Chapter 22
“What the fuck is that?” Koe snarled, jamming a finger toward Narae as he approached.
The action had Daemon growling low while Thrall stammered. “N-Narae. It’s a Narae. Well, not a Narae, the Narae. It’s Jury’s sister.”
Koe tore his angry gaze from Daemon to stare darkly at Thrall. “I know who the fuck she is. I could scent her a mile away. What I’m asking,” his furious gaze slid back to Daemon as he growled, “is what the fuck is on her neck?”
Daemon simply held Koe’s gaze while Thrall started stammering. “So, a lot was happening. All at once. At the same time. There were breakfast burritos, and recruits and Enforcers. Well, Enforcer recruits with burritos….”
At the exact same time, both Koe and Daemon thundered, “Shut the fuck up, Thrall!”
Daemon turned his body, squaring up to Koe, who slowly stalked toward him, but before Koe could reach Daemon, Narae rushed forward, placing her body between them. “He did me a favor,” she blurted out, then clarified. “The only way to save me was to mark me. He did what he had to.”
Shocked, Daemon stared down at the back of Narae’s head.
In his periphery, he saw some of the tension leave Koe’s body, but that didn’t concern him.
What did, was the fact that Narae had just lied to Koe, and there was absolutely zero scent of deceit on her.
That was problematic. Daemon had never met a shifter who could mask the scent of their lies.
And the fact that Narae—a woman bearing his mark—just had was alarming.
What else had she lied about? How could he trust her if he didn’t know when she was telling the truth?
Eyes leaving Narae, they slid up to Koe. “She’s lying. I did it because I couldn’t control myself. Demon thought the best way to protect her was to make her ours.” He shrugged negligently, “I didn’t disagree.”
Turning to glare up at him, Narae gritted out, “I do you a favor and you fucking out me?”
Daemon’s gaze dipped to hers. “I appreciate it. But we don’t lie here.
Especially to the Alpha.” His gut twisted at the look of betrayal that crashed Narae’s face.
She nodded woodenly and turned her back on him, stepping to the side as if saying to Koe, ‘he’s all yours’.
And that fucked him up too. She’d had good intentions just now.
At least for him anyway, and he’d just shit all over ‘em. Reaching for her, he breathed, “Narae…”
But Koe cut in, “There’s no scent of betrayal.” His accusatory gaze was locked on Narae.
Pissed at the look, Daemon crossed to stand in front of her, blocking her from Koe’s view. “I can’t have you looking at her like that.”
That had Koe’s hard eyes slicing to Daemon. “Sounds like you’re telling me what to do.”
Daemon shook his head. “Telling you what not to do.”
That had Koe taking a challenging step closer before Thrall rushed forward, insinuating his body between the two behemoths. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Can everybody just calm the fuck down!”
“How are you able to mask your lies?” Koe was glaring at Daemon, but the question was directed at Narae.
From behind Daemon, she answered, “It’s a skill borne out of necessity.”
“Explain,” Koe demanded, but Daemon cut in.
“You sure you wanna make her do that? We just got back from Biter territory, and depending on what she’s about to say, I will turn the fuck around and head straight back.”
“We need to know if we can trust her to be among our pack,” Koe gritted out.
Dameon opened his mouth to argue on her behalf, but Narae beat him to it.
“Don’t want to be trusted, and don’t want to be among your pack. Give me my sister, and we’ll leave.”
That had both Koe and Daemon falling silent and exchanging glances.
In the distance, Jury’s voice cried, “Narae?”
Narae’s attention went to where Jury’s slight frame was stalking toward them from across the field. Eyes instantly welling with tears, Narae breathed out an awed, “Jurusila?” She shoved past Daemon and Koe and broke into a dead run, as Jury did the same.
Holding back, Koe watched the sisters race toward each other and snarled, “Jury’s not leaving.”
Daemon grunted, “Neither is Narae.”
Behind them, Thrall crooned, “This could be the best week of my life!”
Again, at the same time, Koe and Daemon growled, “Shut the fuck up, Thrall!”