Archaic (Reverse Harem 2)

“Tell us what you know,” I say.

But all the Cat does is whimper.

“I know you knew we were coming. And if you make me spell it out for you, I’m sure there’s someone else who knows more.”

“Hot head, look at this.”

My eyes drop down to Penny as she holds up a ring.

“Look at the insignia.”

The grin across my face falls as I wrench the ring from Penny’s grasp.

“Hey,” she says, pouting. “How come you get to have all the fun.”

“You’ve got two seconds to tell me what you know about this insignia on your ring. Otherwise, you’re mincemeat,” I say with a growl.

I squeeze my hand around the Cat’s neck further, prompting him to morph back into his human form.

“I don’t know much. I don’t know much. It’s my father’s. I inherited it after he died.”

“What did your father know?” I ask.

“Please?” Penny asks.

I furrow my brow at her pleading. Opossums don’t beg. They never beg. Begging isn’t in their DNA. Like wolves.

Penny is acting strange, and I’m not sure Gus is the entire reason for it.

“I can’t—breathe,” the cat says.

“Let him go. You're going to kill him,” Penny says.

“Not sure that’s a bad idea,” I say.

“We won’t know anything if he’s dead,” she says, hissing.

I snarl at her command and keep the man in my grasp. No one is giving me orders any longer. I am the alpha of this mangy pack of misfits. And Clarissa is under my protection. I promised her answers, and because of that promise, she is in danger.

We all are.

And I will stop at nothing to make sure the mate she chose is avenged, and she is finally happy again.

But even so, I loosen my grip a bit.

Just so the man can breathe.

“I don’t know anything about the ring, but I know who gave it to my father,” the cat says.

“What’s your name?” Penny asks.

“We don’t have time for idiotic questions. The name,” I say.

“Merti. A very old cat. Out in Egypt. He made—frequent trips to see my father on the island.”

“Do you know why?” I ask.

“My father said the man was his best friend. That’s all I know. I swear.”