Chapter Twenty
A handful of wolves had emerged from the trees, forming a line across the road that left them unable to pass. Gwen recognized the largest brown wolf in the center—flanked by several smaller w0lves—as the wolf that had attacked them the night Ginny died. Immediately, she knew it had to be Roman. There was no other possibility. The man that had ripped Ginny away from them was right in front of her, ready to confront them when they hadn’t.
Her hand gripped the door handle, and for a second, she actually considered getting out of the car. Her hand was shaking, and as she stared into those piercing eyes, she felt her resolve begin to fade until she was left cowering in the front seat, trying to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible. She had been crazy earlier to even consider confronting Roman. He was a ruthless killer that could probably snap her in half like a twig, and she had planned on going up to him and screaming at him!
Gwen heard the door open, and she whirled, too startled to be scared. Gabe slammed the door shut behind him, and Gwen screamed his name, begging him to come back to the safety of the car. He was going to get himself killed, and she’d be all alone in the world, having lost both halves of her heart. She opened the car door a crack, just far enough to stick her head out. “Gabe! Get back in the car, now!” Her voice rose until it was several times higher than normal, and it cracked, testament to her sheer terror at the sight of Roman.
He didn’t even bother glancing Gabe’s way as her brother angrily approached. His eyes were focused intently on Gwen, and she saw him lick his lips slowly, never taking his gaze off of her. A shiver ran up her spine, and she felt her stomach clench and roll. She fought the urge to be sick on the roadside, and the feeling only passed when Roman finally tore his gaze away from her. At last he acknowledged Gabe, who had stopped a stone’s throw from the pack of wolves, his hands clenched at his sides. His lips pulled back, but otherwise he didn’t move as he coldly regarded Gabe.
“What do you want with us?!” he shouted. Roman’s ears flicked forward and back, but if Gabe was expecting an answer, he didn’t get one. Gabe sneered at the wolves in front of him, and Gwen thought he was putting on a good show of acting unafraid, but even from the car she could see he was shaking. And if she could see it, the wolves definitely could. “You’re not gonna give me an answer? We all know you’re not wolves.”
For a minute, nothing moved on the roadside except for the trees that bent in the wind and the fallen leaves that skittered crazily across the blacktop. Gwen’s heart was in her throat, hammering away like crazy. Before her very eyes, the brown wolf in the middle took a few lazy steps forward, and his body began to change. The fur shrank back into his body, leaving unblemished dark brown skin in its place. Ears rounded and shrank, and his nose centered on a face that was older but intriguing and attractive.
His eyes were dark brown and joyless, like he’d never been happy a day in his life and was intent on sucking all of the happiness from everyone he crossed. There was a tense quality about him, as if he was constantly on guard and was waiting for an attack. His lips turned up in a harsh mockery of a smile, and Gwen felt the hairs on her arms raise and the back of her neck start to prickle. Before he introduced himself, Gwen knew for certain what his name would be. She could feel it in her gut.
“You’ve found me out,” he said, his voice deep, with a charming quality to it. “My name is Roman, and yes, I’m not technically a wolf, am I? Do you know what I am?” There was a glint in his eyes as he waited for Gabe to reply.
“You’re a murderer,” Gabe said matter-of-factly. “You murdered our cousin Ginny and now you want us since you can’t have her.”
“Very smart,” Roman said, unfazed at being called a murderer. “Do you know why I want you?” he asked, his gaze sliding over to Gwen in the car. “More specifically, why I want her?”
Gabe bristled, his shoulders going tense and his hands clenching. “If you lay a hand on her, I’ll kill you.”
She had expected Roman to laugh at Gabe’s bold declaration, but instead his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. Gwen could tell he didn’t like being threatened, even though Gabe was clearly no threat to him. Perhaps it was the blatant disrespect that Gabe was showing him that he disliked more than anything.
“You’re pretty brave to threaten me,” Roman said. “I don’t take kindly to threats, Gabe. I guess it’s a good thing you’re a pacifist. An angry one, but a pacifist nonetheless.”
Even from the car, Gwen could see Gabe’s eyes widen. How did Roman know something like that about Gabe? Sure, he’d inherited their father’s extreme temper and he got angry fast, but he was a giant softie and wouldn’t harm a fly. He only fought if it was absolutely necessary. It wasn’t possible that Roman could know something like that. Was it?
“You don’t know that,” Gabe said unconvincingly.
Roman chuckled. “But I do. I know a lot of things about you, Gabe. Just like I know that poor Gwen struggles with dyslexia and has a hard time reading, telling time, and even writing.”
Gwen’s heart stopped. How does he know this stuff about us? Even watching us like he has been shouldn’t tell him that kind of stuff. Gabe glanced at her still in the car. He’s just as clueless as I am.
“How do you know all of that?” Gabe asked, his voice betraying his uncertainty.
Roman smiled, and Gwen got a sinking feeling in her stomach. “Didn’t you know? I’m your godfather…”
Revelations (Brighton Wolves #1) Page 35