Gentry (Wolves of Winter's Edge Book 1)(56)

“Or so he could be alpha,” Roman spat out. “And I’m no human. I never was, so your dreams are bullshit.”

“What Odine is going to do…” Asher murmured, ignoring Roman’s outburst. When he glanced at Gentry in the rearview mirror, his silver eyes looked haunted. “You won’t want to be there.”

“I’m not leaving my mate,” Gentry growled out, his head spinning with the implications. Born human. Human? Couldn’t be. Wolf was a part of him. Separate but part of him. But…that would explain why he’d chosen a human mate when he wasn’t supposed to even be attracted to them. It explained why Dad had picked Odine instead of Nelda. He’d already been attracted to humans before her. He’d been attracted to his mother.

The deeper he dug into Rangeley and all the buried secrets here, the more the memories of his father flickered like old lightbulbs.

Gentry ran a light touch over the bandages on Blaire’s arms. She was here because of him. Because he’d thought the Bone-Rippers were salvageable. Because he’d expected more of them. Because he’d trusted his memories more than his instinct to tuck his mate under his arm and run with her.

“I want to know,” Blaire whispered. Her pupils were blown. “I want to know why you didn’t kill that big gray wolf. That was Rhett, right? The man who killed your father. The man who ordered this.” Her voice tapered, and her face crumpled as a tear slid out of the corner of her eye and down her cheek. “Why, Gentry?”

“Because killing Rhett would make Gentry alpha of the Bone-Rippers,” Asher said. “Can’t have that.”

“Surely you would be a better alpha than Rhett.”

Gentry shook his head. “Maybe I would’ve considered it if the pack hadn’t gone after you like that. They hunted together though, Blaire. They hunted a human. They hunted my human.” His voice shook with fury, and she winced. “I don’t know if a single one is worth saving, but I can’t put myself on the throne of monsters. We need more time.”

Asher pulled up to a small cabin in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps to Blaire with her dull human senses, this place would feel like any other home, cozy even, but thick, sickening fog drifted over Gentry’s skin, raising the hair all over his body. The stink of magic nearly choked him.

Roman gagged in the front seat, and when Asher looked back at Gentry, he was pale as a ghost. He waited there, as if asking Gentry if he was sure about this.

“Come on,” Gentry said low. He got out and scooped Blaire into his arms. She was still awake, but just barely. She was staring at the sky, unblinking, even when snowflakes brushed her dark lashes. Her pupils were so enlarged that her eyes looked black right now. Gentry wanted to kill the entire Bone-Ripper Pack, but revenge would have to wait.

Odine sat on the front porch, bundled in a thick wool blanket and shivering like she’d been there for a while. “Took you long enough.” She admonished him behind chattering teeth. “How long since the bite?”

“How did you know?” Gentry asked, resting his boot on the bottom stair.

“She had a broken lifeline. When I traced it with my finger, in my head I had a vision flicker back and forth, back and forth. In one vision, the lifeline picked up again and continued for a long time, curved beautifully under her thumb. In the other vision, it stopped in the middle of her hand and didn’t continue. It was always up to you which vision would come to fruition.”

“I don’t understand what that means,” Gentry gritted out, good and fucking tired of riddles.

“You could come to me for the wolf, or you could watch her die. I’ve already been gathering supplies, but I need a few more things.”

She rested her pitch-colored gaze on Asher.

“You need them alive?” he murmured, gaze averted to the snow.

“Need what alive?” Roman asked.

“I need big power to save your she-wolf,” Odine said. “I need living things to draw that power from.”

“Jesus,” Roman muttered, pacing away, then back. “And you expect Asher to bring you these living things?”

“Yes,” Odine said without hesitation. “Because I know he will.”

Chills blasted up Gentry’s forearms as he looked at his oldest brother. Blaire let off a pained sound, and he cradled her closer.

Odine sighed out a frustrated sound and stood on the top step. “Bring me sick animals that won’t make it, or bring me something stuck in a hunter’s trap.” She gave Roman a dirty look. “It’ll take longer, so you can help.”

“No. Make Gentry help.”