“Since your spat began to affect everyone here. We’re going to need to work together, so get yourselves in order.”
Jin scoffed. “You were barely invested when wewereworking together.”
“A proper investment takes time,” Matteo said, and then his features darkened. “Let’s not forget she killed Penn, and I—”
He stopped when his voice cracked. Chester widened his eyes in the silence. Outside, the winter wind howled.
“You what?” Jin pushed.
“I have a past with her.”
“Withher?” Flick asked. Arthie almost snorted.
“Not like that! How long do you think I’ve lived for?” Matteo’s eyes widened at her expression. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Arthie would have allowed the secret, once, but Matteo was a part of their crew now. He was invested, as he said himself, and so were the others. They deserved to know about the night he walked through the trees.
About the Wolf of White Roaring.
“Youknow though,” Flick said to Arthie. “Don’t you?”
Arthie bit the inside of her cheek. Life had been a lot simpler when she was in charge and no one asked questions, but their dynamic had changed that night. They had become less of a crew and more of a family. More attuned to emotions, more charged.
“She’s right,” Arthie said softly. “They deserve to know.”
One relationship had already been torn apart by a secret.
Matteo sighed, but it was more theatrical than truly upset. “Well, sit down, because this will blow you away.”
Flick didn’t need to be told twice.
Jin didn’t move.
Matteo waited with a pointed look, and after working his jaw and burning holes through Matteo with his glare, Jin finally sat down, wrinkling his nose at the smell.
“You may know me as Ettenia’s most prolific painter,” Matteo began, “but when I look in the mirror—”
“You can’t see yourself in the mirror,” Chester quipped, plopping on top of one of the crates with his chin on his hands.
“In the figurative sense. Don’t interrupt me.” Matteo drew in a careful breath, the first sign of real emotion.
Arthie held herself still against the sudden desire to step up to him and comfort him.
“I’m the Wolf of White Roaring.”
The kitten continued tearing at her fish in the deafening silence. Jin let out a croak. Flick matched it. Arthie didn’t know why she was relieved to see that Flick didn’t scamper away in sudden fear. As if it washersecret he’d just shared.
Chester sat up straighter than a child’s pop-out toy, eyes lighting with excitement. “Is that not aces?”
Matteo responded with a shaky laugh. He was looking at Flick and Jin, and for the first time, Arthie realized hecaredwhat they thought. At some point between them showing up on his doorstep with threats and now, he’d begun to value their opinion.
“The Wolf of White Roaring,” Flick whispered.
Arthie was waiting for Jin’s response.
“And?” he finally deadpanned, in a tone so far from that deep, inquisitive interest he once exuded that it made even Arthie flinch.
“And—and I’ve killed scores of people,” Matteo said. “I’ve—” he stopped. Arthie could very nearly hear his throat closing up.
