So he had a tattoo. Most men had a tattoo, but Sinister’s paw print was light blue.
“Wound looks clean,” she murmured, keeping her voice even. She was careful to touch, but not press against the discolored places. “There’s still lots of bruising though.”
The whole time, Sinister’s gaze was fixed on her face. He was waiting for her to react to his clan tattoo. For her to strike out or to say something.
“Let’s get a fresh bandage on you,” she added.
“So you’re gonna ignore it?” he finally asked.
She shrugged. “Does it matter?”
“I’m one of them.”
“Kaden already told me you were a hunter and that I should keep that information to myself.”
He twisted to help her get the gauze into position. “But did he tell you I was a Cerulean?”
“No, he didn’t.”
Now that made him pause for a second. “I’ve done horrible things to werewolves for money,” he blurted.
She slowed and looked up at him. “Is that supposed to scare me away?”
“If you were smart, it would. For two years, I chased after Kaden and almost killed him once.”
“Almost,” she quipped.
The side of his lip turned downward. He didn’t like it when she didn’t take him seriously, but he was trying to push her away. Not gonna happen. “The Baker pack had wanted a piece of me for a long time, and they caught me with my focus elsewhere in Vancouver.”
She cringed.
He told her about how Kaden found him, patched him up, and took him to the closest hospital. “He even paid my hospital bill, knowing damn well who I was.”
She was almost done, but slowed down more. He was talking, and if she finished, he might not be as talkative. “Why do you think he did that?”
“He’s not like the Bakers. I guess your old man taught him a thing or two.”
“No, he isn’t. He has honor and wouldn’t cast someone aside when something better came along.” She swallowed.
He winced as she wound the elastic wrap firmly around his chest. “What happened to you?”
She was being a bit too rough. “I lost four years chasing after a man as fickle as a pig rutting after any female.” She smiled. “I wanted to be queen of the world. Not just second best, but first in all things. I thought I’d be that way the day I met Cameron in Seattle.”
She sighed, waited for Sinister to interrupt her, but he didn’t. Even when her free hand touched one of his bruises. “He was suave and spoke all the right words. In a few hours, he convinced me to chase after him. And like a fool, I did. I thought he was some hotshot alpha, but I learned the hard way that his paws were absolutely filthy. Robbery. Racketeering. Blackmail. The humans were nothing but a playground for him.
“One day, I even caught him talking to the Cerulean hunting clan leader. Can you believe that? But that wasn’t the worst thing. It was the fact that she was there.” Her voice skipped a bit.
“Who?”
“Hayley. The bitch who left Kaden. That woman had told Kaden she was coming to LA to look for me. Bullshit. The minute she showed up, Cameron didn’t see me anymore. He even told the Cerulean clan leader that Hayley was to be his mate, and I was just some fool chasing after him.”
Nothing but a fool who couldn’t do anything right, she thought.
She had to be hurting him, yanking the elastic bandage far harder than she should, but he didn’t move. He didn’t even wince.
“Does Kaden know about this?” Sinister asked.
She chuffed. “The walk of shame coming back to Kaden was hard enough. He was hurting because Hayley had left him. I’m sure he’d really like to hear that his sister got dumped by the man who took his woman away.”
A tear coursed down her cheek, but she left it there. For once, she didn’t care about saving face.
A hand reach out and cupped the side of her face. Sinister used his thumb to wipe away the streak on her cheek. The warmth from his palm set her heart aflutter.
He pulled her closer to him, forcing her to let go of the bandage. Her hands ended up pressed against his chest and her face mere inches from his.
“Your arm.” She tried to push back and ended up pushing against his injury. “Oh, shit! I didn’t mean to do that.”
He only grunted but didn’t let her go.
This was the closest she’d ever managed to get with him, and now that she was up close and personal, she reveled in his scent. The feel of his heartbeat against her palms.
“You’re not a fool,” he whispered. “You’re just stubborn and powerful. I like that about you.”
“I like that about you, too.” Why couldn’t she keep her eyes off his lips? Why was she so fascinated with him? He wasn’t an alpha like Cameron. He didn’t have wealth or power.
He was a fragile human.
But when he leaned in and his lips brushed against hers, the truth began to blossom in her stomach like a cluster of butterflies heading into flight. Sparks danced across her lips and shot down her spine.
The kiss was slow. Gentle. And the need to control the pace melted away. It was just his lips against her lips. A soft brush of his tongue along the seal of her mouth. The tension in her shoulders eased, and she settled within the safety of his arms.
The truth was, she didn’t need all the things she’d sought. What she needed was such a simple thing that she’d been too blinded by ambition to find it: true love.
***
The trip along the lakeside fed Cyn’s spirit in ways she hadn’t expected. It took half a mile before she cut the strings in her head that tied her to the cabin.
Damien would protect her brother. He’d been quiet the whole time she’d slept, and he even had a smile waiting for her when she got up to take a walk.
“Don’t forget your gloves and a scarf,” he advised.
At the time, she held in a laugh. A werewolf was telling a hunter to bundle up.
So now, she was outside in the brisk Canadian cold taking a long walk. As she got farther away from the cabin, she approached another one along the lake’s edge. An aroma, one of Italian spices and fresh bread, reached her nose.
