“Fuck.” The egg I held in my hand was now nothing more than pieces of shell, yellow ooze seeping through my fingers.
I stole a glance toward the bed. To my relief, Joanna hadn’t stirred. I threw my head back and took a deep, calming breath. Then I got to work picking pieces of eggshell out of the mixing bowl.
This.Thiswas the problem.
Sure, I’d decided to reject the bond, but was the Goddess going to make it easy for me?
All it took to stop mourning my best friend was the thought of his lips on the hunter’s mahogany skin. And the real reason I was so calm last night was that Joanna’s answer would’ve trumped everything, even grief.
I needed to know if it was evenpossiblethat she could feel our bond… before I broke it.
I whisked the hell out of those eggs, and by the end, I owed Joanna a new fork to replace the mangled steel. Already smelling like a smoldering fire, the frying pan hissed as I poured in the beaten eggs, sounding eerily like the sound I forced through my clenched teeth.
Why would it matter if Joanna could feel the mating bond? Didn’t I already decide for the both of us that we wouldn’t work?
Ugh. The woman was going to be the death of me—and everyone else in her life.
Because if I couldn’t have her, well… I sure as hell wouldn’t suffer alone.
The bacon didn’t fight me the way the eggs did. And by the time the coffee finished brewing, I’d plated the toast.
It appeared, like werewolves, hunters understood the importance of a balanced meal. Joanna kept a stocked fridge, which made it easier to do something I’d never done before: bring a woman breakfast in bed.
It was my way of making amends for betraying her trust—nothing more. I pretty much told Joanna she wouldn’t get an apology from me in words, so in my opinion, it was a good alternative.
I imagine sleeping in the loft provided Joanna the comfort she’d lacked for days, one that neither her safehouse nor the compound could provide. She slept through every smell, each of my outbursts. Even through the chime of her doorbell.
It didn’t surprise me that James had no concept of boundaries. For the last five years, he’d probably been the first face Joanna saw every morning, and habits like that would’ve been hard to break, even if he hadn’t come to see her as a daughter.
I hurried to the front door in my boxers, afraid a second ring would be what woke Joanna. Not exactly the wardrobe to impress an old hunter, but it was the only dry thing I’d pulled from the still-spinning machine.
Shapeshifters couldn’t afford modesty. Our nature demanded we be ready to shift at any moment, shredding our clothes in the process. James had fought beside me against the rogues, so he’d already seen me bare when I returned to human form. As far as I was concerned, underwear was nothing more than a concession to his human fragility.
So, imagine my surprise when I went through the trouble, only to realize it hadn’t been James at the door.
The man gaped at me with wide hazel eyes, his finger frozen in the air as if I’d caught him mid-ring. When he dropped his hand, my wolf snarled at the way he shifted his weight. I’dseen that stance countless times before. It was a silent challenge among men.
No, it wasn’t stumbling upon my half-naked state that unnerved him. He seemed too fucking confident for someone just passing through.
So… he was here to see Joanna.
I swallowed hard and willed the pounding in my ears to ease. “Who are you?” I barked, my tone harsher than I’d anticipated.
“Unbelievable,” the stranger mumbled under his breath. He sighed and outstretched his hand. “You must be Marcus.”
My eyes narrowed. The man wore a light blue button-up and an expensive-looking pair of gray dress pants. The matching suit jacket draped over his left arm, hiding the gun secured in his shoulder rig.
“You’re not a hunter,” I declared, working to deaden my irritation.
The man closed his extended hand, letting it drop to his side. “I’m Agent Deandre Hill with the NBSA. Is Miss Sullivan home? This will only take a moment.”
My eyes narrowed. “What does the Bureau want with Joanna?”
The agent tensed his shoulders. “That’s a question for her to answer… if she wishes.” He’d dragged out his last words in a way that made my wolf snarl.
“Well, she’s asleep, but I’ll be sure to ask her for the details once she wakes up. Have a great day, Agent.” I closed the door, admittedly too pleased with the way it slammed. But the smirk on my face was short-lived. “I’m only messing with him,” I lied as Joanna shuffled behind me.
“Open the damn door, Marcus.”
