Braden


    Those sick as s holes.


    The look on Lanie’s face when she told me they were reverting to the old practices. Normally | liked seeing her all fired up. but


    not about something like this.


    Not when | thought the Council had moved past this.


    “Are you actually going to tell me, or just tease me some more?” Lanie crossed her arms and coc ked her eyebrow.


    | wanted to run my finger across her face and smooth it back out.


    But instead, | told her what she’d been dying to hear.


    “A few hundred years ago, the mating practices were even more barbaric than they are now. There were fewer she-wolves, too,


    so some would be assigned to three or four men.”


    Her eyes darkened, and | could tell what she was thinking.


    | hated confirming her worst fears.


    “Their only jobs were to cook, clean, and most importantly, f uck if they didn’t produce pups, then they were worthless.”


    Lanie’s eyes widened, and her mouth formed a little “o” of surprise.


    For just a moment, | reconsidered telling her everything.


    It struck me again how beautiful she was and how, if she knew all that | knew, she might note back here again.


    But it wasn’t fair to trap her here like those barbaric wolves had trapped their mates.


    I''d have to find another way to make sure she came back to see me....


    | continued on.


    “Over time, the she-wolves, and eventually some of the men, stopped putting up with the Council’s b ulls hit and they started


    being mated to fewer wolves, taking some leadership positions, getting more power of their own, but most of the men weren’t


    having it


    Awide grin spread across Lanie’s face.


    “And instead of backing down, the she-wolves started a f u cking war?”


    | nodded. “Bingo”


    “Dam n.. that’s kind of bada ss. Her face twisted into a look of confusion. “Wait, but how the hell do you know so much about


    this and | don’t? You''re not even a shifter”


    Her emotions were rising like an angry tide washing over me in hot crashing waves.


    “And what about the witches? And why did you fight in the war


    | reached out and ced my hand over hers


    She froze and looked up at me, and when our eyes met, it was all | could do not to lean in and kiss her.


    “| said I''d tell you. And | don’t break my promises.”


    Lanie


    My heart stopped.


    Braden’s touch was cool, but not unpleasant.


    It reminded me of the crispness of fall air, the way there’s something warm andforting in the chill.


    | took a deep breath and forced myself to break away from his gaze.


    It was making me want to do things | shouldn''t.


    Kiss him, touch him, let him touch me more. Everywhere, even...


    | took a deep breath,


    He was finally telling me about the Great Wars, but now that rd gotten what | wanted, | was overwhelmed by everything!


    didn’t knowCòntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Of course the Council didn’t want to teach young pups the truth about the Wars-she-wolves had essentially been treated like se x


    sl av es, a nd things were hardly any better now!


    And the fact that a full-on war started once the women pushed back it did bode well for my future, or Selena’s.


    “The werewolf Council and the High Elders weren''t just trying to oppress she-wolves,” Braden’s voice brought me back to the


    present, “they were trying to oppress other supernatural beings, too.”


    | arched my eyebrow and Braden removed his hand from mine.


    | missed it instantly.


    “So this is where the witches and vampirese in?”


    “Indeed,” he nodded. “Once the women started fighting back, the witches and us vampires did, too. We tried to take away some


    of the male shifters’ power and influence, after all, a lot of it was never theirs to take, and it almost worked. But not


    without some loss along the way”


    A dark cloud settled over Braden’s features.


    “What did that mean for the vampires? What did that mean for you?”


    “There were some... concessions from both sides in order to end the war. I’m not proud of it. But our people were dying, and


    the war needed to stop, and-”


    I cut him off.


    “Why are you making excuses? My heart pounded. “What kind of concessions are we talking about here?”


    why


    Immediately, regret settled deep in the pit of my stomach.


    | was scared to hear what his answer would be