She chuckled to herself. She really needed to improve her cooking skills. As much as she liked the average fare of stews and broths Kaden concocted for Zach’s recovery, she’d give up a Bouncing Bettie for a fire-grilled burger overflowing with fixings.
Reluctantly—well, not exactly—she knocked on the door.
As expected, Naomi answered.
“What do you want?” The question wasn’t laden with sarcasm. Her pursed lips reflected surprise.
“I needed a break from guard duty for my brother…and I thought I’d check on Sinister,” Cyn began. And I’d like more free smells, please.
Cyn peered behind Naomi to see Sinister stirring food with his good hand. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and Cyn cringed inwardly at his injuries. He still didn’t look good.
“Just let her in,” Sinister grumbled. “You’re letting out the heat.”
She crept into the house and ignored the look of annoyance on Naomi’s face.
The kitchenette table in the cabin had been set for a meal for two. Cyn’s face warmed. She was intruding on a private meal.
“I don’t have to stay for long…” Her gaze flicked to the steam radiating from the fresh pasta and spaghetti sauce. Damn, everything smelled good. Sinister had golden hands in the kitchen. Even for a man with one hand.
Naomi tried to take the bowl of pasta from him, but he flashed her a look of annoyance. He was about as cooperative as Zach in terms of recovery.
As he turned toward Cyn, she couldn’t miss the light blue tattoo peeking from under the side of an elastic bandage wrapped around his shoulder and upper arm. Her heart stuttered a bit. Instead of remarking on what she’d seen, she back-pedaled a bit. “I’ll come back another time.”
“Good try, hunter.” Sinister placed another plate on the table. “What slop has K
aden been feeding you?”
“Great slop.” The tasty slop was brown and nutritious. Kaden’s food wasn’t all that bad, but spaghetti was spaghetti.
“Sit.” He jerked his head toward the table.
Taking a seat as quickly as possible, Cyn tried to hide the glee coursing through her. Might as well sit before he changed his mind.
The food was dished out, and Cyn didn’t look up from her plate as she twirled the pasta around her fork and crammed garlic bread into her mouth. Aww, the man knew how to crisp bread to perfection.
“It’s been a while since we talked,” Sinister said.
“I wanted to give you time to recover,” Cyn replied. “A lot has happened.”
He looked her over, and Cyn knew what was coming. The meal was a small price to pay.
“I’m taking care of myself,” she grumbled.
“Taking care? You suck at it,” he said.
Ever since they’d arrived here, she’d only seen Naomi. Sinister never left the cabin.
“Kaden gave me his side of things after the attack. What happened to you?” Sinister asked.
She recounted what happened during the attack up to the point where her brother showed up. Naomi frowned at the mention of Zach’s name.
“How did the interrogation go?” Sinister asked.
Cyn gave him the details between bites. She didn’t hold back, and it felt good to vent, especially when it came to finding out that the Ceruleans had secret relationships with werewolf packs.
“Did you know anything about the Cerulean dealings with werewolf packs?” Cyn asked him.
He shrugged with his good shoulder. “I was just a tool who followed commands, but I might know something.” He stole a glance at Naomi.
She flashed him a look.
He tilted his head and grunted.
Cyn stuffed a huge bite of spaghetti into her mouth and watched the exchange. “Uhh, do I need to leave?” The plate of food was coming with her.
Sinister took Naomi’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Baby…”
Cyn hid a smile. About time those two crazy kids got things sorted out.
After releasing a long breath, Naomi spilled on how she’d witnessed a meeting in LA between the Cerulean clan leader and the Baker pack leader. The whole time, her gaze was fixed on her plate. Had something bad happened to her while she’d lived there?
“Did you hear what they said?” Cyn asked Naomi.
“Does it matter?” Sinister said in a point-blank manner.
Knowing what they’d talked about was important, but the way Naomi bit her lower lip and tightened her grip on Sinister’s hand told Cyn she shouldn’t pry any further.
“Thanks, Naomi,” Cyn said softly. “I appreciate the information. It’s really helpful.”
Naomi let go of Sinister’s hand and began to eat again. “I hope you find out what happened to your parents.” She stuffed food into her mouth, but Cyn caught the next statement: “I’d hunt until the very end for the truth, too.”
Chapter 10
The long walk, and the visit and meal in Sinister’s cabin had done Cyn well that afternoon. By the time she returned to her cabin, the daylight had leaked into the horizon, and the cold had seeped in so deep that any walk seemed futile. At least she returned to the cabin much more at peace than she had been before.
The cabin living room only had a single light from a lamp. Her brother was awake for once and sat up a bit. She had a plate of spaghetti from Sinister for him. She wasn’t sure if he was ready for spaghetti, but her brother was probably tired of stew, too.
“What are you doing up?” she asked.
“Kaden just healed me,” he remarked. He grinned when he smelled the food.
She checked his pillows. “He gives the good stuff, right?”
Zach groaned a bit when she checked his chest wound, but smiled again when she pushed his forehead to make him lie back down. “Okay, nursemaid.”
“What happened to Damien?” she asked.
