Growl (Winter Pass Wolves Book 2) by Vivian Wood, Amelie Hunt Read Free Book Online Page A

Travis thought. Unfortunately, she dug up a lot more than she expected. Then she had leverage over me.”
    “She threatened to what… expose your parents?”
    “Send them to jail, actually. And she could have done it, easily. She has all the connections.”
    “Why didn’t she just ask for money or something? I don’t really understand,” Pax said.
    Brooke nodded.
    “You don’t know them well. Travis has never heard the word no in his whole life. Anything he wants, he gets. And if he doesn’t get it for himself, Lynne makes it happen for him. He’s like… her only soft spot. Spoiled doesn’t begin to describe him,” Brooke said, curling her lip. “When Lynne dug up all my parents’ secret bank accounts and stuff, I think she realized that she could give Travis what he wanted… me… and also ensure that eventually the money would come to them. I think… I can’t be sure, but I often think she might have been involved in my parents’ deaths.”
    Pax scrambled to put things together.
    “She thought that if you married Travis, and your parents died…”
    “That the money would come to me, yeah.” Brooke huffed a laugh. “She even made me ask my parents for signatory rights for all their accounts, stuff like that. And my parents did it, because I asked. Because they thought that I… approved of what they were doing.”
    She shuddered.
    “Jesus,” Pax said, awestruck.
    “Yeah. All of this… this is why I couldn’t talk to you. If I told you, you’d tell Chase, and then… He wouldn’t just take it lying down. He would have exposed Lynne and Travis. The Marchands have a dozen other sketchy deals going on, too. This is only the tip of the iceberg. They might have killed him, Pax. They might have killed you and me, too. I wouldn’t put it past them.”
    Pax deliberated for several long moments before deciding how to reply.
    “I understand everything you’ve told me Brooke. I get why you did what you did. I just… I wish you’d trusted me more. Chase and I could have done something to help you, if you’d let us. And you wouldn’t have been required to… date… this monster, the whole time.”
    Pax cleared his throat, the idea of Brooke sleeping with Travis making his wolf growl.
    “We barely saw each other,” Brooke said. “It was mostly for show. Travis and I haven’t… dated, as you put it, in a really long time. I also don’t think he knew the extent of his mother’s treachery. Not all of it.”
    Pax frowned.
    “That’s all good and well, but I’m talking about things between you and me, Brooke. We had something special, you know, and you just… you couldn’t trust me to protect you. That’s not how I want things to be with my—” Pax cut himself off, almost flinching when the word mate popped into his head.
    “Your what?” Brooke asked, looking up at him. Her eyes were wide, her expression sweet and trusting.
    Here was Pax’s chance to pull her back in, if he was willing to take a chance. Lay it all out for her.
    “Mate,” he sighed.
    To his surprise, Brooke responded with a chuckle.
    “Is that like… a werewolf thing?” she asked, looking amused. “I was trying to get you to call me your girlfriend.”
    “There’s no half-measures for us, Brooke. Not for werewolves, and not for you and me. We’re either all in, meant for each other, willing to trust and protect each other, or we’re not. The only thing left is for us to decide whether we’re all in or just… done.”
    Brooke’s smile faded, and she nodded.
    “I get that,” she said. “I’m sorry, I don’t really mean to tease you. And I’m sorry I didn’t put more faith in you, back then. I’ve regretted it every single day since, if that makes a difference.”
    “Come here,” Pax said, beckoning.
    Brooke stood and came over, sinking onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, and it felt like coming home. This girl, for all her flaws, made him feel so damned good.
    “You forgive me?” Brooke