“We’re not done quite yet,” Connor shook his head after a long moment of contemplation, his oh so tired gaze flitting back and forth between me and Kayla’s freshly shifted self, “I can’t believe I am saying these words to you Anya, but this time, I want you to tell me the truth…who is she?”
I licked my lips, knowing that it wasn’t her name he was referring to. So with a resigned sigh I gave it up, “she’s my blood, my kin…it’s how she was able to find us.” I said rather timidly.
“Kin?” He asked skeptically, “You have no kin outside your father,” his eyes flicked to Kayla, “what relation is she claiming to be?”
I held up a hand, pushing Kayla back on her butt as her cheeks reddened in anger, “it’s not a claim,” I spoke fervently, “I saw it myself in the bonds, saw her in the bonds, she is my family. She’s…” I paused, looking back over my shoulder at Kayla one more time, “she’s my sister.”
“And your sure of this?” he pressed.
I nodded, “she came here hoping I could help her find my- our father for a DNA test to prove it,” I sighed and shook my head, “but I can tell you right now we don’t need one.”
Connor cursed and turned to Steve for conformation, “and what say you about all this? You don’t seem too surprised so I guess I’m not the only one that’s been keeping secrets,” his words ended in a growl.
Steve’s cheeks flushed ever so much, partly in embarrassment and partly in irritation that Connor would speak to him in such a way, “I’m your second in command remember? It is completely within my right to decide what matters need your attention, and until we had proof I wasn’t going to bring it up.” His words were clipped, “Forgive me for trying to make your life a little easier, I just figured you had enough on your plate.”
“She’s my mate,” Connor walked over to him slowly, meeting Steve’s height, “nothing that has regards to her is within your right to withhold from me!”
“That’s just it, we didn’t know yet if Kayla’s claim had any validity, and as such, didn’t know if it really had anything to do with Anya.”
“But you suspected,” Connor held one accusing finger up to Steve.
Which the man in question quickly batted away. Maybe a little too quickly because no sooner than Steve pushed one of Connor’s hands out of the way the other came up to clock Steve in the head. With all our emotions running high I guess it was only a matter of time before someone snapped, but never, never, did I think it would be Steve or Connor that would break first.
“Don’t!” I shot forward, only to be held back by Kayla’s firm grasp.
“Stay back,” she hissed, “otherwise you’ll ended up busted too.”
“But…” I stumbled over my words, watching in horror as Steve shoved Connor back into a tree. Connor quickly retaliating, shouldering Steve to the ground, “they’ll kill each other…”
“If your mate there wanted this to end it would end, all he has to do is say the word.”
Oh how could I forget…
“Stop it!” I ordered the two of them firmly, putting all the authority in my voice as I could.
Too bad neither of them so much as glanced in my direction.
“Like I said,” Kayla huffed, “it’ll stop when Connor wants it to.”
I spared her a glance before I looked back to the men rolling around in the pine needles, slugging away, cursing away, it made me feel sick to see the two of them fighting like that…and over me.
YOU ARE READING
Bound by Blood (An Anya Maynard Novel)
Werewolf*Book Three of the Anya Maynard Series* Life has never been easy for Anya. It seems like her entire life she has fought for, well, her life and these days death threats have become the norm. Mated to the Alpha of the Appalachian pack and daughter of...
