Stealing the Alpha’s Heart

I cringed the moment Mahlan brought up the idea of his sister selling her house. There was a time and a place for everything, and this certainly wasn’t it.

“Perhaps we should worry about that when everything’s more settled,” I cut in, my tone holding no quarter. I wasn’t outright challenging my alpha, but I hoped he would take my advice, otherwise I would have to get insistent.

Sure, I would love for Emma to stay at my place. To wake up every morning with her in my bed, for her to traipse around in a towel while she did her hair and makeup before going out. For her to keep far too many beauty products in my—our—bathroom, to have at least three half-finished bottles of cold brew in the fridge, and a laundry hamper overflowing with outfits that were less functional and more fashionable.

But as much as I would like all of that, I wanted Emma to be happy. To feel secure in her den. And yanking away the house she’d bought with her hard-earned business money was not the way to do that.

“Alright,” Mahlan answered slowly, looking between my calm expression and his sister’s livid one. “We’ll revisit this later. You just keep resting up at Savannah’s, Emma.”

“Yeah, I’ll do just that.”

Emma was a reasonable woman, I knew that. But I could also feel that the past week had driven her to a point of anger and exhaustion that wasn’t like herself. I wanted to wrap her up in warm blankets and give her hot cocoa until that stress went away, or even better, put her legs over my shoulders and eat her out until she forgot what was bothering her. But since neither of those were an option, I could at least hang in the background and mitigate anything that might bother her.

Not the mateship of fairy tales, no. And I would love if we could have more. But I wasn’t going to waste my energy on what could be when I had the present to deal with.

So I kept as far away from Emma as I could, trying to view her in my peripheral vision instead of staring straight at her, but still being close enough so I could intervene and help where she needed.

At least lifting heavy shelving and putting things together helped to distract me. Although I was a good numbers guy, there was still a certain value in manual work. It soothed my inner wolf, who was howling, snarling, and gnashing at my mind, trying to convince me to just go over to Emma and take her right then and there.

That would not work out. And even if it would, I respected Emma far too much for that. Nothing would please me more than to have her under me, her back flecked with sweat while I blew it out, beautiful m***s spilling from those plump l!ps of hers. But I would never take what wasn’t freely given, and it was clear from her longing glances to Kaleb that my fantasy would never be an option for me.

Would this resentment last forever? I hoped not. If we couldn’t have a romance for the ages, I hoped we could at least have a comfortable sort of peace. Because, above all else, Emma was my friend and pack mate. I didn’t want to be at war with her.

At the same time, I couldn’t help some dark, selfish part of me that was thrilled Kaleb had been waylaid by the witches. If he’d been the one to bite Emma…I shuddered at the thought. It would probably be better for Emma, but the very thought made me want to crawl inside myself and stop existing.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

“Theo, you mind helping me with this banner?” Parker asked, already up on a step stool. I crossed over to help him, then I was Lyssa’s taller muscle when hanging up a few mirrors. The time slipped by surprisingly quickly, and before I knew it, others were slowly saying their goodbyes until it was just Mahlan, Lyssa, Emma, and me.

“You think you’re ready to head out?” Lyssa asked Emmaline with a yawn, stretching as she did. “I didn’t get much sleep last night and I’m bushed.”

“Actually, I was hoping to stay a bit longer,” Emma answered from underneath the counter where she said their checkout station would be.

“Why don’t you go?” I said, voice rough after disuse. “With all the wards, it should be safe enough with both Emma and me here.”

“What about your car?” the woman in question asked, sliding out from underneath the counters.

“It’s already here. I drove over and then Mahlan and Lyssa picked me up so we could carpool to you. You know, save the environment and all that.”

“Right.” I watched about a dozen and one thoughts flit behind Emma’s dark eyes. “Yeah, that works for me.”

Mahlan didn’t answer right away. I hated that there was so much tension in such simple interactions between us, but at the same time, I completely understood. “Yeah, alright. But don’t stay out too late. We don’t know if they’ll use the cover of darkness to their advantage.”

I didn’t point out that nearly every attack had happened during the day. After all, there was a time and a place—a mantra I found myself repeating more and more often.

“Yes, Alpha,” Emma said, rolling her eyes. Again, unlike her, but she deserved a little grace.

There were more goodbyes all around, with Lyssa hugging her best friend, k!ssing her cheek, and making her promise to be safe. After about ten minutes, I was finally alone with my mate for the first time since I’d bitten her.

