Where Foxes Hunt with Wolves - K.A. Merikan Page 0,113
a woman. Only a woman could become his mate and permanently change her scent so it was harmonious with her man’s. And only a true mate could be trusted with all pack secrets. End of story. For all Yev knew, there had never been another werewolf like him, and if that wasn’t the case, he’d been killed, forgotten, or lived hiding his true self so deep no one had ever found out.
He’d even sneaked away to speak to the witch about the possibility of making Radek his through her magic, but she’d dismissed him, saying her agreement on werewolf matters was with the pack alpha. Which meant she knew something, but wouldn’t share. Which left Yev at an impasse, since he couldn’t reveal his relationship to Father.
“Lots of animals can be gay. Even wolves!” Radek continued, but Yev shook his head, increasingly frustrated.
“What difference does it make?” he asked before raising his head to look straight into the burning embers Burian had for eyes. “Yeah, I fuck him sometimes. So what? What’s your problem? And don’t even try talking to me about me not being productive to the pack. You’re not like me, and you’re not productive either. I just proved how much of a man I am,” he said, pointing to the bleeding wound on Burian’s arm. “I am an asset to the pack, due to my strength, whether you like it or not!”
“Are you suggesting something’s wrong with my wife?” Burian raised his voice and stepped closer despite the wounds.
Olek shifted this time and pulled on Burian’s other arm, his eyes damp. “He’s not. Let’s go.”
Yev clenched his teeth. There was nothing wrong with Burian’s wife, but werewolves couldn’t always successfully reproduce with humans, and that was that. If Burian was so intent on fathering offspring, he should have chosen a different mate—one who was a were herself. He got to follow his heart, so what gave him the right to push his morals, disguised as pack interest, on others.
“She’s a saint. If I were in her place, I’d have regretted becoming your mate.”
Olek’s bright eyes met his, and this time, Yev’s younger brother seemed angry at him. “Enough! He’s acting like a piece of shit, but you also say one thing and do another, Yev!”
The smell of Radek’s blood only made it harder to focus when all he wanted was to rip apart anything that might threaten his boy.
Radek stepped closer, his feet likely just as numb from the snow as Yev’s. “Because your rules are stupid.”
Burian’s nostrils flared, and Olek had to stop him from stepping toward Radek. “You don’t understand a thing, you fucking vixen! Your kind doesn’t honor family nor loyalty. We bond for life, and if we were all like that deviant fuck, we’d be sucking each other’s dicks until we died out!”
Radek sniggered. “Are you saying you’d be sucking dick if it wasn’t for rules?”
Yev didn’t have the patience for this. “It doesn’t matter who you wanna fuck, Burian. Just get off my cas—”
Burian spat into Yev’s face, and Olek stepping between them was the one thing that kept Yev from tearing the bastard’s throat for real.
Burian smirked, showing his bloodstained teeth. “Sure, let that thing pour lies into your ear, but you know yourself the pack comes first. If you don’t want to live like a werewolf, you’re out. For good this time.”
Olek bit his lip, his round face tense, but he didn’t try to defend Yev. While he had way more heart, his thoughts were clearly the same.
When Burian shifted into his wolf form, Olek followed his example, and they were off. Seeing Burian limp into the bushes didn’t give Yev as much satisfaction as he’d hoped.
Yev squeezed his hands into fists and spun around, gathering his torn clothes, not yet ready to look Radek’s way. If he could, he’d disappear into the woods and avoid talking to anyone for hours, suffering the pain of the thorn stuck deep in his heart
“You’re hurt,” Radek said, as if he didn’t bleed himself moments ago. Just thinking about the way he shivered, wordlessly begging for protection made Yev want to fight Burian all over again. Pale under all the freckles, Radek was still breathing unnaturally fast, and the anger Yev had felt moments ago dispersed.
“Me?” he asked and tossed the clothes on the bench before scooping Radek into his arms, because both of them needed to get warm fast.
“Yes, he scratched you all over.” Radek clung to him with all of his