“Damien?”
“Pale guy in a sweater with red eyes.”
“So that’s the name of that one. I remember waking up a few hours ago, and someone gave me water.”
“That was nice of him.”
“He even made me eat some food,” Zach remarked.
She laughed. “How horrible of him. I’ll be back in a sec.”
She left her brother’s side to go into the bedroom. A single form slept in the bed. As much as she wanted to check on him, his deep snore told her Kaden needed his rest for now. Whenever she got into bed, he usually woke up and wanted to heal her as he did every night. So, instead of giving in to the need to be held, she joined her brother in the living room and sat down on the edge of his pull-out bed.
The quiet in the room was welcomed. The only sound in the house was the tick tock of the clock in the corner.
“You look like you have a lot on your mind,” her brother said softly.
“You could say that.”
Zach sighed. “I’m sorry to be such a burden.”
“Whatever. You’re my brother.”
“I’m supposed to be taking care of you.”
So he noticed she was getting ill again. “I don’t need it.”
“I remember vividly what you looked like before the diagnosis, Cyn. The signs were there, but we never knew what they meant. You were sick all the time and tired. It was obvious that you’d gone downhill, even if you tried to hide it from me to protect me.”
She closed her eyes, even when her brother took her hand. The walk had been good for her, especially with the decision she had just made.
“I’m going to become a werewolf, Zachary.”
Instead of saying anything, he squeezed her hand.
“Will you forgive me for doing this?” she asked.
“There’s nothing to forgive. I dragged your ass here, remember?”
“But what about the clan? What about the pledge I made? What about…Ty?”
Zach sighed and rolled his eyes. At an important moment like this, her brother always could annoy her. “I can handle Ty.”
Nobody could handle Ty but her. That was the scary part.
“If I become a werewolf, I won’t be able to help you find out who killed our parents.” She told him about the interrogation, and what Naomi revealed about the Cerulean clan’s connections to the Baker pack.
Zach appeared thoughtful. “You know what that means don’t you?”
Cyn nodded. All they had was a lead on the gang who had killed their parents. A hope to find out the truth. Just thinking about the time she’d invested to see what the lead meant made her head spin: “According to our source in Calgary, the gang’s location was out of LA.” That area was Baker pack’s stronghold, but they didn’t have any evidence that the Bakers could have been involved.
Until now.
“Our parents’ last mission was to take out the Baker clan leader,” Cyn added.
“And they got the lead on his location from the Ceruleans,” Zach finished.
When jobs were too big for one clan, they hired freelancers or hunters from other clans. Getting a lead from another clan wasn’t unusual. Betrayal was.
“I’m so tired,” Cyn said. “Do you remember anything else about the details on the assignment?”
Zach rubbed his eyes. This was the worst time for them to be digging into the past. They were both worn thin. “Ask me tomorrow when I feel less like shit.”
Cyn chewed on her lip. Anytime she thought about her parents leaving and not returning home, a familiar pain kicked her in the stomach and made her breath hitch. It was as if her mind and body didn’t want to go there. She didn’t want to churn up the bad memories from the past.
Zach tapped her knee to draw her away from her reverie. “Even if the Ceruleans and the Bakers killed our parents, what happened in the past won’t change the fact that you’re dying.”
“I know…”
He cleared his throat. “As the district ma
nager of area 19438, I hereby resolve you of your duties and allegiance to the Red hunting clan.”
She snorted. “I’m being serious.”
“So am I.”
“You’re not doing it right.”
“I’m recovering in bed after getting shot. I think, so far, this ceremony has gone great, and you should give me one of those cookies Damien baked to celebrate your new life in the pack.”
“He baked, too?” And somehow managed to hide the evidence.
“What matters is that I love my sister, and, from the beginning, I wanted you to make this choice. I wanted you to become a werewolf to save your life. If that means I have to meet you secretly or lose ties with you forever, I was prepared a long time ago to pay that price.”
Just hearing those words filled her with relief.
“Thanks, Z.”
“Not a problem. Although, I am kinda pissed I had to get shot in order for you to make this decision.”
She groaned. “You getting shot isn’t the main reason I am doing this.”
“It better be. This shit hurts like a motherf—”
“I’m doing it because I love him,” she blurted. Her heart fluttered as she made her confession.
Zac chuckled. “About time. I’ve seen the way you look at him.”
She’d never made a confession like this before. “Yeah, I just needed to see with my heart instead of my eyes.”
***
After the longest shower of her life, Cyn finally left the bathroom and plodded into the bedroom. Each footstep was hard to take and she almost wished Kaden were asleep so she’d have more time to chew on her thoughts.
By the time she slipped under the covers, his arms snaked out and pulled her toward him. She sighed, enjoying the warmth of his body against hers. The room was cold, but she could always depend on Kaden to keep her warm and comfortable.
“I was wondering if I’d have to go Baywatch and send a lifeguard into the bathroom to rescue you,” he murmured against her neck.
“A David Hasselhoff rescue doesn’t sound bad.” She blinked, searching for something to say. This was the part where she’d find some clever, off-beat way to say that she loved him and wanted to stay forever with him as his mate.
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