“Because he dumped me after the accident.” I moved toward one of the trees, the only one with strips of bark clawed off. “No twenty-year-old healthy male wants a ball and chain.”
Silence. Then, “Is that what he called you?”
“No. Lycaon no. Have you met my brothers? They’d have neutered him had he uttered those words.” I shrugged a shoulder. “In his defense, though, Doc had just announced my leg needed to be amputated.”
“How doesthatexcuse his leaving?”
I brought my nose to the bark and sniffed but all I got was a whiff of sap and gasoline. “It doesn’t excuse it, but it does make it understandable.”
“There’s nothing understandable about walking out when things get tough.”
“That’s why you’re Alpha and Grant’s not,” I said, going back to foraging the snow with my makeshift rake.
Snow began falling, thick flakes that resembled goose down.
“Are you done?” Liam’s voice smacked of impatience.
Even though I hadn’t dragged him out here, I sighed and tossed my stick, then retraced my steps over to him, skirting the gorier area, and lifted the police tape to duck under. My knee decided it was the appropriate moment to turn gummy and haul me down onto all fours.
Nice. Not embarrassing at all.
The air around me warmed, and the minty musk of Liam’s skin grew more potent as he strode over to me.
I grimaced, mostly from the pain. A little from the shame. “There was an icy patch.”
If he smelled my lie, he didn’t comment on it, just reached out to help me up.
My fingers crushed the snow as I scraped them into my palms. “I’m good.” I pressed myself onto my knees, wincing as my weak joint sent a sharp bolt of electricity down my calf and up my thigh. As I dusted my palms, I caught the glint of something in the snow—a thin gold chain. I pinched it, unearthing a slender bracelet with a row of tiny charms.
“Did your bracelet break?” Liam asked.
I stared at the ruined clasp, enameled wolf, heart-shaped citrine, and tiny carved daisy, my heart stopping and starting, stopping and starting. “It’s not mine.” I sat back on my heels and cranked my neck back. “But I know whom it belongs to.”
Chapter 10
“Whom does it belong to?”
The snow drifted so hard now that the flakes hit my eyes, stinging before melting down my cheeks. “Bea. Nate had it made for her birthday last year.”
Liam crouched. “Are you sure?”
“I went to the jewelry shop with him. Helped him pick out the charms.” I batted my lashes that were getting logged down with snowflakes. “Do you think Bea’s in trouble? Do you think she was attacked?”
Liam slid his lips against one another. “No. All of the blood belongs to the same female. The one who’s dead.”
I sighed as I stood. “Maybe Nate was having it repaired, and it slipped out of his pocket.”
“Maybe.” He held out his hand, and I deposited the bracelet inside. “It wasn’t the bracelet I wanted, Nikki.”
I frowned.
He still pocketed it, then held his palm back out. “Your hand.”
“My . . . hand?”
His gaze strayed to my leg.
I backed up, schooling my features to avoid flinching. “There was ice.” I turned a little abruptly, and my knee screamed.
