Chapter 13 #2
Soren lets himself smile. “Sounds good.”
With his hand in mine, we leave the piers behind and head for his home.
We shared several more kisses, each sweeter than the last, before we parted ways for the night. I try to wipe the smile from my face several times as I return to my time and row to shore. I fear it’s become permanent. My brothers will surely be suspicious.
The village slumbers as I walk the road to my home, but the candles are lit inside the longhouse where Wulfric lives. Odd that he would be up so late. The front door opens, and my brother calls out, “Lyall.”
I freeze, heart dropping into my stomach. “Aye, brother?” I force a smile onto my face as I turn around.
Wulfric has his arms crossed, his brow furrowed.
Shit.
“Come inside. I need to speak with you.”
Thank the gods I had the good sense to shift to my wolf and roll around in leaves and dirt before returning to the village. Soren’s scent shouldn’t still cling to me. I hope.
Wulfric isn’t the only one up. Kieran smiles and waves from where he sits by the roaring hearth, nursing a cup of tea. “Hey, Lyall.”
“Alpha-Mate.” I dip my head.
Kieran rolls his eyes. “Quit it with the titles. It makes me feel all weird and important.”
I chuckle. “Because you are.”
A low growl makes me jump. Gunnar glowers at me from where he reclines against the wall, arms folded over his big chest. It’s the first time I’ve seen him in several days, and something has shifted. There’s a wide, feral look in his eyes, and when he speaks, it’s through a mouthful of fangs.
“Where have you been?”
I glance at Wulfric and find his expression just as grim as mine must be.
Our brother is slipping further into his wolf, and it’s happening faster than before.
Ever since he found and rejected his fated mate, his wolf has been riding him hard.
I can only imagine the conflict raging in his heart.
His animal instincts would be howling to find Arlo, but Gunnar’s human half is determined to push him away.
It’s a dangerous game he’s playing.
“Answer me,” Gunnar snarls.
I flinch at the harshness in his voice. “I was visiting Anders and Jamie.” It’s not a lie. I do see them every time I visit.
“All day?”
My temper sparks. I fold my arms and stare my brother down. “Aye. I can go where I please, with whoever I please.”
“You spend too much time there. Have you forgotten they live among humans? What if they find out who you are?”
“Anders lives there. I never hear you pestering him about safety,” I snap.
I know bloody well why he worries for me and not Anders.
I was the one who fell for a human, a human he believes betrayed us.
He thinks Soren’s a traitor, that I’m a gullible fool, and it makes my blood boil.
“If I were you, I’d worry about yourself, brother.
Have you looked in a mirror as of late?”
Gunnar curls his lip, revealing a pointed fang. “It isn’t safe for you to be there. If anything were to happen to you—”
“Worry about yourself!” I snap. Gunnar has no business lecturing me about safety. None. He can’t even take care of himself—he won’t even try. It’s infuriating and terrifying to watch him lose himself to his wolf.
Wulfric clears his throat before I can argue. “Lyall, we only want to make sure that you’re safe. That’s all. Besides, Helga misses you at dinner, and we need you during hunts.”
Guilt sags my shoulders. Damn it all. Have I truly been that absent? “Apologies.”
“It’s all right,” Wulfric assures me. “You’re welcome to visit Anders, but remember your responsibilities here. Aye?”
Gunnar growls low in his chest. “Don’t be a fool, Wulfric. It’s not Anders he’s seeing. It’s someone else.”
Shit… Does he know? No. If he knew it was Soren I was meeting with, we wouldn’t be talking. Gunnar would lose himself in his fury and hunt Soren down. He still mistakenly believes that Soren betrayed our pack and caused the deaths of his chosen mate and son.
He would hurt Soren. Mayhap even worse. The thought makes me sick to my stomach.
“It’s none of your business, Gunnar. Mind yourself, not me.”
Gunnar snaps his teeth, the gesture so wolfish that Kieran jumps. Wulfric grips his mate’s shoulder, shifting his body so he’s between our brother and Kieran.
“Who is it? Who are you seeing? Are they safe?” Gunnar advances on me.
His fur comes to life, crawling down his arms, his nails sharpening to claws.
I back up, the doorknob jamming into my hip.
My hands fist at my sides. My own wolf stirs under muscle and bone, ready to defend ourselves and our mate from the feral wolf before us.
“I am safe, Gunnar.”
“Are you? Because the last time you thought that, our father was killed, Leif and—and Bjorn. They were—” He blinks fast, shoulders heaving.
Sorrow threatens to choke me, but I fight it back. Anger nips at my patience. “You blame me.”
“No. Never you. I blame him.” Gunnar’s eyes flare wolf-bright. “Is it him? Are you seeing him?” His hand shoots out, grabbing my shirt and shaking it.
“Gunnar, that’s enough!” Wulfric snaps.
It’s too late. Just the suspicion that I am seeing Soren has Gunnar shifting. His head snaps from side to side as his face starts to reshape itself. His claws bite into my chest.
Shit, shit, shit!
I shove him back and blurt out, “You want to know who I’m seeing? It’s—it’s—”
What do I say? What do I do?
Gods help me.
“It’s Arlo.”
Gunnar goes completely still.
I want to reach down my throat and shove the words back down, but it’s too late. The damage is done.
“I just… I assumed that since you did not want him, that it was all right if I did,” I blabber, desperately looking at anything but my brother.
In our culture, courting another wolf’s fated mate is considered a serious offense.
Wolves have come to blows over it, killing each other.
But Gunnar rejected Arlo. We all witnessed it.
I should be safe.
Should.
“I see.” Gunnar’s voice is so startlingly human, I almost don’t recognize it as his.
When I find the guts to face him, I notice he’s reverted back to his normal appearance.
There are dark circles under his eyes, like his beast has been restless at night, but they have ceased to glow.
His nails are no longer sharp, bitten down until they’re blunted.
Somehow he looks worse as a man than he does when his wolf rides him.
“Have I offended you?” I ask.
Gunnar blinks several times, eyes unfocused. “The witch is not mine. Do as you like with him.”
He can’t possibly mean that. “Gunnar, he’s your—”
“He’s nothing to me!” Gunnar’s roar rattles the windows. “My mate, the one I chose… he’s gone.” Gunnar’s jaw works furiously, his eyes glistening and full of anguish.
My heart breaks for him. “Brother—” I reach for him, but he storms past me and out into the night.
A shuddering sigh heaves from my chest.
Gods, what have I done?
“Hope you’re happy, Lyall,” Wulfric says, voice heavy with disapproval. He might as well have stabbed me.
“Wulfric, enough. Let’s go to bed.” Kieran gives me a searching look, like he knows more than I’m letting on. He knows I’ve been visiting the present long before we met Arlo. I just shake my head.
“Don’t,” I plead through our bond. “This is my burden to bear.”
Kieran sighs. “Be careful. Please.”
My brother and Kieran leave me alone to stare into the fire, hating everything I’ve just done.
Mayhap Loki has taken possession of my fate.
What other god would be so cruel as to give me everything I’ve ever wanted at such a terrible cost?