“I ain’t interested in married ladies,” I assured them, “especially one with three husbands.”
I might have alpha blood, but I wasn’t stupid. The Cimmerian brothers were the shadows other monsters feared. Even in peak condition, they could turn me into wolf burger without breaking a sweat. And I didn’t have a death wish.
At least, not today.
Brumous apparently decided I’d passed some test of his own making, because he suddenly reared up on his hind legs and slurped his tongue up the side of my face, leaving a trail of warm drool from jawline to temple.
Alpha Toast done! No more burning! Good!
“Stop with the roasts already,” I rumbled, wiping my face with the back of my hand.
Roast? Where roast?He sent me a picture of a cooked steak, juicy and rare, that made my stomach growl.Is nom noms?
“There’s no roast, you little monster. It was a…” I trailed off, realizing everyone was staring at me. “What?”
“You can understand him?” Seri asked, her earlier embarrassment forgotten as she stepped closer, eyes wide with wonder. “You can hear what Brumous is thinking? Saying?”
“Yeah?” I glanced between the dire pup and their stunned faces. “He’s been chattering nonstop since I woke up. Little comedian keeps calling me Alpha Toast and sending me pictures of food.”
“He speaks with me through my telepathy. Now you, too?” Zane leaned forward, curiosity written across his features.
“I can hear him. Pain in my ass, this one.”
I didn’t mean it, of course. The pup was total soft chaos energy. Little voice. Big feelings.
“That’s incredible,” Seri breathed, her eyes shining with what looked suspiciously like tears.
“Any wolf can talk to another wolf, pack or not, but I don’t know whyIcan hear him. Maybe it’s an alpha thing.” I shrugged,uncomfortable with their focused attention, and reached out to ruffle Brumous’ ears, earning a whine of contentment.
“Or maybe it’s aFosterthing,” Casimir suggested, his green eyes studying me.
I hummed thoughtfully. Brumous’ mind was a jumble of scents and emotions and half-formed words all tangled together, but there was a pattern to it that I could follow if I concentrated.
“I might be able to help him with that,” I offered. “Help him sort it out, make it easier for him to communicate.”
“Really? You’d do that?” Seri’s eyes lit up, hope and gratitude shining in their gray depths.
“I can try.” I shrugged again. “No promises, though.”
And that was the crux of it, wasn’t it? I didn’t make promises, not anymore. Promises were dangerous things, fragile and easily broken. I’d learned that lesson the hard way, and I had the scars to prove it. But looking at Seri, at the way she cradled Brumous close, the way the pup nuzzled into her touch like she was the center of his universe, I felt something in my chest crack open. Just a tiny fissure, but it was enough to let a sliver of light in.
“How are you feeling now?” Seri asked.
The concern in her eyes seemed genuine, which caught me off guard. I’d grown so used to people wanting something from me that simple kindness felt almost suspicious.
“Like I got chewed up and spit out by a demon furnace,” I admitted. “But I’ll live. Thanks to you.”
“You’ll stay here until you’re fully recovered,” she said, as if it had already been decided. “We have plenty of room, and you need time to heal properly.”
I glanced at her mates, expecting protest, but found different reactions from each. Koa watched me with a concerned look in his dark eyes, the way you’d assess a wounded animal that might still be dangerous. Zane smirked, silently daring me to resist the kindness she handed out like mints at a restaurant. And Casimir looped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side with a grumpy grunt.
“You’re welcome to stay as long as you need,” he said, his tone polite while his eyes told a different story: Welcome, but with conditions.
Message received, loud and clear. Keep my paws to myself. Couldn’t blame them. They had a precious treasure here.
“ ’preciate it. I won’t wear out my welcome.”
“Nonsense,” Seri said. “You stay as long as you need to. You’re safe here.”
