“I tried to tell you. I couldn’t tell you.”
“No.”
He ducked his head. Kelsey’s faint voice, her hunching shoulders, her wide eyes—all of it added to her scent. Orchids and pain. Orchids and anger that rose up to protect her from more hurt.
“Your wolf voice. You can’t use your wolf voice anymore.”
He shook his head.
“And you were never going to tell me. You promised honesty but you were never going to tell me.”
“Kelsey.”
“No.” The word was loud this time, an outburst. She pulled her hands from his and stood up. “No, Trevor. I need some space. A lot of space.”
“Kelsey.” The only word he could speak. He tried again, and again from deep inside him all that came out… “Kelsey.”
“No. This isn’t what you said it was. This isn’t trust. And I can’t, I just—I can’t.”
She pivoted away from him, and her scent receded to Rhett’s front door, which opened and shut. The house was quiet for a minute, voices outside coming through louder again, but he couldn’t register any of the words, couldn’t concentrate on anything but the blend of orchids and betrayal that still lingered in the house. Then the sliding back door opened, and a veritable wolf cologne hit him, the strength of the scent indicating the heightened temper of the wolf.
Temper laced with authority.
Oh. Crap.
Malachi charged into the kitchen as Trevor was pushing himself to his feet. The alpha’s amber eyes seemed to glow, though that was only a trick of the sunlight slanting in the big kitchen window. He folded his massive arms across his massive chest. His teeth bared slightly, and his deep growl filled the room.
Trevor’s body responded the only way a wolf could at a time like this. He bowed his head to his alpha and stood very still.
“She’s your mate,” Malachi said, and the natural rasp of his voice seemed even scratchier right now.
Trevor nodded.
“‘The gap’? What, the gap of the last nine years?”
Another nod.
“How long have you been growing weak?”
Trevor shook his head.
Next thing he knew, Malachi’s steel-strong hands gripped both his shoulders, and the alpha growled, low and reproving, directly into Trevor’s face. His pulse rocketed. His stomach clenched. Mind and soul knew his alpha would never harm him. Body knew that with an extra three percent of wolf DNA, his alpha occupied the most powerful apex class on the planet.
“You’re going to answer me,” Malachi said, the growl vibrating beneath his words.
“I’m trying.”
“Try harder.”
“I am, Malachi. Please, I’m trying to tell you, but it’s—” Trevor shut his eyes. “It’s hard to talk right now.”
Another low growl, but this one held less anger, more…care. The grip on his shoulders eased. By main strength Malachi set him back into the chair. Then he pulled a second one around for himself, dropped into it, and eyed Trevor for a long minute.
“Try again.”
He had to start somewhere. He scrubbed his palms down his face, and this time Malachi let him gather his thoughts, but they refused to be gathered. The words weren’t there.
“Do you know why you can’t talk about it?” Malachi said.
