—deep within, merged with the fading wolf inside.
“Please, Trevor,” Sydney said.
He stared down at his hands, flexed his fingers, breathed in and out. There. Better. He looked up. His dear siblings. Concern marred their foreheads in the exact way, making them both look like Dad.
“Kelsey,” he said. He gritted his teeth as her name caught fire in his chest. He hoped they couldn’t read the pain on his face, but…
But Ezra didn’t have to. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Trevor said.
And now he had to prove it by not shutting down on the outside. He did his best to shut down inside instead. This too was getting harder by the second.
“She didn’t break us up. I did.”
Sydney gave a quiet gasp as if to argue, but she kept her word and held her peace.
“I told her to go be happy. Not to tie herself to me.”
Speaking the words aloud began a crack inside him, a crack that slowly spread. He stood straight and still and calm. He held his brother’s gaze and didn’t blink. All the while the crack widened.
“But…” Ezra shook his head. “You were so into each other. Patrick even said he was sure Kelsey was your mate.”
She is.Trevor fought to say it, but these words were too far lost. His head bowed. His chin tucked in.
“I’m not saying she is,” Ezra said. “I’m just saying that’s how serious it looked to a lot of us, even the old ones.”
“I’m the one who ended it.” The words fell toward his feet, too quiet.
“Butsheleft,” Sydney said. “And she didn’t come back. And that matters too.”
Ezra shrugged. “She’s back now.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Sydney’s own scent submerged for a moment to Trevor’s stunted senses, washed out by the exposed-circuit odor of incredulous outrage.
“Well, he’s twenty-seven and hasn’t found anyone else.”
