“I know what I did to help Jackson was wrong, Kat. But your family has a lot of secrets. You have only seen them in a certain light, it’s only now that you are learning who they really are. Eventually, you will learn to trust no one, not even me. My intentions are good right now, but people change, Kat, I do mean it when I say I mean you no harm, and I can’t see a reason for me wanting to go against you, but remember, everyone has a tipping point, something they will kill for. Don’t trust anyone, only your mates. Secrets get people killed. You will learn that, one way or another.”
I thought about his words and nodded. “You’re right, Andrei. Secrets are exactly what keep getting people killed around me. So spill yours. Why do you want my venom?”
“Nothing to do with you, Kat, but if you must know. I want it for Jackson. Anthony raised me, and after knowing what he did to my stepfather and my mother, I want revenge, but that is all I will tell you.”
Maddox pads back, sitting on the grass, while I ponder his words. All this talk of secrets makes me think of the biggest one I am keeping from my mates, that our future may not mean Mateo is in it. Would telling them alter the future events that the Moon Goddess gave me?
“He is a big fucker? Isn’t he? Looks even more enormous when he isn’t trying to kill someone,” Andrei observes, staring at Maddox as he tries to sit across my lap. Andrei chuckles at him while I try to shove him off, embarrassed at his behavior, Ezra would be horrified seeing Maddox act like a clingy pup in front of another Alpha.
“Funny how much like animals they truly are, our wolves are lethal, but only our mates can make them act like that, Donnie is always on the lookout for his, becomes quite annoying at times. But just like Maddox, he would kill without hesitation just like I would.”
I push him off only for Maddox to crush Mateo. I shake my head at his behavior.
“Just like the darkness, there is a peak, then they crash, that’s why he is like that. One extreme or another, you will find your moods will be the same. One minute you will be clingy like he is being right now, seeking comfort, the next you will want to kill them,” Andrei observes while we watch Maddox lay on Mateo’s back, Mateo tries to roll out from under him, only for Maddox to start licking his face and neck. Andrei shakes his head at him and laughs to himself. It did look rather funny, considering Maddox usually only came forward when he wanted to hurt someone.
“I have the scrolls in my car, you can have them, but it tells you nothing I haven’t already said, but if you can find an interpreter, you are more than welcome to have them,” Andrei offers.
“Yes, that would be good,” Mateo chokes out as Maddox mauls him with his heavy body, rubbing himself all over him like a cat.
“Don’t suppose you know how long he will be like that for?” I question with a barely suppressed giggle.
“The fact he appears to be coming down from what he took from you? I say a few more hours, and he will shift back, he seems calm, though. Is he speaking to you in the mindlink?” Andrei asks, and I nod. “Then he should return soon. Maddox is running off instinct and blocking the human part out of him. Ezra will be fine, but it would be best if you shift soon, it won’t be as bad next time. I should head off, but if you want to follow me to my car, I will give you those scrolls. I will come back tomorrow. It is getting a bit hot out here anyway,” Andrei says, hopping up off the grass.
I follow him to the car, and Maddox jumps off Mateo to prance after me. He tries to grab my hand in his mouth and tug me back.
Andrei hands me the scrolls before stepping forward and hugging me, sending me into shock. “Always wanted a sister,” he chuckles before climbing into his car. He honks his horn on the way out, and I wave to him before he disappears.
“I can honestly say Andrei isn’t that bad,” Mateo announces as he approaches from behind, his arms wrap around my waist and his chin rests on my shoulder. Maddox keeps trying to put his head up my shirt.
Angie pulls up just as we are about to turn around and go inside. Mateo groans, not wanting any more visitors.
Angie hops out anyway before pausing. “Hey,” she shyly greets, approaching us. She eyes Maddox worriedly, but he is paying her no attention. Instead, he is trying to grab Mateo’s arm again. Mateo lets me go with a quick kiss to my temple and calls Maddox after him as he heads inside, and I shake my head at them.
“What are you doing here?” I ask her, turning and heading for the house.
“Nothing just came to drop this off, I was volunteering down at the funeral home, told the director I would drop it in for her to save her the drive.” She takes a breath and hands me a document.
I open it and find a death certificate, my eyes flit over it as I try to absorb the information. “This is the man Maddox killed last night?”
“Yes, he was only new to the pack, no family, so that makes it a little easier, but dad said he was a nice man, just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Angie sighs before sniffing the air. “Ezra just needs to sign it and drop it in.”
I nod before sighing myself, I still can’t believe Maddox killed someone, Ezra always said his pack was family, and it sucks that because of me, he killed one of them.
“Well, I will see you tomorrow.” Angie turns to go when she sniffs the air again, cocking her head to the side. “Did you buy a new perfume or something?” she asks and I scrunch up my eyebrows.
“No, I smell of sweat. I have been outside all day.”
She shakes her head with an odd look on her face. “You just smell nice,” she comments before walking to her car.
“Wait,” I tell her, and she stops.
“Can I sign this?” I held up the document.
“Yes, it just needs to be signed off by an Alpha, you are one, so I think it would be alright,” she says before opening her car door and rummaging through her glove box. She hands me a pen.
I sign, hoping if I do, Ezra won’t feel too bad when he comes back and realizes what Maddox did, maybe he won’t even remember. I lean on her car window and sign my name when Angie sniffs me again and I look at her over my shoulder.
Her face is barely an inch from mine. “Sorry, you just smell different, so I don’t know, but you smell nice,” she notes, looking at me oddly. I hand her the paper, and she gets in her car before driving off.
I thought her behavior was odd, she has never sniffed me like that, and all I can smell is my mates and the lingering scent of Andrei when he hugged me goodbye, but other than that, I smelt the same, only sweaty “Hmm,” I think.