Page 62 of Hunted

He nodded. “I know it wasn’t, but you’re letting this thing knock you on your ass. Human cops track down the worst killers society has seen every day and they do it without werewolf scent tracking or psychic abilities. You’re a good soldier and a born hunter. Your wolf has always been a protector. You’ll find Rossi. I’ve never doubted it. And you don’t need your mind reading powers to do it.”

A weird feeling curled in my chest. It was maybe the nicest thing Brody had ever said to me. “It’s just weird. I haven’t been able to not use them since I was twelve. It feels like having my hands tied behind my back.”

“I get it.” He nodded. “Remember when mom used to blindfold us, put a dab of wolfsbane under our noses to scent-blind us, and force us to get out of traps when we were kids?”

“Sure. It was her idea of a fun afterschool activity before snacks and homework.” That was growing up with a mom who was a former Tracer.

“Think of this as extended training. You’re not being hampered exactly. You’re being trained to make your other investigative skills stronger.”

“Thanks, Brody,” I said quietly. We both turned as the sounds of an argument from the other room grew more strident.

“You think we wanted you here today,” my father snarled. “That any of us want you around?”

“Watch yourself,” Guillermo warned.

“You’re a curse upon this family.”

“Says the man who once beat his own son bloody on the floor of a barn, then banished him to Calgary for four years.”

“Looks like it’s time for trick or treating,” Dallas announced loudly, passing Luna off to Lacey. “Let’s get these pumpkins lined up outside on the porch where people can see them when they come up to ring the doorbell. Who all’s coming? Guess we need someone to stay behind and hand out candy.”

“Ethan and I can take candy duty,” Hayden offered. “We like seeing all the little kids in their costumes.”

Her mate snorted. “More like you love raiding all the dark chocolate out of the candy bucket.”

“Shhh.”

He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling a jumbo box of Junior Mints out from behind one of the pumpkins. “Happy birthday, Hays.”

Ellie bit her lip, fighting to hide a smile as Dallas and Lacey grabbed a pumpkin bucket for Luna, who’d been hurriedly changed into an Elsa costume. Jonah, in his Spiderman costume, headed out the door with Cal, Brody and London.

My father rounded on Guillermo the moment the little kids were out the door. “You think I don’t see what you’re doing to Calgary, how he comes back looking dead in the eyes after your little training sessions?”

“We had a deal. It was between Cal and me. He agreed to the terms.”

“Yeah, because you fucking blackmailed him into it.” My father advanced on Guillermo, eyes blazing an angry gold.

“Riv,” West said worriedly, like I had to be the one to jump in and stop this shitshow that was headed straight to crazy town. But then again, who else was going to? My mother was standing in the corner of the room, feet shoulder width apart, eyes trained on her husband and brother. I knew if need be, she could drop both of them to the ground in a heartbeat, but would only step in if needed. Guillermo Montemayor might be powerful, but he could not shield against his younger sister.

“Hey,” I cut in, keeping my voice even because when two Alpha wolves were about to wolf out and destroy the kitchen, the last thing you wanted to do was start getting aggressive. “Maybe we should take it down a level. Or at least take it out in the yard. Pretty sure if Dallas and Lacey’s fancy kitchen gets destroyed, none of us are ever getting invited back.”

“Perhaps you should listen to River,” my uncle spat.

“You keep my son’s name out of your mouth.” Ben Caldwell’s wolf eyes were wild with rage. “He could have died last week at that safe house.”

“I deeply regret that he was put in harm’s way as part of his military assignment, but it was an accident. You know I would never do anything to harm any of your sons. I think of them as my own.”

My father took a step forward, getting right up into Guillermo’s face. “Except they’re not your own. And they never will be. And while we’re on the subject, you think I don’t know how River got that scar?”

For a second, no one in the room dared to breathe.

I glanced to Ellie and saw that she had paled three shades. A movement caught my eye. My mother had come around the island without anyone noticing, silent as a cat. I didn’t have to read her mind to know she had the biggest knife from Dallas’s chopping block concealed below the level of the counter.

“This should be fun,” Topher murmured.

“Oh shit,” West mumbled. “Just for once, can’t we ever have a nice, normal Halloween?”

My mom met my gaze across the island. Held it. Waiting for me to decide.