Forever Broken

“What? What makes you think that?” Angel frowned at her.

Paul crossed his arms over his chest. “Because she poisoned me with Wolf’s Bane yesterday.” There was no way she could know about the images of Laurent interrupting his change so she must think he still had some of her poison in his system.

“What?” Angel looked between him and Mercedes. “Is this true?”

She nodded. “It was a total accident. I had been mixing a medicine for my aunt and I still had some on my fingernails, I guess. Anyway, it wasn’t much but it might be enough to keep him from changing.”

“Accident my ass. It was enough to fucking kill me.” Paul glared at her. “Which is what you wanted, isn’t it, you pinche puta?” He couldn’t figure out why Mercedes was telling on herself—maybe she was trying to get it out and put her own spin on it before he did. But he was damned if he’d let her sugarcoat what she’d done.

“If it was enough to kill you, then why are you standing here?” Mercedes took a step toward him. “How did you get rid of the poison?”

“My stepmother’s a nurse—you know that.” Paul frowned.

“Uh-huh. So she bit your neck and sucked the poison out?”

Paul felt his stomach drop and another flash of Laurent leaning over him popped up in front of his eyes. “What? No. She gave me some meds. I was fucking lucky she had some or your little plan would have worked.” He glared at her again.

“Uh-huh. Okay, that makes sense.” Mercedes nodded thoughtfully. “Except for the fact that there’s no cure for Wolf’s Bane once you’ve got it in your bloodstream. You have to get rid of the poison—like sucking out a snake’s venom. But that would kill another were. Hell, it would even put a fucking human six feet under. In fact…” She gave Paul an evil grin. “The only person who could help you once the bane was in your bloodstream would be a muerto.”

How does she know that? How much does she know? Paul’s heart began to hammer in his chest but he kept his face impassive. “What the fuck are you talking about?” “Yeah, Mercedes—what the fuck?” Angel frowned at her. “Get to the fucking point already so we can get on with the damn challenge.”

Mercedes rounded on him. “The point is that Skulls here has been fucking around with a vampire.”

“What?” Angel gave her a look that wasn’t quite as incredulous as Paul would have liked. “What the fuck makes you think that?”

“He was alone with that vamp we found the night you gave him point.” Chulo stepped forward. “Sent the rest of us after the vamp’s coven—only there was no fucking coven. Then he disappeared and didn’t come back until the next night with some story about how he killed the vamp.”

“You’re just pissed that you didn’t make a kill that night.” Paul hoped he sounded calm but inside his gut was churning. He looked at Mercedes. “I’m still second wolf and you’re making some pretty fucking strong allegations. Where’s your proof, bruja?”

“Right there on your neck.” She pointed to the spot she’d been looking at earlier— the spot where she’d scratched him.

And the spot where Laurent bit me. Mierta! Are the marks still there? How could they be?

They should have healed by now—hell, they should have been healed last night. Paul put a hand to his neck, trying to think. “You’re full of shit, Mercedes. If you think me getting over the poison you used on me proves I’m a—”

“A vamp fucker?” Mercedes put a hand on her hip and arched an eyebrow at him.

“We all know you’re a maricon, Skulls.”

Paul felt his face getting hot as Laurent flashed in front of his mind’s eyes again.

“Oh, so now I’m a faggot because I don’t want to fuck you, Mercedes? If that’s the case then half the pack must be gay. We better change our name to the Mariposas right now and get it over with.” This drew some uneasy laughter from the rest of the pack but not as much as it would have in the past. They’ve shifted, Paul realized. They’re against me now—all against me. He’d always walked a fine line as second wolf because he was different, because he was a gringo. But now that Mercedes’ accusations seemed to be hitting home, he’d somehow crossed over that line and become the enemy.

“All right, all right—enough with this bullshit.” Angel held out his hands as though settling a fight. “I declare this challenge void.”

“What? Why—I was all set to take him.” Chulo stepped forward angrily, glaring at Angel. “Why do you always take his side? He’s not even your blood— I am.”

“Yeah and you’re also a fucking pendejo if you think I’m going to let you go ahead with the challenge until we clear some of this up.” Angel pointed a finger at his cousin.