willing to back down. “You and I are not finished here, Kade. I will expect you to wait for me until I finish looking after your mother.”
He waited as ordered, but only for a minute. Time away had made him forget what it had been like to be in this place. He couldn’t live under his father’s roof any more than he could live under Seth’s shadow. It killed him to cause his mother distress, but if he’d needed a reminder that he didn’t belong here, he’d gotten it as clearly as possible in the look his father gave him as he was walking out the door.
“Shit,” Kade hissed, as he grabbed his duffel bag and exited the study.
He walked outside, thinking the frigid air would help clear his head. Instead his gaze was snagged by the sight of his brother’s cabin. He knew he shouldn’t go inside—he had no right, actually—but the need for answers was more powerful than any sense of guilt at invading Seth’s privacy. Kade opened the door and walked inside.
He wasn’t sure what he’d expected. Some sense of chaos or the scattered clutter of a troubled mind? But Seth’s quarters were as neat as ever, not a single thing out of place. All of his furnishings and belongings were orderly and precisely arranged. There was a philosophy book on the reading table beside the sofa, a collection of classical music on rotation in the stereo CD player. On Seth’s computer workstation, a file folder containing spreadsheet printouts he was obviously working on for their father lay neatly closed underneath a crystal paperweight.
Seth, the perfect son.
Except, the more Kade looked around, the more the cabin seemed staged rather than lived in. Things were too neat. Too carefully arranged, as though put there on the chance that someone might be poking about, searching for something amiss. Or for some overt sign of deception, just as Kade was doing now.
But Kade knew his brother better than anyone else. He was a part of Seth, unlike anyone else could be because of the inextricable bond they’d been born with as identical twins. From the time they were boys they’d been two parts of one whole, inseparable, with an unspoken mutual understanding of each other.
Kade had believed that he and Seth were alike in every way … until the first time he saw his brother command a wolf pack to pursue and slaughter a grizzly.
They were just boys then, fourteen years old and eager to test the boundaries of both their strength and their preternatural abilities. Seth was showing off, bragging about how he’d befriended an area wolf pack and could command the minds of more than one animal at a time. Kade had never done that—he hadn’t even realized he could—which made Seth all too willing to demonstrate.
He’d summoned the pack with a howl, and before Kade realized what was happening, he and Seth were running with the wolves in search of prey. They came across a grizzly bear catching salmon in a river. Seth told the pack to take the bear down. To Kade’s astonishment, they obeyed. But even more stunning—infinitely more abhorrent—was the sight of Seth participating in the slaughter.
It was a bloody, prolonged battle … and Seth had reveled in it. Slick with the animal’s blood and gore, he’d called Kade to join in, but Kade had been appalled. He’d vomited in the weeds, never feeling so sick with misery in all his life.
Seth had teased him privately for weeks afterward. He’d goaded Kade, acting as the devil on his shoulder, challenging him to test the limits of his talent to determine which of them was the more powerful twin. Kade had stupidly given in. Pride had made him a fool, and so he’d picked up the gauntlet Seth had thrown.
He’d honed his ability until it came as naturally to him as breathing. He’d learned to love the feel of the untamed wild on his skin, drenching his senses, caught between his teeth and fangs. He’d become so adept, so addicted to the power of his talent, it was soon nearly impossible to
He waited as ordered, but only for a minute. Time away had made him forget what it had been like to be in this place. He couldn’t live under his father’s roof any more than he could live under Seth’s shadow. It killed him to cause his mother distress, but if he’d needed a reminder that he didn’t belong here, he’d gotten it as clearly as possible in the look his father gave him as he was walking out the door.
“Shit,” Kade hissed, as he grabbed his duffel bag and exited the study.
He walked outside, thinking the frigid air would help clear his head. Instead his gaze was snagged by the sight of his brother’s cabin. He knew he shouldn’t go inside—he had no right, actually—but the need for answers was more powerful than any sense of guilt at invading Seth’s privacy. Kade opened the door and walked inside.
He wasn’t sure what he’d expected. Some sense of chaos or the scattered clutter of a troubled mind? But Seth’s quarters were as neat as ever, not a single thing out of place. All of his furnishings and belongings were orderly and precisely arranged. There was a philosophy book on the reading table beside the sofa, a collection of classical music on rotation in the stereo CD player. On Seth’s computer workstation, a file folder containing spreadsheet printouts he was obviously working on for their father lay neatly closed underneath a crystal paperweight.
Seth, the perfect son.
Except, the more Kade looked around, the more the cabin seemed staged rather than lived in. Things were too neat. Too carefully arranged, as though put there on the chance that someone might be poking about, searching for something amiss. Or for some overt sign of deception, just as Kade was doing now.
But Kade knew his brother better than anyone else. He was a part of Seth, unlike anyone else could be because of the inextricable bond they’d been born with as identical twins. From the time they were boys they’d been two parts of one whole, inseparable, with an unspoken mutual understanding of each other.
Kade had believed that he and Seth were alike in every way … until the first time he saw his brother command a wolf pack to pursue and slaughter a grizzly.
They were just boys then, fourteen years old and eager to test the boundaries of both their strength and their preternatural abilities. Seth was showing off, bragging about how he’d befriended an area wolf pack and could command the minds of more than one animal at a time. Kade had never done that—he hadn’t even realized he could—which made Seth all too willing to demonstrate.
He’d summoned the pack with a howl, and before Kade realized what was happening, he and Seth were running with the wolves in search of prey. They came across a grizzly bear catching salmon in a river. Seth told the pack to take the bear down. To Kade’s astonishment, they obeyed. But even more stunning—infinitely more abhorrent—was the sight of Seth participating in the slaughter.
It was a bloody, prolonged battle … and Seth had reveled in it. Slick with the animal’s blood and gore, he’d called Kade to join in, but Kade had been appalled. He’d vomited in the weeds, never feeling so sick with misery in all his life.
Seth had teased him privately for weeks afterward. He’d goaded Kade, acting as the devil on his shoulder, challenging him to test the limits of his talent to determine which of them was the more powerful twin. Kade had stupidly given in. Pride had made him a fool, and so he’d picked up the gauntlet Seth had thrown.
He’d honed his ability until it came as naturally to him as breathing. He’d learned to love the feel of the untamed wild on his skin, drenching his senses, caught between his teeth and fangs. He’d become so adept, so addicted to the power of his talent, it was soon nearly impossible to
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