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But something in Rose responds – perhaps something biological, I don’t know. She takes a second step away.

“Give us aminute,” Cole repeats, clearly trying hard to keep his cool.

“Fine, whatever,” Rose murmurs, raising her hands in surrender and turning, walking away. I don’t see where she goes, my attention singularly on the man who has claimed me.

Jackass.

“What thehell, Cole?”

“What are you somadat me?” he snarls.

“Because!” I snap, taking an aggressive step toward him, which means I’m basically a centimeter from his chest and have to crane my head all the way back to maintain my glare. “You were keeping it from me! Hiding the fact that the basement was used to keephumans–“

“Oh, I was not,” Cole growls, setting his shoulders and keeping his voice low. “I was going to tell you later when –“

“You weren’t!”

“You can’tknowthat!”

I seethe, my anger coming to its boiling point as my temper gleefully snaps its lead.

And then I go off.

Chapter 30 - Nuclear

Nadia

“I asked you,” I snap, not even bothering to try to keep my tone even anymore. “I asked youpoint blankif Rose was lying about the humans in the basement and youturned away–“

“Nadia,” Cole sighs, lifting his hands and wrapping them around my arms – not hard, but certainly firm.

“Get off of me!” I shake myself and step back, wanting my freedom.

He sighs and does as I demand, his jaw working in frustration. “I wasn’t trying to keep it from you – I just didn’t want you to get upset in front of –“

“Why not!” My voice carries now as I begin to lose myself. “Didn’t want me to get upset? It’s fuckingupsetting!I have arightto know –“

“You seriously can’t understand why I wouldn’t want you to be upset?” His voice is rising now, too.

“This ismy life, Cole,” I shout, my voice cracking on the emotion now as I press my hand flat to my chest, shaking my head. “Mywork, myhistory –mymother who was held captive by wolves herentirelife! Enslaved by them! You can’tkeepit from me if that is still happening – Iwantto know! I have a right to know, even if it makes me want to rip my heart out!”

Cole stands straighter at my words, his eyes moving over me. Part of me wonders if my mother’s history is somehow news to him.

But as I watch him process the information, I see that it’s not – he has, after all, known our family foryears. He either just forgot about it or didn’t realize how much it meant to me.

I take several deep breaths, trying to find the frayed edge of my temper again, to take it back in hand.

Cole watches me carefully and slips his hands into his pockets. “I’m sorry, Nadia. I didn’t mean to keep it from you. I was going to tell you.”

“When?”

“I don’t know.” The words slip between his teeth. “When the time wasright. When you hadspaceto process in private.”

“Bullshit.”

“Nadia!” His temper flies loose too, and he steps towards me, looming over me like he does when he wants me to fall in line. Which Ihate. “You give mezeroleeway –“

“Because you’ll take it all!” I shout, my wayward temper gleefully slipping again like a fox out of a cage. “One inch, Cole, and you’d take a hundred goddamn acres –“