“Because she was the Alpha’s niece. He reserved the highest doses for his surviving relatives. Him and his mother never shifted again, but Cassandra somehow managed to tap into her werewolf magic. Took her years, according toLori.”
“So itispossible to shift with Sillin in ourblood?”
“Lori thinks it was the combination of silver and Sillin. Cassandra never got rid ofeither.”
I frowned. “It stayed in her system? So she wasn’t still takingit?”
“No.”
“Then why did they steal ourSillin?”
“Because they didn’t wantusto haveit.”
My frowndeepened.
“As long as we had it, we could heal from her silverblood.”
My eyebrows shot up so fast it tugged on my leftcheek.
“Cassandra’s plan was to annex us because we had a good foothold in the region. That’s why she had Everest take ourstock.”
“So she didn’t come inpeace?”
“No.”
I stared a long minute at Liam, trying to arrange all this information inside my slow-firing brain. I didn’t know if it was the medication they’d given me or my week-long coma, but my head felt wadded up with cotton. “Why did they go after ours instead of thePines?”
“Apparently it was next up on their to-do list. Lori said her mother wanted to start with ours because we were more dissipated, and therefore,easierto takeover.”
I fingered a crease in my bedsheet, trying desperately to smooth it out. To think I’d once longed to meet this woman. To think I’d once been impressed with her. I’d sink my fangs into her neck all over again if I hadto.
Liam reached over and trapped my hand in his. “I can’t do this without you,Ness.”
“This?”
“Reorganize three packs and make themone.”
“Of course youcan.”
“I don’twantto do it withoutyou.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised him, easing my fingers out of hisgrip.
He made a fist, his knuckles turning paler then redder as he tightened and released them. “I heard the mating link’sgone.”
My heart stilled a moment. After several breaths, I said softly, “Doesn’t change how I feel about August,though.”
He shut his eyes. “Maybe, in time, itwill.”
“Liam,” I whispered, “you have a pack to take care of, a son on the way, a woman who adores you, friends who would do anything for you. You don’t needme.”
His lids flew up, and his amber gaze flared. “You’rewrong!”
I let the intensity of the emotions rolling off him settle before adding, “Guilt and gratitude are coloring the way you think ofme.”
“Guilt and gratitude?” hescoffed.
“Yes. Guilt because, for some reason, you feel like you took this position from me. And gratitude for saving your ass. ’Cause I sort of did save it, didn’t I?” A corner of my mouth tugged up, in turn yanking on my injured cheek. “Could you call Greg? I’d really like to get this bandageoff.”
