“They might be our allies, Greg, but I don’t trust the Rivers. Besides, if this experiment could potentially harm one of their wolves, why would theyagree?”
“Because they hateMorgan.”
I worried the inside of my cheek. “They’ll ask for something in return.” Ingrid wanting to marry August came to mind. “Favors never come forfree.”
“You’re right. Favors are never free.” He sighed. “What about anotherBoulder?”
“I’d never forgive myself if this had a lasting effect on someone from my pack.” I tapped my fingernail against the tabletop. “So just lay it all out there. How else do you think this injection can affectme?”
“It’ll dim your senses. And, possibly, it’ll affect your matinglink.”
I suddenly felt a lot warmer. I gathered my hair and rolled the strands up into a bun. “You know everything that goes on in the pack,huh?”
“Prettymuch.”
“How come you work withus?”
“Why wouldn’t I work withyou?”
“Because we’re not . . .human.”
He leaned back in the chair. “My father was the pack physician before me, and my grandfather before him. So I grew up right alongside the Boulders. They never treated me differently because of what Iwasn’t.”
“Luckyyou.”
“I’m sorry they were hard on you,Ness.”
“Not yourfault.”
Greg’s gaze roamed over my face. “Do you know that Maggie was one of my favoritepeople?”
“My mother?Really?”
“We were in the same grade in school. And I was, well, a bit of a nerd, which got me bullied a lot. Maggie, she was always really quick at thinking up the best comebacks, and she was popular, so no one ever messed with her. Back in third grade and until the end of high school, she took it upon herself to be myprotector.”
I frowned. “I didn’t know that.” I dug through my memories for Greg, but he didn’t feature in any. “I don’t remember you from before I leftBoulder.”
“Because I went to study in Boston and then practiced there until my father died. When Heath called and asked if I’d come home, you’d been gone a year with your mom.” He steepled his fingers. “I was heartbroken when I heard . . . that she’dpassed.”
My throat felt like a drawbridge was being yanked shut. “Yeah.” I whisked my lids closed a moment, breathed in slowly, then, when I felt like I’d gotten myself under control again, I opened my eyes. “Can we get this overwith?”
“Yes. Of course.Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m always glad to hear stories about her. To know that little pieces of her live on in other people’s hearts and minds. It’s the closest thing to getting her back.” My voice cracked. “It gets easier, right?” I fit a smile onto my lips to make them stop quivering and to make Greg stop looking at me as though I were about to breakapart.
“It does.” He slid his hand over mine and squeezed my fingers before picking up the syringe. As he popped the solution into it, pounding that threatened to bring down my door had Gregturning.
I didn’t turn because I knew who was behind the pounding. My navel had tightened like a fishingknot.
I got up to let August in. When his hands gripped my shoulders, I thought he was going to shake me, but he just stood there, gaze running over my body and nostrils flaring as though to pull in my scent . . . make sure I still hadone.
“You didn’t take it yet.” He was so completely out of breath that I suspected he’d run from his house to mine. His crazed eyes scanned the apartment, landed on the paraphernalia laid out on the table. He removed his fingers from my shoulders so suddenly I almost stumbled. “Greg, you can put all of it away. Ness isn’texperimenting.”
“August!” Surprise made me speak his name louder thanintended.
“What?” hesnapped.
“You can’t just barge in here and make decisions forme.”