That fact wasn’t lost on me, and I felt my b***d start to simmer with desire. I didn’t try to force myself not to feel it, but I did make myself behave. I wasn’t going to just turn into a feral animal the moment I got some one-on-one time with my mate.

“Would you mind breaking down the boxes and putting them in the trash out back? Kaleb said he made sure they were put right beside the door so you don’t have to leave the wards.”

“Of course,” I said, grabbing as much of the cardboard as I could and hauling it to the back.

Emma seemed relieved by my answer, as if she’d expected an argument, but I was just glad to be in her presence. Anything I could do to extend that was alright in my book.

Breaking down the cardboard and making sure it got into the recycling dumpster took a bit longer than I thought it would, and by the time I returned, Emmaline had finished up with whatever she was doing under the counter and had moved on to hanging up curtains in the newly built dressing stalls.

“You know, I should be grateful that it’s just stuff that took the most damage,” Emma grunted as she fought with a curtain that was somehow caught on the edge of the rod on the inside. “But this is kind of infuriating.”

“I can help,” I said, crossing to her and offering my hand. But at the same time, I couldn’t help but disagree with her. It wasn’t stuff that had taken the most damage. It was Emma. And it killed me that so many others seemed to be glossing over that.

“Thanks,” Emma said, handing it over and allowing me to slide my longer finger within the tube, unhooking the thread that had been caught.

“But how are you feeling? As in, really feeling, not the mask you’re putting on for other people.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I can feel everything you’re not saying to everyone else.”

“Right. Of course you can.” Emma sighed, but it was nice not to hear malice in her voice toward me. “It’s been an adjustment, I’ll say that. It works both ways, you know. I can feel and smell you, too. I know you’ve been outside Savannah’s a couple of nights.”

I nodded. I felt no need to lie to her. “I was so worried about you that I couldn’t sleep unless I did a couple of perimeters around the house to make sure it was secure.”

“And it was?”

“Yes. I’m still not sure if you’re their primary target.”

“I dunno, I’m feeling pretty primary considering they almost either killed me or tried to do something to take over my inner wolf.”

“While that’s true, I think it might have been more connected to Lyssa. She’s done a lot to mess up their plans ever since she accidentally pickpocketed from Cyprus and Mahlan had to step in to save her. There was no way they could have predicted that, but judging by some of their conduct, I would say they’re desperate to reclaim whatever hold they had over Lyssa.”

“What am I supposed to do then?” Emma countered, and goodness, she sounded so sad. I hated that, and I wished I could just wave my hand and make everything go away. “She’s my best friend and my brother’s mate. It’s not like I’m going to avoid them both for safety’s sake!”

“I’m not asking you to,” I answered levelly as I set the curtain down and took a step closer to her. “I’m also not blaming Lyssa for this whole thing. I’m just saying we need to reevaluate our perspective on this and look at it less as them targeting you for being you, and more them seeking out different weak spots to try to get at their ultimate goal.”

“Which is Lyssa?”

“Which is Lyssa. Hypothetically.”

“What makes me a weak spot?”

“Well, clearly they were hoping it would be her in here and not you. I’m guessing you’ve been changing up her schedule every week to accommodate for her tests and labs?”

“You bet your as*s I did!” Emma said defiantly, and I loved that about her. She was one-hundred percent supportive of whatever Lyssa felt she needed to reclaim her life.

“That just might have saved her life. When they realized that they weren’t going to get her in here without you too, they most likely decided to try to take over your inner wolf so that the next time the two of you were alone, you could just attack Lyssa outright. And as the older, more experienced wolf, you probably would have won.”

Emma went a little gray, her hand going over her chest. “Those fvckers were going to try to use me to kill my best friend!?”

“I can’t say for certain, but having had a whole week to think about it, that’s the most likely theory I’ve come up with.”

“Ooooh, I’m gonna rip all their throats out with my teeth!”

I could feel pure, undiluted rage coming through our connection and phew, it was intense.

“I’m sorry, Emma. I never wanted it to turn out this way, but the witches outplayed us. I’ve replayed that day over and over again, trying to find some way we could have arrived faster, but I was seventeen minutes away. Kaleb should have gotten here, he should have, but they must have scouted out that he was the closest and set up that attack to delay him. I think the only reason he even survived is because I showed up here and chased off the witch with you. She likely told them to tactically retreat in whatever way witches communicate with each other over long distances.”

“Cell phones.”

“What?”

“They use cell phones, Theo. Duh.”

