felt halfway secure was here. The wolves of Twin Moon pack were strong — so strong, that even out here on the fringes of their territory, a couple of packless she-wolves could feel reasonably safe. Couldn’t they?
“No excuse to yell at my sister,” she blurted, trying to hang on to the last scrap of her pride. “And anyway, what do you care?”
“I care,” Simon barked. He didn’t raise his voice, but the words still jolted her. “I care,” he insisted. “I would die for you.” His shoulders sagged with an unbearable burden, and his voice wavered. “I’d have done anything for you.”
It was the truth he was choking on — his eyes said as much — and all she could do was stare.
“But you hate me.”
He shook his head. “I don’t hate you, Jess.”
But he did. He did. Didn’t he?
“I just never knew how to explain,” he said, so quietly, she nearly missed it.
“What is there to explain?”
He laughed bitterly. “Everything.”
They sat for another minute, letting a heavy silence invade the room. Then Simon finally spoke — softly, barely chipping away at the edges of it.
“Remember what we promised?”
How could she forget? “We promised to work on convincing our families that an alliance would be a good thing. A blood alliance…” She trailed off there. She’d done her part. Why hadn’t he done his?
“And we did it. We succeeded.”
“Sure did,” she said bitterly. Was he about to rub her face in his rejection again?
But Simon went on, gradually gathering speed. “The clan held a council meeting where my grandfather announced it. In front of everyone…”
She wondered why he sounded so bitter when that was supposed to be her job.
Simon’s voice dropped an octave as he imitated his grandfather’s scratchy voice. “I have spoken with the wolf pack, and they agree. The older Macks daughter—”
That was her. Did he have to drag the torture out so much?
“Shall be betrothed to one of our own clan. Voss blood, mixing with new blood.” Simon paused and spoke in his own voice again. “Voss. Me! You know how happy I was?”
She remembered how happy she’d been when her father made the same announcement. And how hurt she’d been when Simon turned the cold shoulder.
“In three years, our clans shall come together again,” Simon continued mimicking his grandfather’s gritty tone. “To celebrate the mating of Jessica Macks and Soren Voss.”
Jess was so consumed by bad memories, she’d have missed the punch line if Simon hadn’t repeated it in his own growling tone. “Soren fucking Voss.”
Her chin snapped up. “Soren?”
He grimaced. “Soren.”
“But…but…”
“Yeah,” he whispered. “That’s what I said.”
“So why didn’t you do anything?”
“I did
everything
, Jess. I tried. But their minds were made up. Your parents’, too. I tried talking to them, and you know what they said?”
Simon had had the guts to approach her parents after that?
“They said ‘second son is second best,’” he grunted. “And second best wasn’t good enough for you.”
“But…but…” she mumbled it a couple of dozen times. “But I didn’t want Soren!”
“Believe me, he didn’t want you.” Simon’s hands shot up. “Wait, I mean, not like that. He found his own mate. He wanted her.”
She stared at Simon. “Who?” Maybe if she focused on someone else, all this would be easier to grasp.
“Sarah Boone. Remember her?”
Barely. Soren was a few years older than her; Sarah, too. “Sarah, from the little shop in town?”
Simon nodded.
“Sarah, the human?” Jess gaped. “Holy…” She always thought she and Simon had their work cut out for them, convincing their shifter species to let them mate. But humans were totally off-limits. Then she gasped. “Sarah died…”
Simon shushed her with a harsh look at the doorway. “I know. He knows. They burned her alive. Burned the whole place down, just like they did with our clan and your
“No excuse to yell at my sister,” she blurted, trying to hang on to the last scrap of her pride. “And anyway, what do you care?”
“I care,” Simon barked. He didn’t raise his voice, but the words still jolted her. “I care,” he insisted. “I would die for you.” His shoulders sagged with an unbearable burden, and his voice wavered. “I’d have done anything for you.”
It was the truth he was choking on — his eyes said as much — and all she could do was stare.
“But you hate me.”
He shook his head. “I don’t hate you, Jess.”
But he did. He did. Didn’t he?
“I just never knew how to explain,” he said, so quietly, she nearly missed it.
“What is there to explain?”
He laughed bitterly. “Everything.”
They sat for another minute, letting a heavy silence invade the room. Then Simon finally spoke — softly, barely chipping away at the edges of it.
“Remember what we promised?”
How could she forget? “We promised to work on convincing our families that an alliance would be a good thing. A blood alliance…” She trailed off there. She’d done her part. Why hadn’t he done his?
“And we did it. We succeeded.”
“Sure did,” she said bitterly. Was he about to rub her face in his rejection again?
But Simon went on, gradually gathering speed. “The clan held a council meeting where my grandfather announced it. In front of everyone…”
She wondered why he sounded so bitter when that was supposed to be her job.
Simon’s voice dropped an octave as he imitated his grandfather’s scratchy voice. “I have spoken with the wolf pack, and they agree. The older Macks daughter—”
That was her. Did he have to drag the torture out so much?
“Shall be betrothed to one of our own clan. Voss blood, mixing with new blood.” Simon paused and spoke in his own voice again. “Voss. Me! You know how happy I was?”
She remembered how happy she’d been when her father made the same announcement. And how hurt she’d been when Simon turned the cold shoulder.
“In three years, our clans shall come together again,” Simon continued mimicking his grandfather’s gritty tone. “To celebrate the mating of Jessica Macks and Soren Voss.”
Jess was so consumed by bad memories, she’d have missed the punch line if Simon hadn’t repeated it in his own growling tone. “Soren fucking Voss.”
Her chin snapped up. “Soren?”
He grimaced. “Soren.”
“But…but…”
“Yeah,” he whispered. “That’s what I said.”
“So why didn’t you do anything?”
“I did
everything
, Jess. I tried. But their minds were made up. Your parents’, too. I tried talking to them, and you know what they said?”
Simon had had the guts to approach her parents after that?
“They said ‘second son is second best,’” he grunted. “And second best wasn’t good enough for you.”
“But…but…” she mumbled it a couple of dozen times. “But I didn’t want Soren!”
“Believe me, he didn’t want you.” Simon’s hands shot up. “Wait, I mean, not like that. He found his own mate. He wanted her.”
She stared at Simon. “Who?” Maybe if she focused on someone else, all this would be easier to grasp.
“Sarah Boone. Remember her?”
Barely. Soren was a few years older than her; Sarah, too. “Sarah, from the little shop in town?”
Simon nodded.
“Sarah, the human?” Jess gaped. “Holy…” She always thought she and Simon had their work cut out for them, convincing their shifter species to let them mate. But humans were totally off-limits. Then she gasped. “Sarah died…”
Simon shushed her with a harsh look at the doorway. “I know. He knows. They burned her alive. Burned the whole place down, just like they did with our clan and your
Similar Books
