Finn grinned. “Just tell her the truth, make her understand what’s going to happen if she decides to go through with it. Nothing pisses Jessa off more than my trying to make decisions for her. My mark hurt Jessa—and gutted me. But it bonded us together. And it’s—good.” He shrugged. “Chances are you’d go through her pain, her bite, the same as she’ll experience yours. Talk to her.”
Talk to her. Because he had such a way with words. How was anything he said going to make this easier?
Finn cleared his throat. “Hollis hypothesizes that using a condom would prevent the bond—if that’s what you’re trying to delay.”
“Hypothesizes?” Mal snorted. “That a condom will prevent pregnancy and werewolf bonding. Didn’t see that on the box anywhere.” Not that it changed anything. It wasn’t about sex, it was about claiming her—hurting her. “Are we done?”
“No. Consider the distraction this provides. You fighting your wolf? I know how that is. It can be dangerous for you, her, and the pack.” Finn’s eyes bored into his.
Mal nodded, digesting Finn’s words and the wolf’s excitement.
“Is there something you want to tell me?”
Finn was his oldest friend. Yes, things had been hard since the change, but Finn was still Finn. Mal had never kept secrets from his friend. Keeping them from his Alpha was damn near impossible. He sighed. “Olivia has a brother. He’s supplying something to the Others, something he screwed up. They took Olivia to get even.”
Finn frowned. “What is he supplying?”
“Dolls?” Mal ran a hand over his face, making no effort to hide his disbelief. “She said he mentioned some sort of high-dollar collectible thing.”
“They talked? She’s met Cyrus?”
“He sort of forced them into an awkward dinner.” And the thought of her sitting across from Cyrus, those damn soulless eyes looking her over, unhinged something deep inside of Mal. He was done talking. Since he’d found her, he’d barely left her side. Now thoughts of Cyrus crowded in—he needed to get back to Olivia.
“Dolls?” Finn repeated, his skepticism mirroring Mal’s.
He shrugged, heading toward the door. “Ask her.”
Finn yawned. “We’ll talk later.”
Mal nodded, heading out of the room and down the hall to his room. Olivia wasn’t there. He pushed into the bathroom, the door hitting the wall. No Olivia. His chest hurt. There was no fucking way Cyrus had taken her—his brain knew that. But his wolf had allowed fear to creep in, and they were slipping into full-blown panic mode. He closed his eyes, concentrated on his breathing, and waited for his heart rate to slow. She was here, somewhere. Finn was right, he needed to relax. But the wolf fought back, and he fought dirty.
Find Olivia. Then relax.
She wasn’t safe, in their room. But she was here, safe.
Where was Ellen?
The wolf won. Mal’s heart kicked up, alarm flooding his blood. He stood in the hall outside their room, seeking her scent. He almost ran down the hall to
the kitchen.
“This is so good.” Olivia licked her fingers, perched on the edge of a stool without a care in the world.
He could breathe again.
“You seemed to like the apple so I figured you’d like the pie.” Anders was leaning against the counter, smiling at Olivia.
He wanted to knock the smile off Anders’s face, but Olivia distracted him.
“Mmm,” Olivia agreed. Her Mmm did things to Mal.
Anders chuckled. “You got some there.” He waved a finger at her nose.
Mal held his breath, hoping Anders didn’t make the serious mistake of touching her. Then he sighed. I have totally lost control.
“It’s going to be the last one for a while. My ankles swell if I’m on my feet too long,” Jessa said, seated in a rocker before the fire, Oscar asleep in her arms.
Oscar had grown.