The Werewolf's Pet

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

SIBLINGS

WHILE EVERYONE HEADED into the study with Jack, I decided to go to the showers. Once inside, I made sure there was no one around before turning one of them on. My hands trembled as I held them under the shower head. When the blood seemed to cling into my skin, I rubbed and rubbed my wrist until I realized it was clean and my skin had turned bright red. A soft sob escaped my lips as I stepped under the water, not caring that I was completely dressed.

I had killed someone.

Someone's daughter, sister...

She might have attacked me, but I could have found another way to stop her.

There was always another way.

When my legs gave out, I was certain I would hit the floor, but a strong hand around my waist stopped the inevitable. The warmth that enveloped me made me believe it was Jack and I turned, wrapping my arms around him.

But it wasn't him.

I pulled away as soon as I met electric blue eyes that seemed haunted. As if expecting Jack to come, I glanced to the door; he had always come when I needed him, but this time he didn't.

"Jackson is with the packs in the study," Aaron said.

Well, that explained why he had not barged in here to make sure I was okay.

"Why aren't you as well?"

"They are not my packs, but his."

"And mine."

There was a long awkward silence.

Then, hesitant, he brushed his hand against my arm. When I lowered my gaze, I realized he was trying to help me get rid of the blood that somehow seemed glued to my skin. I raised my hand, but lowered it, hesitant to touch him.

Just as I was, he was covered in scarlet and dirt from head to toe.

Somehow, the drops hitting us both didn't get rid of all the filth.

With a trembling hand, I rubbed my knuckles against his cheekbone, trying to clean the blood he had there, but I only succeeded in smudging it. The second time actually got it out. When he pressed our foreheads together, my eyes fluttered closed.

"How do you do it?" I asked, opening my eyes to meet his gaze. "How can you kill without remorse?" He had killed not one, but many wolves and it didn't seem to perturb him at all. No one could do such thing and feel no guilt.

He cupped my face in his hand. "It was far from easy—as werewolf prince, all werewolves are connected to me...but I had to. If not, they wouldn't have stopped until you were dead."

I placed my hand over his, leaning into his touch. I shouldn't have, but I had missed him so much.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I killed your wife."

He pulled back and turned his face away. "Don't be. She made a choice...even if it was the wrong one."

"Did you not love her?" Then why would he have agreed to marry her?

"Our marriage was nothing but business. Clearly, she was not the innocent, fragile she-wolf I thought."

"One thing I have learned is that people are good at pretending to be something they are not."

When I tried to leave, he blocked my way. "I never pretended with you." He held my gaze. "You can't imagine how important you are to me—What I would do for you." He gestured to his temple. "I almost went mad when I was told that you were dead."