Page 21 of A Pack of Lies and a Big Bad Wolf

She lets out a giggle. “Oh, the look on her face when she stopped by the library. I could just tell. And she hadn’t completely managed to wash off the scent of her mating.”

“Did she say anything?” I ask, a little too quickly. I mean, it’s unlikely that my mate said “I just had the best night ever and I can’t wait for tonight,” but a wolf can hope.

“No, she was distracted by the books. I guess she used to be a bookbinder but she sold all of her tools before she came here. She was really interested in our old books.”

“Why did she sell her tools?” She hadn’t mentioned that to me. I scowl. She’s my mate. She should have told me something like that.

"Didn't say.”

“When’s the mating ceremony?” Teresa interrupts. “And why didn’t you tell me why you were acting so weird? I was in full panic mode.”

“I bet,” Peyton murmurs. “His face keeps trying to do that grin-thing even when he’s angry. It’s unsettling.”

I glare at them. “Teresa, Peyton, get out of my office. Go do something useful for once in your lives. Also, do not discuss the mating ceremony. Don’t say anything at all to her about my relationship with her. You’ll scare her off, she’ll run for the hills, and I’ll have you both skinned.”

Teresa nods in satisfaction as she and Peyton hastily head for the exit. “That’s more like it,” she says to Peyton just before the door closes. “Whew. I thought we’d lost him there.”

Seriously. The disrespect.

Also, I’m not normally that unbearably rude and crabby, am I?

With a sigh, I pick up my phone and call my sister. She shows up about ten minutes later.

“Why are you meeting with Stephen?” I ask as soon as she walks in the door. I don’t bother with ‘hi’. No more Mister Nice Wolf today.

She takes a deep breath, which means she’s about to say something that will infuriate me. “About that…”

“No.”

Amaryllis’s face takes on a determined set, and she meets my gaze with more defiance than I’ve ever seen. "I have an idea about how to help him which would ensure very little risk," Amaryllis says, "and you're going to listen to the whole thing before you—"

"No." If I let her help him, I open the floodgates. I end up letting her help everybody. And that will not end well. I’m not going through that – not again.

Her breath comes out in a slow hiss of exasperation. "You don't know what it is yet."

“No treatment, no exceptions.”

“Even for your mate’s brother?”

I glare at her. “That’s playing dirty pool, Amaryllis, and it won’t work.”

“I am a healer. Stop telling me how to do my job.” She bites out the words, eyes blazing.

“I am the Alpha. That means my job is telling you what to do. And I am telling you that you are going to stick to our original agreement, which is that you evaluate him; you don’t treat him. Do you need anything else today?” My wolf, who was so happy before, is now letting out a low, mournful howl.

She doesn’t answer me. She just rises to her feet. “In fact, I do. There is a tri-pack dance Rose wants to attend next month and-”

“No,” I bark out.

“Then you’re going to drive her away. And me too, sooner or later.” She storms out of the room and slams the door behind her.

My mood has turned storm-cloud black.

So I should probably not go anywhere near my mate, but the sudden, intense craving to be near her swells up inside me and threatens to choke me.

I leave my office and my legs basically walk me towards her cabin without any input from my brain.

As I approach, I see that she’s standing outside, talking on the phone, back turned towards me. Her body is rigid with tension.