012

BLADE

"You don't get to question me however you please."

Noah's jaw tightened. He stood in the middle of my office with his broken hand pressed to his ribs and river water drying on his trousers and he didn't look away. I'd give him that. Most men were staring at the floor by now.

The door opened behind him. Eric walked in with his arms folded and let his eyes travel over Noah once, from his wet boots to his face. He said nothing. He didn't need to.

Noah lifted his chin.

"I want to see my sister." His voice was steady, even if his hand wasn't. "And then I'm taking her home."

"She won't be returning."

"What?"

"That's why you were brought here." I leaned back in my chair. "If you want to stay, you're welcome. If you want to leave, you can. The door is open for you but not for her."

Silence.

"Are you serious?" Noah took a step toward the desk. "You have no right to make my sister stay here. None."

A low growl rumbled in Eric's chest.

I flicked my eyes to him. One look, he shut his mouth and stepped back.

"I understand you're her brother," I said, turning back. "I do but she's my mate."

Noah stiffened. Every line of his body went still.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?"

My fist came down on the desk. The wood cracked, and a pen rolled off the edge and hit the floor.

"Does it look like I joke?"

Noah's breath caught. He backed up half a step, not far but enough. He wasn't a coward. I could see that and he just wasn't a fool, either.

My anger was already rising, hot and tight under my ribs and I didn't like how little effort it took. I made myself uncurl my fingers one at a time.

"You'll see your sister," I said. "That's all I'm granting you."

I nodded once at Eric. He turned on his heel and walked out.

The room went quiet. Noah paced. Three steps to the window, three back, his good hand opening and closing at his side. I watched him from behind the desk silently and he knew he was being studied and hated every second of it. He smelled strongly like river water. Whatever he'd been through to get here, he hadn't slept.

It didn't take long.

Footsteps in the corridor, quick and light and then the door burst open. Maeve ran in, still in my shirt and those ridiculous rolled up jeans, her hair wild around her face. She saw her brother and stopped dead.

"Noah!"

"Maeve!"

She crossed the room in two strides and threw herself at him. He caught her with his good arm and held on like she might vanish, his face pressed into her hair, her fingers clutching the back of his shirt.

I looked at the wall. I don't know why but I just did.

My wolf paced the inside of my skull, restless and sullen. She had never run to me like that.

"You're alright," Noah kept saying. "You're alright. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine."

He pulled back and gripped her by the shoulders. "You're coming with me. Now."

Maeve's gaze slid past him and landed on me.

I growled. "Not on my watch."

Noah whipped around. "You have no right." His voice shook, but it held. "You can't just claim her as your mate. Where's the evidence? Where's the proof? You're only saying it because you can. Because you have the power and the authority to make it true."

Eric had come back in behind her, and he leaned against the doorframe with a pleasant smile. "Do you want your head on the floor?"

"Enough!"

Maeve's scream cracked through the office. Everyone stopped.

"Maeve," Noah muttered.

She threw me a glance, impossible to read and turned back to her brother. "He's my mate." The words seemed to cost her something. "He really is but that doesn't give him any right over me."

My brows lifted before I could stop them.

She hadn't denied it. Not even once she'd said it out loud.

"But it's dangerous for me to go back out there now," she added, quieter. "The rumors will have spread by now."

"They have," Eric said.

Maeve shot him a look. He shrugged.

Noah's shoulders dropped. "I told you not to come here," he said, and it came out almost broken.

"I know."

"I told you."

"I know, Noah." Her voice cracked. "I know."

He pulled her back into his arms.

A growl built in my throat but I kept it silent. I couldn't have said which I hated more, her face against his shoulder or the fact that it wasn't mine.

Eric smirked.

I glared at him until it vanished.

"Enough of the family reunion."

They broke apart. My gaze slid, almost without my choosing, to Noah's hand. The swollen fingers, still curled wrong. The color of it, an ugly purple yellow that I had seen on men who'd lost limbs.

"You should get that checked," I said. "If you don't, it won't be long before it needs to be cut off."

Maeve gasped.

She took his hand in both of hers, gently, turning it over, and her face crumpled. "Does it hurt? Noah, is it hurting?"

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine."

"Maeve—"

"You are not fine."

"Eric." I didn't take my eyes off them. "Take him to the pack doctor."

Eric nodded and put a hand on Noah's shoulder. Noah hesitated, looking from his sister to me and finally let himself be led toward the door.

Maeve moved to follow.

"Maeve." I said it quietly. "You stay behind."