Kaige nods as Hunter clears his throat to add, “And mine. My mother didn’t take it as well, though, and followed them into the grave.”
Boden releases a dangerous sound of warning. “And you want to drag Sabrina there, why? For all the shit you’ve given us for the state of things in Shadow Ridge, how is your home any safer?”
Damian sits up straighter rather than cower. “It’s safer because between the three of us, we have nearly four hundred people in our packs.”
Slade scoffs. “That means nothing if you still can’t risk moving against the Slaughters with those numbers, let alone Wilder.”
“It’s not a numbers problem, it’s a motivation problem. They’ve already lost nearly everything, especially hope. They need something to rally around, a reason to fight. Something to remind them that they aren’t defeated yet.” Turning to Sabrina, he rakes a hand through his disheveled mop of dark hair; red-ringed, silver eyes pinning her in place like he can keep her there through sheer force of will. “Someoneto give them hope that things could be different. They have the fighting skills in spades, and can survive a hell of a lot more than most people could endure, just no reason to.”
Tentatively, Kaige interjects, “Remember what we said when we first showed up at your door? That when your mom left, it broke something? There haven’t been any girls born in our area since then, so if something doesn’t change, this generation of wolves will be the last back home; even the Slaughters and Wilder. So our packs have accepted their lot in life, don’t have anything motivating them to get out from beneath Ash’s thumb, because he’ll simply cut down their families until they eventually comply anyway.”
Sabrina murmurs, “If we save you, maybe we can make things right and save ourselves, too.” Scrubbing a hand down her face, she tosses back the rest of her drink. “Left some fucking important parts out, but you did bring it up. And with some of the other things you’ve all said, I should have put the pieces together sooner. There was just so much going on, and something new popping up every time we turned around, that it got shoved to the back of the brain pile.”
“And how the hell do you think Sabrina’s going to solve any of that? Because you are out of your fucking minds if you think you’re raffling off another spot in her harem.”
Slade pinches the bridge of his nose. “What Hunter was screaming at him over.” Releasing a heavy breath, he looks between Damian and Kaige. “You two have practically worshiped the ground she walks on since you got here. That’s it, isn’t it? You have yourselves convinced that by simply stepping foot in that place voluntarily, she’s going to fix everything, like some goddess that’ll break the curse on your land.”
Sabrina scoffs. “But no pressure or anything.”
Kaige suddenly grabs her hand between both of his, knocking over the salt shaker in his haste. I can’t stop the growl that rises in my throat in tandem with Reid’s, yet he only tightens his grip, pleading with her to understand. The man’s either brave or suicidal, since his abilities won’t work on anyone Sabrina’s claimed, which puts him at a disadvantage for once in his life, since he’s one of the only two people at this table that can’t shift.
“We change intowolves, Sabrina. If that’s not proof of magic, what is? The stories we grew up with, therehasto be some truth to them. They’re the only thing that’s kept us going all of these years.” I watch his bright, orange eyes the entire time, but there isn’t so much as a flicker to give away a lie. Whether or not the things he’s saying are actually true, he genuinely believes that they are.
Gently pulling her hand away, she places it on my arm and starts slowly stroking her thumb over my skin. That small action alone is enough for me to get control of myself, Slade pointedly flicking his eyes towards the nearest table in warning to cool it.
Stop fucking growling, you’re making us look ridiculous.
“Stop allowing any man that isn’t her mate to touch her and maybe I’ll stop being pissed off.”
You like Kaige, you damn hypocrite.
“That was when he was burning bodies, not acting like the type of psycho that would chuck a virgin in a volcano to gain the favor of the old gods.”
She’s not a virgin, so I’m pretty sure it’s fine.
“Remind him of that. Put a knife through his shoulder to pin him to the wall and bend her over the table to remind him of his place.”
I get to my feet.You’re demented. Take a fucking chill pill.
Stomping off toward the table that was side-eyeing us, I ignore Slade’s warning completely. With a cluck of my tongue, I look between the middle-aged couple and shake my head in disappointment. “It’s rude to stare, you know. But if you’re going to watch the show, you have to pay admission.” Snatching a basket of fries off of their table, I return to my seat beside Sabrina, setting it in front of her. “The wait time here is ridiculous. Have an appetizer before you wither away.”
It helps distract her for a moment, but ultimately, her curiosity wins out. Between bites, she asks the three of them, “What sort of stories?”
Hunter rolls his eyes. “The kind drummed up by men with nothing better to do than stay up late drinking around the campfire.”
Damian smacks the back of his hand against Hunter’s shoulder. “Oh, fuck off. Like you weren’t right there with us until she marked you.”
Red creeps up his neck, staining his cheeks before he barks, “Because it snapped some sense into me, like it should have for you! She almost got herself killedhere, when I was right next to her. How can we parade her around back home and expect it to go any better? We know damn well that Ash won’t hesitate to kill her simply to remind us of our place. We were chasing down a fairytale and calling it a plan because we were desperate and stupid, but at least I came to my senses. It’s about time you two did the same.”
Damian slumps, turning his attention to the rest of his beer, while Kaige sighs, sliding his chair back. As he pushes away from the table, Sabrina snaps out a hand, latching onto his wrist. Frozen in place, Kaige stares at the contact like it’s a trap.
She offers a tight-lipped smile of encouragement that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Tell me? Help me understand what’s going on here.”
Warily, Kaige sinks back into his chair and Sabrina releases him, grabbing another fry. Hesitantly, I flex my fingers twice before saying ‘to hell with it’ and thread my fingers through hers, settling our joined hands on top of her thigh.
“Starts off the same as most of the older fables do; with a jilted lover,” Kaige begins, studying her face intently. “A man stepped out on his wife, not knowing she was a witch. She cursed him and all of his descendants, making them their own worst enemies, always at war within themselves. The only cure was becoming worthy enough, to stand out amongst all of her other suitors, that a woman would choose him. In turn, he would protect and cherish her the way she deserved.”
Sheepishly, he rubs the back of his neck. “But somewhere down the line the entitlement returned, men thinking they were owed a mate, and their penance was simply having to share because fewer and fewer women were being born. They treated women as a means to an end instead of as the gift that they were meant to be, and that’s why things continued to get worse. No one learned their lesson, too caught up in whattheywanted and howtheywere victims of a cruel witch. Thus, the curse continued to spread until female births became so rare, their parents promised them to whatever pack was the most advantageous for the family. Protection, wealth; the usual.”
