would have
hated himself if Luken had been hurt.
He caught sight of Tyra as she turned, jogging across his
front lawn. They’d only been a few blocks from the house. He turned and made
his way into the house behind her. She hadn’t even bothered to shut the front
door. Not a good sign. He found her coming back down the hall, her duffle bag
in her hand. Tears had started to track down her cheeks.
“No,” she ground out through clenched teeth as she avoided
his outstretched hand.
He stepped into her path again. “Tyra, talk to me.”
“I need to go.”
“I don’t want you to go. And there isn’t any reason for you
to leave.”
Her gaze went to the wall beside him. “You don’t understand,
Konrad. She’s right. You deserve better than me.”
“You’re wrong, Tyra. You were made for me. You’re the only
one I’ll ever want. In my eyes nothing is better than you.”
She pinned him with a hard stare, pulling her shoulders back
and standing tall. “No. Maybe once in a different lifetime I could’ve been what
you needed. But in this one I’m broken. I don’t think I can ever be fixed.”
What in the world did she mean? Broken? “Tyra, I don’t
understand. There isn’t anything wrong that can’t be fixed. What is really
going on here?”
She dropped her bag and pushed her beer-soaked hair away
from her face. A tired laugh escaped her lips. “You
know what? For a moment tonight, I thought I could get past it. I thought that
maybe somewhere in me I could find the strength to love someone again. That I
could let go of the fear.”
A million questions ran through his mind, but he remained
silent, not wanting her to stop talking.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You want to
know where my alpha is? He’s dead. Along with my mother and all the rest of my
pack.” She threw up her hands. “Gone. In a moment. My mother gave me her last
instructions. ‘Run,’ she’d said. And I did. But not before I saw that
bald-headed bastard dig his claws into her flesh.”
Oh shit . He knew just what bald-headed bastard she
referred to. Thanasis. The fucking bastard had taken his mate’s pack from her.
Konrad knew Thanasis had property running down into Oklahoma, and he figured
that was where his mate had come from, because he couldn’t remember any packs
in this area that Thanasis had run over recently. He had to tamp down the fury
inside him. His mate needed him right now. There would be plenty of time to
avenge her later.
“I shifted and I ran. There was no one. I had no one.” She
stopped, swallowing a sob before continuing. “I remained in my animal form for
years. I let the wolf take me. I didn’t want to hurt or feel. I couldn’t. I
went on that way for so long that I feared I would lose every part of who I
was. With the last piece of humanity I had left, I pulled myself together and
shifted.”
Anger and pain laced her scent with a bitterness that he
could not only scent but taste thick over his tongue, driving his anger for her
hurt and loss to a new level. He tried to pull her into his arms, but she
resisted.
“No!” She pushed him back. “I was a coward—I am a coward.”
“No. You were a scared little girl that didn’t have anyone
to protect her. You did what you had to do to survive. You’re a survivor.
You’re strong. You did what you had to do. I wish I could have been there for
you then. But I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere, Tyra.”
She sniffled and wiped the backs of her hands across her
cheeks. “Really? You think I’m strong?”
He didn’t like the tone of her voice. Her words came out
defiant and disbelieving.
“You remember the pills?”
He stared back at her.
“They’re sleeping pills. I haven’t shifted on my own free
will in years. Tomorrow is the full moon, and you know what my big plan was? To
find a way to get you to leave me alone so I could hole up here by myself,
drugged. Because I’m too much of a coward to face that side of myself
hated himself if Luken had been hurt.
He caught sight of Tyra as she turned, jogging across his
front lawn. They’d only been a few blocks from the house. He turned and made
his way into the house behind her. She hadn’t even bothered to shut the front
door. Not a good sign. He found her coming back down the hall, her duffle bag
in her hand. Tears had started to track down her cheeks.
“No,” she ground out through clenched teeth as she avoided
his outstretched hand.
He stepped into her path again. “Tyra, talk to me.”
“I need to go.”
“I don’t want you to go. And there isn’t any reason for you
to leave.”
Her gaze went to the wall beside him. “You don’t understand,
Konrad. She’s right. You deserve better than me.”
“You’re wrong, Tyra. You were made for me. You’re the only
one I’ll ever want. In my eyes nothing is better than you.”
She pinned him with a hard stare, pulling her shoulders back
and standing tall. “No. Maybe once in a different lifetime I could’ve been what
you needed. But in this one I’m broken. I don’t think I can ever be fixed.”
What in the world did she mean? Broken? “Tyra, I don’t
understand. There isn’t anything wrong that can’t be fixed. What is really
going on here?”
She dropped her bag and pushed her beer-soaked hair away
from her face. A tired laugh escaped her lips. “You
know what? For a moment tonight, I thought I could get past it. I thought that
maybe somewhere in me I could find the strength to love someone again. That I
could let go of the fear.”
A million questions ran through his mind, but he remained
silent, not wanting her to stop talking.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You want to
know where my alpha is? He’s dead. Along with my mother and all the rest of my
pack.” She threw up her hands. “Gone. In a moment. My mother gave me her last
instructions. ‘Run,’ she’d said. And I did. But not before I saw that
bald-headed bastard dig his claws into her flesh.”
Oh shit . He knew just what bald-headed bastard she
referred to. Thanasis. The fucking bastard had taken his mate’s pack from her.
Konrad knew Thanasis had property running down into Oklahoma, and he figured
that was where his mate had come from, because he couldn’t remember any packs
in this area that Thanasis had run over recently. He had to tamp down the fury
inside him. His mate needed him right now. There would be plenty of time to
avenge her later.
“I shifted and I ran. There was no one. I had no one.” She
stopped, swallowing a sob before continuing. “I remained in my animal form for
years. I let the wolf take me. I didn’t want to hurt or feel. I couldn’t. I
went on that way for so long that I feared I would lose every part of who I
was. With the last piece of humanity I had left, I pulled myself together and
shifted.”
Anger and pain laced her scent with a bitterness that he
could not only scent but taste thick over his tongue, driving his anger for her
hurt and loss to a new level. He tried to pull her into his arms, but she
resisted.
“No!” She pushed him back. “I was a coward—I am a coward.”
“No. You were a scared little girl that didn’t have anyone
to protect her. You did what you had to do to survive. You’re a survivor.
You’re strong. You did what you had to do. I wish I could have been there for
you then. But I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere, Tyra.”
She sniffled and wiped the backs of her hands across her
cheeks. “Really? You think I’m strong?”
He didn’t like the tone of her voice. Her words came out
defiant and disbelieving.
“You remember the pills?”
He stared back at her.
“They’re sleeping pills. I haven’t shifted on my own free
will in years. Tomorrow is the full moon, and you know what my big plan was? To
find a way to get you to leave me alone so I could hole up here by myself,
drugged. Because I’m too much of a coward to face that side of myself
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