“Me too,” he said, and I heard the pain in his voice, the loss of more than a fellow Were, but a possible friend. “I want to make him a member of our pack posthumously.”

“I’d like that,” I said, throat closing. Giving my arms a squeeze, he let go and backed up.

I met his eyes, surprised at the flash of fear. It was the curse. It was afraid of me, and it was only David’s alpha confidence that held it in check. Anyone else might have misunderstood the fleeting, deep-seated terror, but I’d had that thing in my thoughts. I knew what it was. And it was dangerous. “David…”

“Don’t,” he said, his dark eyes fixing on me to stop my words. “I did the right thing. I turned five women, and it killed three of them. If I have the curse in me, I can help Serena and Kally.” His anger left him as he got lost in a memory. “And it’s not that bad,” he finished, gesturing helplessly. “I feel good. Whole. Like this is the way I was supposed to be.”

“Yeah, but, David…”

He confidently shook his head. “I have this under control. The curse is like the devil itself. I feel it in me, and I have to weigh my thoughts to decide if it’s me or the curse, but it’s happy to be able to run again, and I have that as a threat. It knows if it makes me angry, I’ll come to you and you’ll take it out and put it in a prison of bone.”

“It’s right,” I said, remembering the fear in his eyes from just my touch. “David, this is so dangerous. Let me take it out. Everyone thinks the focus is destroyed. We can hide it—”

He held up a hand, and I stopped. “With the curse in me, Serena and Kally can shift without pain. Do you really want to take that from them? And it’s okay. I didn’t want a pack, but…sometimes our choices are made for us. The curse belongs to the Weres. Leave it where it is,” he said firmly, as if the conversation were done.

Slumping against the back of the couch, I gave up. David ducked his head and relaxed. He had won, and he knew it. Ivy glanced at me from where she was handing out soda when Jenks whispered something in her ear, and her questioning gaze turned into a smile. Taking two plastic cups, she moved to sit against the pool table where she could watch everyone.

“Do you want something to drink, Rachel?” David asked, and Ivy raised one to say she’d already poured me something.

“Ivy’s got it,” I said, and he touched my arm before going to see what Keasley wanted.