Moon Child (The Year of the Wolf #2) - Serena Akeroyd Page 0,79

And you did too. You approached a circle of wolves, in a vulnerable state, and you came to me, moved from your sister’s pack into my pack’s circle, and you reasoned with me. You wouldn’t have done that unless we were tied.”

“Of course I would have,” she scoffed. “You were trying to take Daniel away from Sabina!”

That was said on a hiss, but I felt the shift in the diner at her words and sighed. “Did you have to say that out loud?”

“They can’t hear,” she retorted dismissively.

“Yes, they can,” I corrected. I’d chosen the corner booth so that I could look over the diner, make sure there’d be no out-of-the-blue attacks on a wolf whose scent belonged to another pack, and I called out, “His father killed mine. His father destroyed my family. I asked only for what pack law declared my right. But, after speaking with my mate, she persuaded me that the punishment wasn’t Daniel’s to pay.”

Interest stirred at my words, but I ignored it, knowing I’d pacified them with gossip about my finding my mate. Lara, on the other hand, was pissed.

“You had no right to tell them that.”

“They’ll know soon enough. The more time you spend with me, the more you’ll scent of me.” And not goddamn hyenas.

Their stench was peculiar to their race, and it was strong, enough to make my nose curl again.

I’d been surprised by it the first night of our meeting, especially when she’d approached me in wolf skin, but for it to be unchanged was a clear sign that she’d been hurt by the hyena who’d attacked her. Maybe a bite? Definitely more than a ‘couple of good licks’.

I wanted to kill the bastard for daring to hurt her, because if he had, I’d never have met her, and I’d have lost my chance at being with this beautiful woman before I even had a moment in her company.

Two dishes were plunked down on our table by a scowling Maggie May, and I told her, “Your table service, as always, is stunning, Maggie.”

“I certainly try my best, Todd. Now, what’s this about forcing that boy back to your pack so you can toss him out like he’s trash?”

“You can’t be surprised by it,” I retorted with a scowl. “I’m surprised his presence hasn’t caused issues.”

“It did. At first,” she admitted. “Especially with the old council. But those stuck-up dicks would have argued with themselves in the mirror if they could have.”

“Maybe they did,” I half-teased.

“Wouldn’t be surprised.” She squinted at me. “He’s a good boy. He deserves a second chance—”

“Why a second chance? Far as I can tell, he hasn’t done anything wrong,” Lara interjected.

“He’ll bear his father’s shame for the rest of his life,” Maggie told her, calmly but sadly. “The least we can do is help the boy. He’s shifted already. Sending that out into the human world is a recipe for disaster.”

“As I said, my mate helped clarify the situation. I’ll leave him alone,” I informed her, well aware that I was informing the diner as a whole too.

Maggie eyed Lara with a mite more respect than she’d shown earlier. Not that she’d been disrespectful, just distrusting. “Good to hear you’ll have a strong and sensible woman at your back, Todd. Behind every great man, there’s a great woman.”

My lips twitched. “I’m well aware of that.”

“Good. Now, enjoy your food.”

I stared down at my burger and not at my mate as Maggie retreated, but when I dosed my dish with ketchup, I felt her attention on me.

My skin prickled, and everything inside me stood up with awareness as I acknowledged the power she had over me.

Grandfather had warned me of this, and while I was prepared, I wasn’t truly. We did things differently in my world, more differently than I could even share with her until she was mine in earnest. I hated the subterfuge, but she couldn’t understand because she didn’t understand how things worked on a normal basis—so the uniqueness of my situation would be further lost on her.

“Do hyenas force their mates to be with them?”

“Yes and no,” I replied, gaze still on my food. I picked up a fry, munched on it, and told her, “The term mate is different with them. When they sense genetic compatibility, a bite during sex is all it takes to impregnate a woman. But that’s only a physical connection. They’re just baby mamas.”

“Not mates?”

“No. Their mates are chosen, just like in the human world. The term is