chapter 3 She Wags Her Tail Like a Dog

 

Vivienne had taken two hours to dress up.

She knew the code to Killian's house. She had gotten it two weeks ago, standing in his doorway with a smile and a perfectly reasonable excuse. She had spilled something on her dress at the pack dinner, she had said, and needed to change before the evening was over. Could she possibly use his room? He had given her the code without thinking twice.

She used it now, stepping through the side entrance and up the stairs. The hallway on the second floor was quiet. She paused outside the master bedroom door.

She did not need to open it to know.

The smell hit her immediately, musk and heat and something unmistakably animal, the particular scent of two wolves who had been very close together very recently. Her jaw tightened.

Kallie snarled.

*That worthless sow.* Kallie's voice scraped through her mind. *She touched him again. She touched what is ours. I want to rip her throat out. I want to pull that greasy hair out by the roots. She is nothing. She is fat and stupid and she smells like fever sweat and she dared to put her hands on our mate.*

*Quiet.*

*She doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as him. She doesn't deserve to be in this house. She doesn't deserve to exist.*

*I said quiet.*

Kallie subsided into a low, continuous growl. She took one breath and knocked twice on the bedroom door.

"Sorry to interrupt." She kept her voice light. "It's me. I just came to drop off a birthday gift. Take your time, I'll be downstairs."

She turned and walked back down the hallway.

---

Killian came down first.

He had showered and changed into a dark charcoal shirt, composed and distant and entirely too attractive for anyone's good. His eyes found Vivienne immediately.  Vivienne smiled at him and held out the gift bag.

Briar appeared at the bottom of the stairs a few steps behind him. Her hair was damp, her face still flushed from the fever. Clean clothes, at least, an oversized cream sweater and dark leggings, but no shoes again. She saw Vivienne and stopped.

*Look at her,* Kallie said. *Standing in her own mate's house like she needs permission to breathe.*

Vivienne kept her eyes on Killian.

He looked inside the bag.

"Maison Francis Kurkdjian," he said.

"The Baccarat Rouge limited edition. Signed by the master perfumer himself. There were only forty released." She tilted her head. "I had to call in a favor in Paris."

He looked at her for a moment. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to."

She felt Briar's eyes moving between the gift bag and her own empty hands. Vivienne did not look at her. She did not need to. She deliberately made Briar forget that birthdays require giving a tangible gif besides that stupid run,

*Stupid dog,* Kallie said, almost fondly.

Killian set the box down on the side table. "Stay for coffee."

"I can't stay long," Vivienne said. "But yes."

---

Briar did not sit down with them.

She hovered near the kitchen doorway while Killian and Vivienne talked, drifting a few inches forward and then catching herself. Vivienne kept her attention on Killian and let the conversation run easy and light, and every time Briar took a small step forward, Vivienne leaned slightly closer to Killian, just enough, just so, until Briar stopped moving again.

It was effortless and boring.

After fifteen minutes Killian excused himself to take a call in his office. The moment he was gone Vivienne turned to Briar with a warm, tired expression, the face of a devoted sister running on patience and love.

"You look better," she said. "How's the fever?"

"Gone mostly." Briar rubbed her arm. She hesitated. "Vivienne. About yesterday."

"There is nothing to explain." Vivienne kept her voice soft. "You were upset. You had every right to be. I don't hold it against you for a second." She reached out and took Briar's hand. "You are my sister. That does not change."

Briar looked down at their joined hands. Her eyes went wet almost immediately.

*There it is,* Kallie said. *Wind her up and watch her cry. Every single time.*

Every single time, Vivienne thought, and kept her face soft.

"He said we're done," Briar whispered.

"He says things when he's angry. You know how he is." Vivienne squeezed her hand. "Briar. Tonight is the full moon celebration. His birthday. The whole pack will be there. That is your moment. You show up, you run, you show him who you are in front of everyone." She let a beat pass. "That is how you win him back. There is no other way."

Briar straightened slowly. Vivienne watched the hope move through her face. She had no defenses at all. None.

*Like a dog that keeps coming back to the hand that hits it,* Kallie said.

"I asked Gideon about running with the gammas," Briar said. "He didn't say yes. He said he would think about it."

"Then he'll come around." Vivienne waved it off smoothly. "You don't need his permission to show up, Briar. You are the Luna. You belong at that run. Just be there."

Briar nodded, working through it.

Vivienne watched her and felt satisfied. It did not matter what Gideon decided. Briar would run on two human legs. She would tip her head back and howl with her human throat in front of the entire Silver Ridge Pack like stupid dog.

And she would do it gladly, because Vivienne had told her it was her best chance.

The thought was so satisfying that Vivienne let herself enjoy it for exactly one second too long.

"You really are so easy to manage," she said.

The room went quiet.

Briar's  brow pulled together, very slowly.

"What did you say?" she asked.

Vivienne did not miss a beat. "I said you make things so easy." She shook her head gently, like she was correcting a misunderstanding. "You don't overcomplicate things, Briar. You just trust. It's a good quality. Most people can't do that."

Briar looked at her.

"Oh," Briar said.

"You're going to be fine tonight," Vivienne said. She gave her hand one last squeeze and stood. "I should go. I have things to do before the celebration."

Briar was still looking at her when she picked up her coat.

"Thank you," Briar said finally. "For everything. I really don't know what I'd do without you."

Vivienne smiled at her.

"That's what sisters are for," she said.

Dumbass.