Oh, right. I supposed I was so used to us wolves telepathically communicating with each other in our wolf forms I forgot that witches had full use of both their mouths and thumbs.

Goodness, thumbs were such an amazing tool. If we had them in our full wolf forms we would be unstoppable.

Both of us chuckled ever so slightly at that, just the faintest hint of mirth, but it was enough to ease some of the tension.

“You know,” Emma murmured, voice low, “it sounds like you’re blaming yourself.”

“That’s because I do. Every minute of every day.”

Her face crumpled at that, and for a moment, I feared that I’d said the wrong thing, that there was maybe such a thing as being too honest, but then suddenly, Emma was hugging me, squeezing me tight enough that were I a regular human, my ribs might have crunched.

“You saved me, Theo. Even if this isn’t what either of us were planning for our lives, I am ultimately thankful. I just…I have so much that I have to bury, mourn, and get past.”

“I understand that,” I answered, hugging her back. It was a relief so sharp, I could cry right then and there, but I hadn’t really cried since Sawyer’s widow had openly wept over his grave. It wasn’t that I had anything against expressing emotions, it was just that they often weren’t strong enough to get over the internal walls I’d built within myself.

“But I can feel you’re angry, too. Sorry for acting like I’m the only one in this, especially when I know you’re experiencing a lot of the same things.”

Oh, she thought I was angry because I was mated to her? I needed to clear that up. Asap.

“Yes, I am angry, but mostly I want to filet that witch alive for coming in here and hurting you.”

She let out a good-natured scoff. “Yeah, these bonding hormones are something else, aren’t they?”

Emma still wasn’t getting it. So bright, but still unable to see how long I’d been pining for her.

“Theo, I’m sorry you lost your ability to mate freely. That you were forced to give a piece of yourself to save me. I don’t take that lightly.”

“I…” I knew what I was thinking of saying was dangerous, but I hated hearing how sad Emma sounded. Maybe…maybe being out with my feelings would help a little. Or maybe it would make her hate me more, thinking that I’d taken advantage of her situation.

“It’s not exactly a hardship for me,” I said finally, looking her dead in her eyes. Her eyebrows went up at that and I took one last step closer, until we were basically a breath away from each other.

“What do you mean by that?”

I felt my voice lower of its own accord. “Because I’ve wanted you for years, Emmaline Reese. You’re an incredible, brilliant woman. How could I not be caught up in everything that’s you?”

She stared at me like I’d just shifted into a multiheaded chicken instead of telling her about my feelings. Oh well, I supposed I couldn’t fault her too much considering that I tended to play my cards close to the chest. I just liked keeping certain things private.

“B-but—”

My inner wolf had been denied too long, and I gently rested my hand against her waist. “You can feel it, can’t you? Everybody thinks I’m good at hiding what I think and feel, but I can’t keep secrets from you. And I don’t want to.”

She closed her eyes, and I felt the gentlest of tugs against our bond, followed by a soft gasp from Emma. Her lids snapped open, her expression one of shock.

“I know I’m not the man you were after. I get it. And I also know your brother is my best friend. And while I curse this entire situation, while I hate down to the pit of my soul that you lost your freedom of choice, I will never bemoan the fact that you ended up as my mate.”

And I meant it. I could see a future stretching out in front of us where we were happy together, full of life and experiencing the world together. Of course, in my vision, our future was peaceful. Considering our current situation, I didn’t know how likely that was.

“I…I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s okay,” I murmured, cupping her cheek in my hand. “Yes, I may have sacrificed my future to give you one, but I would do it again. And again. And again. Whatever I had to do to make sure you survived, I’d do it.”

Her eyelids fluttered and she pressed her cheek into my palm. My heart thundered at the action, and I very much wanted to k!ss her.

“You can’t be serious. It’s just…it’s just the…”

“I’m completely serious, Emma, and it’s not just the bonding chemicals.” My hand traveled downward, hovering just above her mating bite. I wanted to trace it, to feel the ridges of it against my fingertips, but I also wanted her to have complete control of her emotions. Shocking her with a chemical of feel-good soup wasn’t ethical in any way, shape, or form. “I want you, and I always have. But I won’t force you into this. Yes, we’re mated, but I won’t push you to do anything you don’t want to.”

“But that could make you sick, right?”

I shrugged. “It would be worth it. Besides, I’m sure our Alma can cook up something to help.”

I wasn’t sure what Emma would do next. I hoped it would be that she would relax and be willing to rest for the night, but the last thing I expected was for her to lift her own hand and press it into her mating bite.

