“I want to give you what you need so badly,” I say.
His large hand strokes down my hair, soothing me and himself. I burrow into him and feel him shiver in response.
“I know that you took an oath. And I know that this is doomed. But . . . Koen. There is very little that I wouldn’t do for you, if you were to ask me.”
“Serena.” I hear the blurry edge of his smile. A quiet sigh. “I would throw away my pack, my life, and my entire world for you. Which is the exact reason I cannot have you.”
His nuisance. That’s what she is.
WHEN I WAKE UP THE FOLLOWING MORNING, AMANDA AND Saul are sitting at the kitchen table. Every single ingredient that one might need to make pancakes has been taken out of the cupboards and neatly laid on the counter. A few that one might not, too.
“Out of curiosity, at what point in the process do you think ketchup becomes involved?”
Saul shrugs. “For the stuffing, maybe?”
“Ah, yes. The famed pancake stuffing. That’s where the capers go, too?”
He nods so hard, I’m afraid his jaw will detach from the rest of his face.
“And remind me, the vinegar- “
“Listen,” Amanda says bluntly. “As much as we love setting our alarms one hour earlier to come visit with Mommy and Daddy, if we knew how to make pancakes, we would not be here.”
I cock my head. “Am I Mommy in this scenario?”
“Or Daddy,” Saul offers. “You get to pick first, since you provide the pancakes.”
“Nice. I’ll take it.”
Twenty minutes later, when Mommy steps out of his room freshly showered and cleanly shaven, they are in the middle of a bitter argument.
“My editorial position,” Amanda is saying, not bothering to finish chewing, “is that it would be like shooting pure, undiluted moon in your veins. A super-soldier. Leviathan, but in space. And on steroids.”
“Baby . . . no. There’s no atmosphere up there. You’d just be a pincushion for radiation.”
“Weres on the moon?” Koen asks, walking up to me in the kitchen. He doesn’t look like he slept much.
I hand him a mug of coffee. “Yup.”
“Have they been over moonless planets yet?”
“Yes.”
“Can’t howl ’cause sound doesn’t carry?”
“Yes.”
“Pluto’s five moons?”
“Also yes.”
“The asphyxiation?”
“Just now.”
“Great. They must be about to wrap up.” He reaches for the sugar. I stop him with a hand on his wrist.
“Already in there.” It takes a moment for my fingers to let go, and another for him to glance away from the difference in our sizes. My paler, softer skin.
He leans back against the counter next to me, even though there are yards of surfaces for him to use. He could even go sit with his seconds, who were there when he still thought potty jokes were the height of humor and have saved his life countless times. He chooses to be here, though. Looks at me as he takes a sip, while Amanda and Saul’s bickering continues.
“A house divided,” I say. “Want pancakes?”
He shakes his head. “They’ve been working on a space Were book for years. The disagreements started early in the planning phase.”
“I didn’t know they write.”
“That’s because they don’t.”
I smile. He does, too, if only with his eyes. The discussion winds down, and Saul and Amanda stare at us, seeing who knows what. “Good morning.” Koen cheers in their direction with his mug. “I am overjoyed that you decided to deal with this pressing issue in my home.”
Amanda waves a forkful at him. “You can disapprove all you want, Alpha, but the matter is not yet settled.”
“Nevertheless, we will proceed with our day. Unless anyone has other important, fully theoretical matters to add to the agenda?”
“Actually.” I steeple my hands. “I’ve been wondering about something for a while. We are Weres, right?”
Encouraging nods.
“But why are we part wolves? Why are there no werebutterflies, or werecrabs? What’s so special about wolves?”
Three pairs of eyes blink at me. Then Saul winces. “That’s just . . . weird, Serena.”
“How is it weirder than the moon thing?”
Amanda stands, grimacing like her stomach and her soul are equally upset. “Don’t. Just, don’t.”
“Wait. You guys, tell me how a Were on the moon is any more plausible than . . .”
But they’re gone.
I turn to Koen, who’s setting his mug down. He shakes his head, an expression that could be mock or real disappointment on his face, and follows his seconds outside.
KOEN NEEDS TO DRIVE BACK TO THE BORDER TO OVERSEE THE EXTRADITION of one of the Vampyres to Owen’s team but decides to drop me off at Layla’s on the way. Saul tails us in his car, listening to dubstep so loudly, Koen mutters something about brain tumors growing in his auditory cortex.
I should introduce Saul to Misery. Maybe meeting someone with the same terrible taste in music is the mirror she needs to rethink some life choices.
“I need a minute with you, before you go in,” Koen tells me, parking in front of Sem’s office.
I don’t like how grave and serious he sounds, stripped of the usual gruff, irascible facade. Then again, we have much to discuss. Preferably, while I’m not squirming in his lap. Last night was a moment out of time, but we’re back in it.
“Me too. I wanted to- “
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply