Runt of the Litter by Sam Crescent Read Free Book Online Page A

it.
    Marshall released her, and without even meaning to,
Jack pulled her back against him, glaring at his friend. The entire statement
screamed “mine”.
    “Okay. Scarlett, why don’t you take Tori out back? I
want to catch up with my friend.”
    “No problem, come on, Tori.” Scarlett linked her arm
with Tori’s, and he watched them both walk through the house. He heard the back
door go signaling they were alone.
    “Your wolf is pacing. Why’s he pacing?” Marshall
asked, folding his arms.
    “You can sense that?”
    “I’m an alpha, Jack. Stop evading the question.”
    “Evading? That’s a big word for you.”
    “Stop it, okay. I’m really not in the mood right now.
Just tell me what’s going on. I’ve not heard from you in days, and now you’re
bringing the runt to meet me.”
    Jack growled before he could stop it.
    “There’s something going on with Tori?” Marshall
asked.
    Taking a deep breath, he looked at his friend. “She’s my
mate.”
    Marshall laughed. “Yeah, come on. I was being serious.
What’s going on?”
    “That’s the truth. Tori’s my mate, and she doesn’t know it because she’s never turned. You want the truth? This
is the complete, honest truth. Tori’s my mate, and
she’s the runt of the litter.” Jack bit his lip. “Do you know, they don’t even
think she’s going to survive the transition?”
    “You’re being serious.”
    “Yes, I’m being serious. I’ve found my mate, and it
wasn’t a teacher after all, Marshall. No, my mate may not even make it past her
eighteenth birthday.”
    Jack watched as Marshall moved to sit on the top step
of his home. “Do my mom and dad know?”
    “I don’t know. I think so. I’m going with her at the
end of the summer.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I’ve got to talk to my dad about it, but seeing as
Tori’s my mate I’m sure he won’t object to me spending some time with her.”
    “You’ve got to tell me everything that’s going on.”
    Jack took the time to explain everything that her
Uncle Paul had told him. He didn’t like talking about her training or the fact
she was at risk of dying because of her weakness. When he finished he watched
as Marshall shook his head.
    “I never even thought about the transition, man. I’m
sorry. Is there really no hope?”
    “Think about when we transitioned. Not all of us came
out of it alive, remember? Some of us died, and we weren’t considered weaker
than anyone else.”
    “Shit, man. I’ve got to talk to my dad about this.
He’s got to know something of how to stop it or at the very least, find a way
to help. You do know what happens to a wolf who loses
his mate, right?”
    “He goes insane, crazy, rabid, and has to be put down.
I know what’s at risk for me just as much as Tori.”
    “If you survive the loss it will be a long life
without your mate.”
    Jack smiled. “Marshall, if Tori doesn’t come out of the transition alive, I want you to kill me. I don’t want you to
wait for me to go rabid or anything like that. My father would try and bring me
back from going insane.”
    “You’re asking me to kill you?”
    “Yes.”
    “I can’t do that, Jack. You’re my best friend.”
    “Imagine life without Scarlett.” He saw Marshall’s
eyes go cloudy with despair. “That’s how I’ll feel all the time. Even if you
can get me back from going rabid and trying to kill everyone. Would you really
condemn me to a life of mourning for the woman I love?”
    “Jack—”
    “No. I don’t want to talk about this. I want you to
understand what I’m going through all the time.”
    “What if she’s not your mate?”
    “There’s no doubt that she’s mine. We only get one
chance at a mate. I’m asking you as my friend, not my alpha. We promised each
other that if anything ever went wrong, we’d handle it together.”
    “I never thought of having you kill me.” Marshall
rested his head in his hands. “This is completely insane. I can’t believe
you’re mated