Oh!

The endorphins that hit me through our bond were heady, and I couldn’t imagine what Emma was feeling. It was a potent surge, one that had my body responding almost immediately.

It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fair, but it felt so good. The restraint I had trembled and I leaned in so that my face was just above hers.

I wanted her. I wanted her with every cell of my body. She was perfect—from her spirit, to her scent, to her voice. I longed to grip her, feel her. To map her out until I had every bit of her burned into my soul.

“Move in with me,” I rumbled, voice low.

“No,” she answered in a breathy gasp that went right to my d!ck. I swore I was straining against my p*nts hard enough to pop the zipper.

“Then k!ss me,” I growled. If she didn’t, I might just combust right then and there. But I wouldn’t make the first move. I couldn’t. I’d already taken so much from her, if she wanted to cross the gap, I needed her to do it.

I expected her to push me away. Or snap a refusal. But instead, her arms wrapped around my neck and yanked me into a heated k!ss.

F**k yes!

This time, when I grabbed her waist with both hands, it wasn’t gentle. It was rough and full of everything I’d had pent up inside of me for so long. I didn’t know why she was k!ssing me, but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. No, in fact, I very much had other things in mind for that body part.

We k!ssed like we were dying and it would be our last goodbye, which, if I had my way, it very much wouldn’t be. Our !ips moved against each other, tongues sliding, and my grip tightened enough to lift Emma off her feet.

The little gasp she let out was like a drug that went straight to my bloodstream. I was getting lost in the deluge of desire swamping me, hooked on what I had been dreaming about for so long.

Emma wrapped her legs around me, and the feel of her strong th!ghs slightly squeezing me was enough to drive a wolf mad. My mouth left hers, trailing down her chin, then the side of her neck, until my l!ps could seal themselves over her mating bite.

“Oh my God!” Emma rasped.

Oh my God indeed. My eyes practically rolled into the back of my head as my tongue laved against it, Emma’s pleasure flowing into me and mine into her. It was a crescendo of ecstasy that I never wanted to stop, and nothing, absolutely nothing could make me.

“I-I think we should stop here,” Emma murmured, her voice sounding husky and debauched.

Except for that.

Gently, I set her down, aware that both of us were breathing quite hard. I felt like I’d run a full marathon, but it was one that I very much would like to do again—immediately, if that were possible. But judging by Emma’s expression, that wasn’t quite in the cards.

“Are you alright?” I asked, worried that I had gone too far too fast.

“I-I-I’m fine. I just…I just need to catch my breath.” She let out a chuckle, but it sounded more stressed than anything else. “You kind of gave me more to think about than what I already had.”

“Sorry about that,” I said, feeling my cheeks burn ever so slightly. “Just wanted to be honest.”

“I appreciate that.”

We both stood there a moment, catching our breath and composing ourselves. The hours were getting on, so I knew I should start trying to herd her home. And speaking of home…

“But seriously, I don’t think your home is safe. If you want to leave Savannah’s, you should stay with me or in Mahlan’s old apartment. With hired security, that would be much safer.”

“I…I just need time to think about it, okay? The only thing my mind wants to focus on is hunting down that witch to get revenge and how not to climb you like a tree.”

“You don’t have to do that second one, you know. Call me sycamore, and all that.”

My comment had the effect I hoped it would and she burst into a surprised bark of laughter. “Sycamore? That’s the s3xiest tree name you could come up with?!”

“Something, something, comment about having wood.”

She shook her head, giving me a slightly disappointed look. “You’re not going to distract me into a good mood.”

“But I can try. How about you let me take you back to Savannah’s so I can run the perimeter?”

“Fine,” she said with a sigh. “I suppose that’s the responsible thing to do.”

There seemed to be a weight lifted. I wasn’t under the misconception that everything would be a cakewalk between us, but at least it seemed a little less adversarial. Maybe we could work things out and Emma wouldn’t feel like her entire life had been stolen from her.

I checked the front before going to my car, then gave that an entire onceover as well. When I was sure there weren’t any other scents around, I drove my car to the front and motioned for Emma to hop in.

She did, and unlike our previous two car rides, she seemed open to talking.

“Do you know what that witch could have been doing in your office?”

“She could have just been hiding from you so she had a clear escape,” Emma said. “But also, she went through a lot of my things. Maybe she was looking for where we’re keeping the moonstones?”

