Kiss of the Silver Wolf Read Online Free

the old man. “You never told me this before. I've been here five long years. Waiting for the perfect mate, my one and only. You told me it was her. Charlene. Now you're telling me she doesn't even know her birthright ? How could you lie to me like this?"
    "I didn't lie to you. What does it matter that she wasn't born a full-blooded werewolf?” Jethro fixed him with a hard stare.
    "But—"
    "What matters is loyalty to family, and that girl has it in spades. Not sure I can say the same for you."
    "You said—"
    "Who found your half-dead body when you were shot?"
    Unable to maintain eye contact, Zack looked down. “You did."
    "Who gave you his own blood to bring you back to life?"
    "You did."
    "Who gave you a family, a pack to belong to after yours was wiped out?"
    A whisper. “You did."
    "Who swore to do anything—anything—because I saved your life and the pack took you in?"
    Zack looked up, and saw the blue eyes of the old man deepen into green glowing orbs with sparks of orange. “I did."
    "She's my kin. And your destiny.” Jethro pointed at a spot on the porch. “Wait here."
    Zack fumed, paced the porch, and ran his hands along the metal railing. How much more time was he going to waste on this mating game?
    The Old One returned with a package. “You need to know about her and her upbringing. Rebekkah found this when she cleaned out Jessie's house.” Jethro handed the shoebox to the younger man and said in a gruff voice, “I'll get her here. But then it's your job to persuade her to choose the family. The pack."
    Zack stared at the box and wondered what secrets Jessie had kept from him. Jessie. Her murder had to be avenged. “What of the Other People ? You told me yourself you knew they were responsible. When will we go after Them ?"
    Jethro shook his head. “Even if we had more able-bodied males left in our pack, we can't go into the old mine. Their powers are too strong in there. We wouldn't get out. The best possibility we have against them is on our territory."
    Zack opened his mouth to protest, but Jethro held up his left fist. The pentacle on the copper and iron signet ring flashed in the afternoon sunlight.
    "You know the law. Retribution belongs to the alpha male. I may be old, but I'm not dead yet. I promise you, when the time is right, I will take my revenge on the ones who savaged my daughter. They will suffer."
    Jethro stood at the front door of Charlene's house, and wondered if it was too late to knock. Lights burned in the back of the house. She had to be awake. He hesitated, took a deep breath, and tapped. No response. He knocked again, harder this time, feeling the urgency of his mission with every rap of his knuckles on the wood door.
    Charlene came to the window, her strawberry blonde hair long and loose. He sucked in his breath and growled low in his throat. Joanna, you rejected us, but she won't. She can't.
    The young woman stepped away from the window and peered through the peephole. “Who is it?"
    "Jethro. I need to talk to you."
    She opened the door a crack. “At midnight?"
    "I drove straight through. Just got here."
    A pause. “Can't this wait until tomorrow?"
    He bit back a snarl of frustration. “No. This is an urgent matter."
    "Where's Rebekkah?"
    "Home. Can I come in? Please ?"
    She opened the door and stepped back. “If you must. But keep your voice down. Joey's asleep.” She led him to the kitchen. Books with photographs of brains lay open on the wood and tile table. A mug stood half-empty next to a pad and pen. “Coffee?"
    He glanced around the room. White blinds at the windows. Modern white refrigerator and matching appliances. Grief speared him. He never had the opportunity to explain, to apologize to Joanna. To beg her forgiveness. Now it was too late.
    "No. But I'll take some water. It's been a long drive.” She handed him a glass, sat down, and stared at him, her pupils large. A whiff of fear hit him and made him feel sad. His own kin, afraid of him. What had Joanna