Mercy Thompson 01-05 - THE MERCY THOMPSON COLLECTION

would be whole.”
    â€œHe didn’t want Adam to fight Bran,” I said suddenly. “Did you, Gerry? That’s why you weren’t concerned with all the silver your men were pumping into him. Did you want to kill him?”
    He looked at me with his father’s eyes and said, “Adam had to die.”
    â€œYou don’t care about Bran’s decision to expose the werewolves, do you?” asked Samuel.
    Gerry smiled at him. “I’ve been arguing for it ever sincethe fae came out. But I needed money to set my plan up, and there are a lot of wolves who don’t want to come out in public view—and they were willing to pay for it.”
    It was suddenly clear. And Samuel was right. Gerry wasn’t stupid: he was brilliant.
    â€œBuying new werewolves from Leo in Chicago, the drug experiments, the attack on Adam’s house; they were all intended to do two things,” I said. “To show Bran that you were behind them all, and to prove to your father that you weren’t.”
    He nodded.
    â€œAdam had to die,” I said, feeling my way. “But you couldn’t kill him. That’s why you left him to the mercies of your werewolves when he was still drugged. That’s why you stayed away from the warehouse, hoping that your men would pump enough silver into Adam to kill him.”
    â€œYes. He had to die and not by my hand. I had to be able to look my father in the eye and tell him that I hadn’t killed Adam.”
    I was shivering because it was cold and my arm, which had been surprisingly quiet for the past few minutes, began to hurt again. “It wasn’t Adam you wanted to fight Bran, it was your father. You were counting on Bran going to your father as soon as he figured out what you were doing.”
    â€œMy father called me this afternoon,” Gerry said. “Bran had asked him about the tranquilizer and told him that I might be behind the attacks on Adam. My father knows I want the wolves to quit hiding. He knows how I feel about animal experimentation and the way some Alphas exploit some of our new wolves. He knows I’d never try to kill Adam.”
    â€œIf Adam died, my father would tell yours before he came here to kill you,” Samuel said.
    Gerry laughed. “I don’t think so. I think Bran would have come here and killed me for my crimes. I hoped he would. I have killed too many innocents. But when he told my father what I had done, my father wouldn’t believe him.”
    â€œBelieving the Marrok had you executed for something you didn’t do, Carter would challenge him.” Samuelsounded almost admiring. “And my father couldn’t refuse the challenge.”
    â€œWhat if Bran talked to Dr. Wallace first?” I asked.
    â€œIt wouldn’t have mattered.” Gerry sounded certain. “Either to protect me or avenge me, my father would challenge Bran. Even before he was wolf, my father was the Marrok’s man. He respects him and trusts him. Bran’s betrayal, and Dad would see it like that, could have only one answer. Only Bran could unite my father, wolf and man, against him—Dad loves him. If Dad and his wolf face Bran in a fight, they will do it as one being: Bran told me that it would only take that one time for my father to be safe.”
    â€œIf Dr. Wallace challenged Bran, Bran would kill him,” said Adam.
    â€œWitches are expensive,” whispered Gerry. “But there are a lot of wolves who want to hide and they gave me money so they could keep their secrets.”
    â€œYou were paying Robert, Elizaveta’s son. He’d do something to ensure your father’s victory.” I’d thought Robert was doing it for money. I just hadn’t realized he would be getting it so directly.
    â€œThey’d be looking for drugs,” said Gerry. “But no one except another witch can detect magic.”
    â€œI can,” I told him. “Robert’s been taken care of. If your father challenges Bran, it won’t be Bran who dies.”
    He sagged a little. “Then, as a favor to me, Samuel, would you ask Bran to make certain my father never finds out about this? I don’t want to cause him any more pain than I already have.”
    â€œDo you have any more questions?” Samuel asked Adam.
    Adam shook his head and got to his feet. “Is he your wolf tonight or mine?”
    â€œMine,” said Samuel stepping forward.
    Gerry looked