“Perhaps. If they were, we could potentially use them as bait to fish the witch and her compatriots back out.”

“You should tell Mahlan that. I’m sure all this stuff with me has distracted him, big-time.”

“Yeah, he does love you quite a lot. I’ve met many siblings who don’t really care about each other, but it’s clear that the two of you do.”

“It helps that our parents raised us right and never pitched us against each other. I swear most sibling issues come from bad parenting.”

“Hmm, interesting theory.”

We talked a bit more, but then that same old hesitancy seeped back in. It would be slow going between us, I could tell that much, but at least I had hope. But when we arrived at Savannah’s and I walked Emma to the door, my lean in for a k!ss was denied. Sigh. Not the worst thing in the world, so I tried to take it with grace and instead gently pressed my l!ps to her cheek.

“Good night.”

“Good night, Theo. You know there’s guards all over the place, right? You don’t have to run the perimeter.”

“I know, but I’m gonna anyway.”

She let out a small laugh then headed inside, closing the door in front of me. Well, guess it was time to go running then.

---

“I have an idea, Mahlan.”

“Why are you at my apartment at eleven at night?” my alpha asked, blinking at me.

“Because your status was online on your work computer and Lyssa is spending the night with Emma.”

“Huh, fair enough.” Mahlan stepped to the side, letting me in. “You know we do have phones, right?”

“Of course. But I was already out running, so I figured it would be easier to just stop by.”

“Oh? Running in the city?”

I shrugged. It had been three days since Emma first saw the renovations to her store and we hadn’t really interacted since, which was a real shame in my opinion. But, as usual, I wasn’t going to press the issue. If I wanted to win over Emma, I had to do it on her terms, with her timing.

“Patrolling Savannah’s.”

“Ah, I see.” He followed me as I went straight to his kitchen and pulled out a sports drink, which I guzzled down. “So, what was this idea of yours?”

“I think we should use the moonstones as bait to try to trick the witch or whoever’s organizing this into coming out.”

“You don’t think they’re gonna hit the shop again?”

“I’m thinking no. For two reasons. One being that if they were looking for something in particular, they know it’s not there, and second because they’ve lost their element of surprise.”

“Huh. I’m still going to post guards at her shop.”

“And I don’t blame you for that. I’ve spent most of my free time patrolling and making sure that none of them get close.” It was the only way I didn’t go mad from our unfulfilled mating bond. I remembered thinking that Mahlan was a little ridiculous a while back when his and Lyssa’s drama was going on, but I was realizing that I needed to cut him quite a bit more slack.

Mahlan looked like he was about to say something about my nightly activities, but his phone rang. A confused expression crossed both our faces, and he quickly pulled it out of his pocket to check it.

“Huh, it’s Samson.”

“Samson’s the witch, right?”

“You ask that almost every time. Yes, he’s the green witch.”

“Right, right. I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately and I keep thinking of him as bitchy coffee guy.”

“Don’t let him hear that. Right now, he’s our only lead on a lot of things.”

“Noted.”

“Hey, what’s up?” Mahlan said as soon as he answered the call.

“Can I talk to you?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“I mean, like in person.”

My eyebrows went up at that. I knew it was rude to eavesdrop on a call, but it wasn’t like I could help it considering my enhanced hearing.

“You know where my address is. Theo is here, too.”

“Theo, is that like, the grumpy one with the Elsa complex?”

Okay, yeah, that one got me a little and I chuckled. Not that I would ever let Sam know.

“You ask that almost every time,” Mahlan said in an all-too-familiar callback. “He’s my second-in-command.”

“With the Elsa complex?”

I leaned in and raised my voice so I could be sure he’d hear me. “Yes, with the Elsa complex.”

“Ah, Theo. I guess I forgot about wolf hearing. Oh well, I’ll see both of you in half an hour.”

With that, he hung up, leaving Mahlan and I standing in his kitchen. We both exchanged a look before I shrugged.

“Since we’re here, wanna tuna melt?”

“If you’re making them, sure.”

And that was how I ended up making six tuna and cheddar melts in my alpha’s kitchen. I was shirtless, as I’d taken mine off before my run, so Mahlan had given me his apron.

Actually, it was his new apron. Apparently, Lyssa had declared his old, plain black one wasn’t good enough and had invested her first three paychecks into custom ordering him a leather one complete with pockets and the pack’s brand burned into it. I almost felt a little nervous wearing something of such value, both monetarily and sentimentally, but I was also honored that Mahlan trusted me with it.

