Colt crossed his arms over his chest. "I was thinking . . . you know it would be a lot safer for everyone at Sanctuary if there were two Sentinels protecting the Peltiers."
Vane sneered at that. "Since when does a Sentinel protect a Katagaria clan?"
Colt gave him a droll stare. "That from a Sentinel who's stroking a Katagari wolf's fur?"
Rage darkened Vane's sight at the fact that Colt could see what he'd always kept hidden from everyone else. If it wasn't for the fact that he needed to stay here for Fang's welfare, he'd be lunging for Colt's throat. "I'm not a Sentinel and I'm not Arcadian."
"You can't hide from me, Vane. Like me, you've chosen to hide your facial markings, but it doesn't change what you are. We are Sentinels."
Vane cursed him. "I will never be a Sentinel. I refuse that birthright. I won't hunt and kill my own kind."
"Haven't you already done that?" Colt arched his brow. "How many Sentinels have you slain for your birth pack?"
Vane didn't want to think about that. That had been different. They'd threatened Anya and Fang.
Colt took a step forward. "Look, I'm not here to pass judgment on you. I'm just thinking it would be easier to-"
"I'm not staying," Vane snarled. "Wolves don't mix with others. Once I'm strong enough to protect Fang again, we're out of here."
Colt took a deep breath and shook his head. "Whatever." He turned around and left.
Vane's heart ached as he left the room long enough to take Fang's uneaten food to the kitchen.
If his brother didn't snap back soon, he didn't know what he'd do. They were both under a death sentence.
It wouldn't be long before their father would send scouts back to determine their fate. Once they found out that both of them had survived, assassins would be coming for them. He needed Fang mobile.
He could fight alone, but carting Fang's catatonic ass around with him wasn't going to be easy and it wasn't something he looked forward to doing when all he wanted was to lie down and lick his wounds too.
Damn Fang for being so selfish.
When Vane returned to his room upstairs, he found Wren just inside the door and Aimee Peltier on the bed beside Fang.
In his early thirties, Wren looked much younger. He wore his dark blond hair in dreadlocks and had yet to speak a word to Vane.
Mama Lo had told him that Wren had been brought to Sanctuary by Savitar himself. No one knew anything about Wren other than the fact that he was a Katagari hybrid and feral as hell.
Aimee was a beautiful blonde-that was if a man liked his women extremely skinny and Vane didn't. She was the pride and joy of the Peltier clan and from what he'd seen she was one of the few truly kindhearted bears.
Vane frowned as Aimee leaned over and whispered something to Fang. She patted Fang's fur, then rose from the bed. She froze as she caught sight of Vane.
"What did you say to him?" Vane asked.
"I told him you were both welcome here. That no one would ever hurt him again."
Vane glanced at his brother. "We're not staying."
Wren gave him a wry smile. "Funny. That's what I said too, yet here I am."
"I'm not you, tigard."
Anger flashed in his eyes.
Vane braced himself for the attack.
Aimee separated them. "Go on to bed, Wren. I know you're tired."
That seemed to diffuse his temper enough that he turned around and left.