Chapter 35

It took a moment for Grady to start speaking again. "The pups belonged to our alpha's sister, a respected woman in our pack. She was already dead by then, as were her mates."

"And Thomas? Your alpha?" I asked.

"He was there. Weak. All of us were from the effects of the poison. Faust explained the rules of CKR and chose Archer to play it."

I sucked in a slow breath and shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "How do you play?"

"Faust told Archer that the C was for catch. Archer could choose one of the pups for Faust to throw. If Archer caught it, he got to keep it."

My jaw dropped into my lap. I was already so done with this game.

"Archer chose Sasha to catch because she was the runt, and at the time...he didn't know the rules for the rest of the game. He caught her easily enough."

I took a slow breath. "And the K?"

Grady swallowed loudly. "Archer had to choose a pup to kill."

My stomach twisted. "Oh god," I whispered. "And did he?"

A loaded silence, and then, "Yes."