The Wolf Series #3: Between Two Worlds

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Stephanie Katie Kenzington.
March 15th, 1998— October 20th, 2016

Emily Julia Goméz Kenzington
November 4th, 1966— June 11th, 2017

Samuel Joseph Kenzington
February 22nd, 1961—June 11th, 2017

Five years have passed since I lost you. Six years since I lost Steph...

It still feels like yesterday. How Is It that so much time—so much change—has happened, and yet returning here makes It feel like I never left. Nothing truly changed...I never truly closed this chapter of my life. I just left It behind like It was a half-finished novel that I could come back to later.

Well, later Is now.

"I'm sorry It took me so long to visit, Mama," The icy touch of the wet grass before her headstone Is In sharp contrast of the warm tears that trace my cheeks, "Next time, I promise to bring—"

The chills run up along my spine like a thousand spiders crawling against my skin.

"Mansel." My voice echoes out to him and my Sentinels. "Leave her be."

She comes out as soon as I tilt my head towards her. Time has been kind to her—she looks stunning. Beauty and power, all wrapped In curves, sinew, and an exotic complexion. Even now, I fucking hate her being near me.

"I didn't think you could smell me with all that silver."

"I can hear them say your name," I take In Natalia just as she does the same to me, "Of the Wolves you've killed. Mira has been keeping you busy. You have nearly as many spirits as she has now."

"No, Palus has been keeping me busy. It's no easy task hunting down the Rogues that keep running Into our territory. We can thank you for that—"

I stand up and she almost tenses, "You can thank Orion for that—"

"The big, bad Wolf that you warned everyone about after your Initiation? I'll hold my judgement until I see him with my own eyes," She takes a step towards me, and then another. And another. She keeps going until our chests are nearly touching, "I'm more concerned with you being here. The fights are over...and yet, you're still here."

"And yet, I'm still here."

Her silence Is so predictable. Her words even more so, "You won't lay a finger on him. Jace. I won't let you—"

"It's good to see that the flame between you two didn't die out. I'm being honest—I would be more offended that you destroyed our Bond over a simple fuck." Again, nothing but a stunned silence from her. Amazing how she was so quick to beat me down when she saw me as weak...when I was weaker than her. "Tell me...how long had things been going on between you two?"

Mansel's silhouette briefly breaks through the cover of the treeline. Natalia whips around as she senses my Sentinels shift positions. Her eyes are popping out her skull—shocked that she hadn't seen how many of them followed me.

It's delicious to watch the realization dawn on her; the only way she had reached me was because she had been allowed to. I had no doubt In her abilities—I had heard of her being one of the top Hunters In the Pacific Northwestern packs—but I also knew that my Sentinels were rarely seen unless It was done Intentionally.

"Answer me," I want her attention back to me. The Sentinels should be the least of her worries. She foolishly has walked Into a monster's den and Is still concerned with the spiders crawling on the walls. "I know that you slept together the night my parents were murdered, but I think It was going on long before then—"