Midnight Wolves

Chapter Forty Five: Wavering

It was in the early hours of the morning. Dawn had barely broken and, while his mate slept soundly in the bedroom, Vik stood leant against his living room wall. The shadows had gathered around him, keeping him from the outside world.

The front door eased open, just as he had expected. He'd known the moment she'd entered his packlands, and knew exactly what she was coming for. It was sad, in a way, that he'd been right – that his mother had been right.

He'd hoped his hunch was wrong, more for Callie than himself. But, as the she-wolf let herself into the shack, hours too early, and began hunting through the cupboards, he knew he'd been right all along.

It didn't take much – nothing more than a mention to a few people from the Magnum pack that he kept the deed close. She'd fallen for it so easily.

"I'd hoped I was wrong," he said conversationally as he allowed the shadows to part so that she could see him.

She paused, a sharp breath cracking through the air between them.

"You can run now," he offered. "And never return. Or, you can explain what you're doing and why to Callie in the morning."

Kennedy stood up from her crouched position on the floor and brushed the palms of her hands against her legs. "How did you know?"

He'd wondered during the moments he'd waited, if she'd try to deny it. If she'd come up with a flimsy excuse and claim her innocence. But no, this she-wolf knew when she had been caught and thankfully, for the both of them, didn't appear to try to hide anything.

Vik stepped forward into a stream of moonlight. "My mother was suspicious. She knew you were hiding something. I wasn't sure what you were after, until now."

"But the deed, you knew?"

Vik shrugged. "It was an educated guess. I assumed her uncle wouldn't give up his hunt for it just because she said no. And if there is one weakness Callie has it is her big heart. She took one look at you and couldn't leave you there – you were the perfect choice."

Kennedy had the intelligence to look ashamed.

"My only question is why – why would you do it to her? From what Callie said, Fitz didn't treat you well. So why risk your life for him?"

The she-wolf dragged in an unsteady breath, her eyes glistened with tears. "There is no excuse for it," she said quietly – perhaps because she knew Callie was sleeping in the other room or perhaps because she was lying, Vik wasn't sure.

"So you alpha said jump and you asked how high?" he countered, his voice taking on a hard edge as his wolf raged in his chest that this person had betrayed his mate.

Something flickered across her face, and Vik knew there was something she wasn't saying, but she bit her tongue and lowered her head in shame.

"I'll tell her, in the morning. I'll tell her everything."

Vik nodded, not happy about leaving her in the house but knowing he didn't have much of a choice. He could wake Callie but she needed the rest and he simply didn't want to.

"Sleep on the sofa if you want. You won't find the deed here." He crossed the room and headed back into the bedroom, closing the door as quietly as he could.

He stared at Callie for a moment, his wolf drinking in her presence as she slept, and then he eased himself into the bed behind her, his chest warming as she burrowed herself into his embrace.

Tomorrow, he would tell her about Kennedy's true motives. Let her have tonight to rest.

*

Callie woke to a silent house. It wasn't that which made her frown but the unease wafting off of Vik. He wasn't next to her like she'd assumed he would be.