Page 161 of The ARC Unit: Breach

His fingers tightened around the cigarette. For a second I thought he was going to refuse without another word.

“Because they shed. They shed old shit.”

“That’s the whole explanation?”

“It’s the relevant part.”

“They do it to grow.”

Wolf went still for a beat.

“That’s important too,” I continued.

“Not tonight, Mercer.”

The lack of anger stopped me. He sounded almost defeated, the fight gone out of his voice in a way that made whatever he was saying feel heavier than if he had snapped at me.

I nodded and looked back toward the trees. He studied me for another second, then crushed the cigarette into the metal cup on the small table beside him and reached for another.

I looked at the pack. “That’s two.”

“You counting?”

“Hard not to when you’re doing it right in front of me.”

Wolf rolled the second cigarette between his fingers but did not light it immediately.

“Don’t tell them, Mercer.”

The words were quiet enough that I almost missed them. I turned my head but he kept his attention on the cigarette.

“About the nightmare?”

Wolf nodded once.

I waited a moment before answering. “Okay.”

His eyes lifted to mine, brown beneath those thick lashes, and the look sent an unwanted jolt low through me. He seemed almost caught off guard, like he had been bracing for an argument or at least a demand to know why.

“That’s it?” he asked.

“You asked me not to tell them.”

“You usually need a reason.”

“Operationally, yes.” I pulled the shirt lower over my knees. “This isn’t operational.”

His jaw shifted once beneath the edge of the mask before he looked back toward the railing.

“Nobody,” he said.

“Nobody.”

“Raven included.”

“I know what nobody means.”

He looked toward the balcony door, then back at me. “Jackal.”