Or maybe he just really wanted my tuna melts. While Mahlan was an excellent cook, he never could figure out my secret to making them just right, although the reality of it was pretty simple: a little cayenne pepper under the cheese and a bit of pickle juice in the tuna.

They were finished just before Sam arrived, with both of us sitting down at the kitchen island right when the door knocked. Both Mahlan and I scented the air to be sure it was Samson before the alpha let him in.

“Oooo, what smells so good?” he asked, looking at our two plates with interest.

“Dinner,” I answered flatly before taking an unseemly huge bite.

“Don’t mind if I do!” the witch cooed, reaching for my plate. I batted his hand away, glaring, only for him to try again. Since apparently physically striking him wasn’t enough, I grabbed my fork and stabbed it through the slack in his sleeve, pinning him to the dining mat under my plate.

“Hey, Lyssa bought these,” Mahlan said, sounding more surprised than anything else.

“I’ll buy you new ones,” I grumbled before raising my fork and letting Samson pull his hand back. That was the thing about witches—if there weren’t clear boundaries set, they would just keep pressing and pressing until their luck run out. It was essential to be firm right out of the gate.

“Here,” Mahlan said, handing half of one of his three sandwiches to Samson. “Now, what did you want to talk to us about?”

He should have known better. Instead of answering, the witch took a huge bite of sandwich, then washed it down with the iced coffee he was holding. Where he’d gotten iced coffee at nearly midnight, I had no idea. Mahlan opened his mouth to ask again, but Samson just busied himself with finishing off the sandwich.

“That was delicious,” he said, smacking his l!ps when he finished and draining the rest of his coffee. “My compliments to the chef.”

“That was me,” I said flatly, enjoying my own sandwich.

“Huh! Who knew such a sour face could make such a yummy treat?”

“Samson,” Mahlan growled.

“Oh, right. Okay, so I wanted to talk to you about this whole sitch, because basically, I’m getting nervous.”

“Did you end up detecting any other magical signatures in Emma’s old shop?”

“No, not a thing. But then again, it’s not like I’m some hound dog for magic.” His l!ps pulled into a smirk when he realized exactly what he said. “Whoops, hope that wasn’t offensive to y’all wolfy folks.”

Why did I suddenly feel a headache coming on?

“And your point?” Mahlan asked, with the patience of a saint. I supposed it helped that his mate and Sam were childhood best friends.

“I’m a bit worried about potentially starting an all-out war between shifters and witches.”

My own eyes went wide at that, and I straightened in my seat. “You think that’s a possibility?”

“I have no idea, but I’m not ruling it out. Especially since humans are somehow involved.” Samson sighed, and I saw a serious side of him I’d never had a glimpse of before. “Normallym stuff like this is just a rogue coven, or a witch gone dark, but this seems so much bigger than that. And yet I haven’t heard a single whisper in the underground.” Samson made a broad gesture. “I don’t get it.”

“Is that it?”

“More or less. I’m trying to look more into that Sarah girl who betrayed Lyssa, but I feel like us being basically led right to her was a little too convenient.”

“You’re thinking sabotage from within?” Mahlan asked.

“That, or some sort of very elaborate trap.”

“Or maybe Sarah pissed someone off?” I offered.

“All possible,” Sam said, rubbing his chin. “I just…I needed to explain it all to you in case something happens to me.”

At that, worry bloomed in my chest. I wasn’t the fondest of Sam, but I didn’t want to think about him being hurt. “Do you need a guard? We can have a detail follow you.”

“Pffft, no, then I’ll never get anything done.” And the witch was back to his usual flipp*nt self. “And no offense to you guys, but you puppos kinda cramp my style.”

My grip tightened on my fork and I very much thought about stabbing it into the witch’s thigh. But thankfully, Mahlan answered like the leader he was so I could stick to imagining punting Sam’s head like a football.

“Thank you for telling us,” he said, picking up his own sandwich. “Is there anything else?”

“Well, I’ve been researching Lyssa a bit. Digging into the remnants of that old curse on her and looking into what Sarah said.”

“Have you found anything?”

“Yeah, the pack that her parents were a part of. The story checks out, but I’m definitely thinking there’s more than just these brothers involved. Also, I have no clue why they’re stealing and murdering random shifters.”

“There are too many things we’re missing,” I murmured, finishing my last sandwich. “I think we need to go over everything from the beginning and map it out.”

“Alright,” Mahlan said with a nod. “I’ll go get a paper and pen.”