took him and hid him till he was old enough to return on his own. He wanted revenge against them and came back to infect them all.”
“Mason’s plan was to infect the entire pack with his virus. Mutate them the way he had been.” Brie gasped, realizing just what a horrible and devastating outcome that would be. Hundreds of were-animals would be led to slaughter. With no antidote, others would have to kill them, hunt them down like rabid animals. The thought of that happening to the men she loved made her stomach churn with swirling bouts of acid.
“Where did this virus come from?” Sebastian’s deep voice thundered from behind her. She turned to face him and extended her hand for him to take, which he did.
“Only Mason knows,” Luken said.
“What do you want to do?” Jonah asked Sebastian.
Meeting Brie’s inquisitive gaze, he told them all, “The only thing we can do. We capture him and find a way to test his blood. We figure out what’s in his blood and what the virus really is. If he has infected anyone else, we’ll need to figure out what he truly is infected with so we can come up with some kind of cure.” He faced the twins and explained, “If Mason is a carrier and it’s mutating his DNA, it could be a million different things. We can’t risk what could happen to the were-population.”
“Would you like us to help?” Ryken asked.
Sebastian cocked his head in the twin’s direction. “Yes. We’ll need all hands on deck for this one.”
Ryken and Luken nodded.
“What about me? What can I do to help?”
Sebastian arched a dark brow, staring down at Brie. “You can help figure out the best construction crew to come out here and help repair the cabin. Also, whatever designer you wish to hire to decorate again. You decide what designs and patterns you want. Whatever you choose will be perfect.” He kissed her nose, but there was no softness in his touch, the beast was hidden underneath a thin layer of restraint.
Her brow pinched tight at the bridge of her nose. “You want me to busy myself so I stay out of your way, right?” Her harsh and accusing tone left nothing masked.
Sebastian shook his head, mouth slightly parted, looking surprised by her reaction. “No. To be honest, I can’t leave this cabin for at least a few more days. I don’t have control yet. My beast is a little wild at present.” His gaze flickered to Ryken and then back to Brie. “I won’t be able to travel back to Dallas, and if I’m not going to Dallas, then neither are you. I thought rather than live in a disaster area you’d like to help me fix up the cabin.” He smiled. “Besides, this will give us a chance to begin planning the wedding. I thought we could have the ceremony here for both me and Jonah.”
Shocked, surprised, and embarrassed, she said, “Oh.” She felt like a bitch for thinking he was pawning her off. But even with his explanation, a part of her believed he would have found something “safe” for her to do in any regard.
Protecting her had been his mission—so had Jonah’s, for that matter. She had to stop assuming he didn’t want her around. Keeping her safe was his priority, she knew that, but he promised they wouldn’t be apart again. She had to trust him.
And the idea of planning their wedding did warm her heart and ease her mind...slightly.
“Sorry,” she said, a slight frown tugged her lips down at the corners. “Old habits die hard.”
Brushing her hair back from her face, he held her gaze. “I know exactly what you mean.” He kissed her.
Ryken grunted. “Are you two done with the make-out session? If so, we’ll go ahead and head out. We’ve got a Wolanther to track.”
“A Wolanther?” she questioned, screwing up her face and staring at Ryken. “What the hell is a Wolanther?”
Grinning, Ryken teased, “You know, a Wolanther, half-wolf, half-panther—A Wolanther.”
Luken laughed hard, a deep throaty rumble. “Holy shit, dude, you’re a genius,” he
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