Hunting Human - Amanda E. Alvarez [45]
One that doesn’t include Beth.
The thought churned acid in his gut.
Whatever. Focus on something else.
Braden killed the radio. “I’ve never considered you one of them, Chase.”
“Yeah.” Chase responded dutifully.
“I’ve never considered you one of them. Or tainted by them. Chase…”
“I know.” Chase turned away from the window, his quiet gaze focused on Braden. “I know that.”
Chase didn’t say anything for a long moment, but didn’t turn back to the window either. “It’s unreasonable to believe that I’m the only one who’s ever been unwillingly infected by their filth.”
“It’s unreasonable to assume your circumstances apply to her.”
“Is it?”
“Fine. What’s more likely? Beth, an American who doesn’t appear to have any ties to Eastern Europe is turned, accidentally, maliciously, whatever and finds her way to Portland and coincidentally into my bed? Me, a werewolf with a Prime lineage?” Braden paused, searching for words that didn’t scrape against his pride like sandpaper against skin. “Or, that she was sent here to seduce her way into my bed, for information, destruction or whatever,” he said, forcing air through his nose. “Which is more likely, Chase?”
“I think you’re giving them a lot of credit. They’re more the blunt instrument types than meticulous plotters. They don’t have the patience. Maim, torture and murder is more their speed,” Chase countered.
“Fine, so it’s a more sophisticated plan. But hardly unbelievable. And still more likely than mere coincidence. They’ve been attempting to end our line in one way or another for centuries. Frankly, I’m surprised it’s taken them this long to try something like this.”
“I’m not saying it’s impossible.” Chase sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. “Hell, it’s even likely.”
“Then what’s your point with all this?” Braden set his teeth and resisted the urge to strangle the steering wheel or his brother. “You were the one that wanted me to be cautious. Insisted she had a connection to Markko. So what’s changed in the last hour? What, Chase? Because from what I saw, we have more than enough reason to assume she’s involved with him.” Braden ground his teeth, the muscles along his jaw popping.
“That’s your anger and your ego talking.” Chase shrugged off Braden’s furious expression. “It’s true. Your pride’s hurt. You aren’t looking at things rationally.”
“She’s a werewolf. And a Prime descendant. What the fuck am I not seeing?”
“How about, she didn’t change at will?” Chase snapped back. “How about, she didn’t have control of her shift!”
“So she’s a young wolf, new to the shift.”
“Yeah, but even early transformations brought on by the lunar cycle, or by circumstances that trigger the change as a self-defense mechanism, don’t take the length of time hers did. They don’t induce that kind of pain, either.”
“So she tried to maintain the illusion. Keep her cover,” Braden said, hanging on to the anger. Anger was easier. Safer. If he allowed for doubt, he’d drive himself crazy.
“Maybe,” Chase acknowledged. “But why was she so scared?”
Beth had been panicked when she’d slammed into him outside her home. Focusing on the moment, Braden tried to bring every detail into crystal clear focus. She’d been breathing hard, her pulse racing, pupils blown in panic.
She’d looked terrified.
He fought back the wave of compassion that that swept through him
Focus on the facts.
So she’d been scared. She could have seen him pull in, thought if he saw Markko the game would blow up in her face and panicked. He rolled the scene through his mind again, trying to gauge her reactions, understand her motivations.
The vision of her, terrified and pulling at his arm wouldn’t leave him. There’d been blood on her face. Had Markko hurt her?
Bastard. If he touched her…
The image of her crouched on the pavement midshift superseded his thoughts. He saw white fur springing up along the spine and shoulders he’d spent the previous night mapping with hands and tongue. He could see delicate hands that had clenched around his as they’d climaxed