“Yes! That Wulfric. The one who only comes out when the world is about to end. So get your gear. Yordan and Bing are with me and Josh.” He gestured to his car. “Stratos and Wiz, follow behind. Let’s do what we’re here to do.”
The others did as they were told—all except Laddin, who stood there feeling very left out. Then Yordan, Bing’s trainer, slapped the keys to the van into his hand and gave him a hard look. “For the record, I’m against this. You don’t know shit about training a new recruit.”
It was 100 percent true, but Laddin had seen the Wulf, Inc. assignment roster. Thanks to the demon, they were severely short on staff. “I’m the only option there is,” he said.
“Don’t baby him,” Yordan continued. “He may or may not know who he is and what has happened. Keep him in the cage unless he’s human.”
Laddin shook his head. “I’m not keeping him caged! Do you know how traumatizing that is?”
“Less traumatizing than getting your own throat ripped out. Believe me, I know.” And he did—just a few weeks ago, he’d lost control of Bing and nearly died in that exact way.
Which meant that Laddin had no room to argue. Instead, he ducked around Yordan to talk to Josh, who was already inside the car and buckling his seat belt. The guy looked both harassed and happy, which was a strange combination. His blond hair was mussed, his customary who-cares attitude seemed frayed, but whenever he looked at Nero, there was this intense burst of something from him. Lust? Love? It was hard to tell, but Laddin knew it was rooted in happiness. Because right then, the guy wore a sloppy smile on his face as he watched Nero climb into the driver’s seat.
Sadly, that smile faded the second Laddin knocked on the car window.
Josh was quick to lower the window, his expression neutral. “Don’t trust him, Laddin. He’s got a cruel edge.”
“Your brother?” Weren’t brothers supposed to be one for all and all for one? Or at least, not hate each other?
“Yes, my brother!”
Obviously it was different for these two. “Do you have any idea why he did it? What exactly—?”
“He did it because he has to ruin everything I have. That’s what he does. He sticks his nose into my life and destroys it.”
Laddin took a slight step back. “How does him becoming a werewolf destroy your life?”
Josh blew out an angry breath. “He’ll find a way. He always does.”
By that point Nero had settled into the driver’s seat. He reached out to squeeze Josh’s thigh. “He can’t ruin this. It’s not possible.”
Laddin watched as Josh’s expression softened. Then he covered Nero’s hand with his own. “He’ll try, though. I don’t know if it’s jealousy or just a neurotic need to be the best at everything. He had everything when we were kids. He was the big man in high school, my dad adored him, and even my sister looked up to him. But he still had to make sure I was shit.”
Nero shook his head. “He can’t make you anything—we already know who you are.”
Josh nodded as he looked to Laddin. “I sound crazy, but I’m not wrong. And we can’t afford to have him meddle in what we’re doing. That demon will destroy the planet if we don’t get this right.”
“He won’t interfere,” Laddin promised.
“Exactly,” Nero said in a distracted kind of way. “Laddin’s got this, right?”
“Of course I do,” he lied. “I’ve handled lots of brothers who eat fairy fruit and turn hairy.”
Nero turned his attention to Laddin and grinned. And wasn’t that a sight to see? Laddin didn’t think he’d ever seen the guy so happy before. “That’s what I thought,” Nero said. Then he shifted the car into Reverse and hit the gas. Laddin had no choice but to hop out of the way.
Seconds later the others followed Nero, leaving Laddin alone with the big van and the mysterious brother inside.
No time like the present.
He unlocked the van door and hauled it open. Sunlight streamed in from the barn opening and illuminated the mess inside. Trash and supplies littered the floor in a haphazard fashion that irritated his sense of order. But all that faded into nothing as he got a look at the wolf in the cage.
OMG, he was beautiful. At first all Laddin saw was the fur, a rich dark brown with a cherry-red undertone that seemed to glow in the sunshine. He wanted to sink his hands into it. But as he maneuvered around, he saw an animal resting on his side, his breath steady and even. But there was power in his form—thick muscles beneath the fur and sharp claws. And though the mouth was closed, Laddin had no trouble imagining the teeth inside the long, sweet muzzle.
“Hey, Bruce,” he said, his voice soft with awe. “Time to wake up, buddy.”
Unable to resist touching the creature, Laddin unlocked the cage and swung the door wide. Then he sat on the van floor and reached inside to stroke the wolf’s fur. It was as soft as it was magnificent. Laddin’s skin tingled where his fingers were buried in the ruff, and even though his arm was perilously close to the animal’s mouth, Laddin slipped his fingers beneath the shock collar someone had put around the thick neck.
“Come on, Bruce. Wake up.”
