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“Just Silver,” he growled.
My body broke out into an instant sweat at the lethal promise in his voice. A wounded wolf, especially one with silver in him, was a wolf to tread carefully around.
However, the thought of letting my friend languish with a silver knife stuck in his palm got my feet moving. I forced my muscles to loosen as I approached, presenting my neck to Winter as I entered her territory. I kept my other eye on my brother.
As far as my animal was concerned, each one of them was as dangerous as the other. Fortunately, neither was paying me a lick of attention as I sidled into position and gripped the leather-wrapped handle of the knife. “Ready?”
Carbon didn’t bother to answer. I swiftly checked his face and found the Enforcer smiling. Holy fuck knuckles, I could practically see the love hearts swirling around that crazy bastard’s head. I yanked the knife free.
Again, not a peep, though the pain had to be excruciating as the serrated knife dragged against tendon and bone.
He held out his uninjured palm for the knife. One of the humans gasped behind me, no doubt terrified of a reprisal. I wished I could reassure them, but I was a trespasser here. This was a private moment between my friend and his mate.
Winter’s gaze was clouded now, already fading away from that brief blaze of defiance, as her natural defense mechanism took over. I handed the knife back to the Enforcer. My friend reverentially wiped it clean then presented it back to his mate, head bowed.
There was another beat of heavy silence before the knife was snatched from his hand and hidden away.
Carbon’s body relaxed ever further, a pleased rumble in the maniac’s chest, while his wound dripped softly onto the bathroom tiles. His chest was all puffed up as he looked on at his vicious mate with nothing but admiration in his eyes.
I sat back on my haunches and blinked. “Alrighty, then.”
Like a stone in a midnight pond, Winter sunk back into her own little world, staring off into nothing. For a brief moment, I caught the tiniest hint of a smile ghosting her lips before it was gone.
Carbon reached over to the pile of clothing and tore off a strip of t-shirt to dress his wound. He nodded for us to leave and followed me out, gently pulling the door shut behind him.
“What the actual fuck?” Sasha was vibrating with fury. She got right up into Carbon’s face. “What did you do to her?”
Carbon tilted his neck again in deference. “I gave my mate a drink of water.”
Viola snorted. “Did you call her your mate again? ‘Cause that’d do it. That woman will never take a mate.”
Carbon’s smile was full of sad acceptance. “Then neither will I.”
Viola rolled her eyes but I could see underneath that stern exterior. She was sizing up our Enforcer, taking his measure. And, if I wasn’t mistaken, he’d passed his first test with flying colors. Carbon nodded his head toward the bathroom. “I’ll be sleeping here, outside the door. To make sure my mate is not disturbed.”
“Um, like hell you will,” Sasha hissed. “I think you upset her enough.”
“I didn’t upset her,” Carbon patiently explained. “I showed her she was safe with me. I will never hurt her. No matter what she does.”
“Even if she sticks you with a knife?”
“Even then,” my brother confirmed, crossing his arms over his chest. “I was in her territory, alpha. She had every right to make it clear I was not welcome.”
Sasha looked at me and threw her hands up in the air. “Y’all are absolutely off your rockers!” She began pacing. “This Chaos is fucking with everyone’s heads.”
“Hey, don’t look at me. If you stuck me with a silver knife, I’d be crying on that floor like a baby.”
Sasha smirked. “Don’t tempt me, blondie.” She stopped pacing and spun to face the Enforcer. “You’re not sleeping in our room.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he began to object but Sasha held up a hand.
“I get it, I do. Gods help me, I believe you when you say you’ll never hurt her. But they—” she swept a hand over the rest of her people, “—are not going to get a lick of sleep if you insist on sleeping in this room. You’ll have to sleep out in the corridor if you’re set on it.”
Carbon swallowed his whine of complaint and left to do as he was told.
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Sasha was a complete natural. I had no idea where or when or how our mate had learned so deftly to maneuver pack politics but she was already a pro. I swooped in, grabbed her hand and all-but dragged my girl out into the corridor.
Viola winked at me as we passed, then turned and flapped her hands at the rest of them to get on with settling in for the night.
