“Yes. I understand, Ethan,” I dutifully returned.
Tilting my chin upward, he pressed his lips to mine. Softly at first, then with mounting passion until he pulled away. “This won’t take long,” he promised, before opening the door and helping me out of the car.
We were ushered into a spare bedroom inside the mansion to wait until the fight began. Flint seemed as restless as I felt. He paced around the room, repeatedly checking through closets and the view from our second story window that overlooked a courtyard.
“You’re nervous,” I noted, feeling it deep in my gut. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Pausing mid-stride, Flint glanced over at me with a sharpness that bespoke a true predator. “I’m just making sure we’re not being double crossed. That’s all.”
“You think we might be?” I pressed, the crushing weight in my chest building by the second.
“I think I’d be a fool to assume these bastards play by the rules,” Flint returned without really answering my question.
A knock at the door captured our attention then. It opened before we could respond. My mother walked inside, a young boy following on her heels.
She didn’t have to tell me who this was. I already knew by looking at his face. He was my brother, Bowman.
“We wanted to come see if you needed anything while you wait for the fight to begin,” my mother greeted, like she was the hostess of some family party.
“I’m fine,” I snapped, immediately angry that, in the eleventh hour, she was still trying to manipulate me. Attempting to pull my heartstrings by dangling my younger brother like bait in front of me.
“How about you, Flint? Can I get you anything,” my mother persisted, placing a motherly arm around Bowman as he gazed up at the large ware in awe. Flint had that effect on people, I noticed.
“Nothing for me,” Flint replied, neither sharply nor with the typical charisma he usually possessed in abundance.
Bowman fidgeted nervously then. “Did you want to say something, dear?” My mother prompted.
“Is this her?” The sweet boy asked.
Jenny lovingly stroked her son’s head. “Yes, this is your sister, Millie. Would you like to say hello?”
“Hello, Millie,” he respectfully returned, twisting the knife in my chest a little harder.
I was furious, but not at my brother, so I stowed my rage and smiled back at him. “Hello, Bowman. It’s good to finally meet you. Your mother tells me that you’re six years old. You’re a big boy for six. You might even grow up to be bigger than Flint here, if you don’t stop growing.”
The blond boy giggled, making him appear even more angelic than he had before. “You think so? Papa, I mean, our alpha says I’m just another beta and won’t grow into much of anything at all.”
That fucking monster. If I had it my way, I’d let Flint take out Malcolm himself. I don’t think it would take much provocation. He looked close to doing it right now, if his furious expression was any indication.
“Don’t listen to that nonsense, Bowman,” I told him. “You are exactly who you were meant to be. You are perfect just the way you are.”
“Really?” Bowman posed, looking hopeful, which broke my heart all over again.
Flint came over to the boy and knelt down, so they were closer to the same level. “Listen to me, Bowman. When I was young, wares like Malcolm told me all the time I was just a stray. A mutt. That I wouldn’t amount to anything. It was a lie. I grew up strong, loved, and cared for by a man named Laurence. Once he took me in, I had a pack I fit into perfectly and everything else fell into place.”
I could have cried at his sensitive, impassioned words, but I held back the tears so that Flint could continue to build up my brother’s confidence.
“You did?” Bowman posed, his childish wonder so infectious it was impossible not to be drawn in by it.
“I did. Family isn’t always something you’re born into. Sometimes we make our own family. If the Tupilaq pack doesn’t accept you, my family will. Do you understand?”
“He doesn’t have to leave his pack,” Jenny interrupted then. “Millie, you can see to that. It’s not too late. Stop this fight! Come home and ensure that your brother is safe!”
Her words had the same effect on me as if I’d been physically burned. To put this burden on my shoulders, directly in front of Bowman, was a cruelty nobody deserved. Especially not her child.
“It was nice meeting you, Bowman,” I replied, going to stand beside Flint now. “Hopefully, we will get a chance to speak more at another time. Unfortunately, I won’t be staying here for long.”
“Millie!” Jenny shrieked, her mask of happy hostess evaporating from her face. “Please, I’m begging you! I know that you hate me. I know that I let you down, but don’t make me lose another child. I won’t survive it.”
