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“Okay, before you start to spiral, you’ve never killed anyone. So, just take a deep breath and relax.”
“Relax?!” This time, he swore the ground shook with his growl. “How is this possible? Why haven’t you ever told me?” And then a thought hit him. He never remembered anything from the time he shifted. Neither did his brother. At least, that was what he’d claimed. In fact, the only evidence of any harm when they shifted back was the few scattered remains of rodents they’d feasted on, the only things accessible to them so deep in the woods. “How do you even know?”
Eric sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth, rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes dancing to any other focal point in the woods than his own brother standing in front of him. “What I’m about to tell you… I need you to just listen. Try to understand where I’m coming from, okay? Whatever I say, it doesn’t change anything, alright?”
Nate nodded, not because he was agreeing but because he had a feeling his brother wouldn’t continue if he didn’t. Acid swirled in his stomach, fighting its way up his body, becausesomehow he knew whatever his brother was about to say would change everything.
“You know how when we shift back into humans, I’m always the first to do so?”
He nodded again, not sure where he was headed with this.
“I don’t know why, but there’s some part of me that, although I don’t remember where I am or what’s going on while I’m a werewolf, I quickly snap back into my human form to…”
“To what? Just say it!”
“To heal whatever or whoever you’ve attacked.”
The air in Nate’s lungs took on the consistency of concrete, all his breath ceasing to move in or out. It was all too much. And yet, not enough. Because he needed to know more. Hehadto know more.
“I’ve never lost anyone, if that helps.”
Nate bent in half, his arms on his knees the only thing keeping his body upright, keeping him from crumbling on the ground. “But…but why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you never tell me?”
Eric shrugged. “Look, I figured it was fine because I could handle it. I was always with you on the nights of the full moon. What you didn’t know couldn’t hurt you, and the people you’d hurt, I’d fixed.”
“But you don’t shift anymore.”
“Yeah, but I’m?—”
“Still watching over me and keeping tabs on my victims.” The words tasted like poison on his lips. And that was what he deserved—poison. Because he was the monster everyone said he was. He was deserving of the title, the stereotype, the people chasing him out of town… “Carrie.”
Eric tipped his head back, staring at the sky, taking a deep breath before he looked at Nate again. His rounded eyes andslackened expression said without words everything Nate had feared since he’d fallen for a human the first time.
“I attacked her,” Nate whispered. It wasn’t a question. No, he didn’t need it to be one, because he already knew the answer.
“After the way she treated you when she found out you were a werewolf, I kinda understood your rage in that instance. I mean, she tried to kill you.”
“That’s no excuse!” Nate growled. “She didn’t love me, but I loved her, and…”
“Don’t even think it.”
“And it still didn’t matter. I still tried to kill her.”
“But maybe that was a one-time thing,” Eric blurted because he knew his brother. He knew where his thoughts were headed.
“And what if it wasn’t?”
“You can’t just walk away from Stella.”
“I really don’t have a choice, do I? There’s no proof the love spell works for everyone. Or maybe it would work for me, but it’s like I’ve always said—no one can truly love a monster.”
“But I’m a monster too.”
“No.” Nate slowly shook his head as he brought a hand to his brother’s shoulder. Looking into eyes he’d always thought they shared, he realized here was one stark difference: his were the eyes of a killer. “You’re a hero.”
