MARK OF STARS

TESSA HALE

Copyright © 2021 by Tessa Hale

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Also By Tessa Hale

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Acknowledgments

About Tessa Hale

1

I WAS SWIMMING in a sea of black. The occasional spark of light passed by me, but I couldn’t seem to grasp it. Voices sounded from far away, through that thick, black liquid, but I couldn’t seem to hold onto them either.

The only thing I could hold onto was the pain. Everything hurt. As if I’d been lost at sea and battered against a rocky shore by the waves.

“Luc, she needs you.”

The voice was achingly familiar, yet I couldn’t place it.

“I’m here.” That voice was weary, a bone-deep fatigue lacing the tone.

A hand pressed into my side.

Warmth. So much warmth. More sparks lit in my sea of black. They danced and twisted in the inky water until they formed five balls of light. I tried moving towards them. I wasn’t sure how I knew, but somehow, I was sure they were my rescue.

“She’s moving. That has to be a good sign, right?” A different voice spoke those words.

I let out a low moan.

“Shit. Luc, can you pull more?”

Anson. Some part of me recognized that those words had come from Anson’s lips. I fought harder against the darkness.

“I’m trying,” Lucas said. He was the one with the exhaustion in his voice.

There was a tugging in my chest at the knowledge that he was struggling. I wanted to take away that fatigue and pain.

“What the hell?” he whispered.

“What?” Holden barked.

“She’s taking my pain. And my fatigue.”

“She’s not even conscious,” Keene muttered.

Lucas pulled his hands away from my side. “I’ve never heard of anything like it.”

Someone nuzzled my neck. “Wake up, Ro. It’s time. We need you.”

There was such sorrow in those words. They spurred me to fight harder. My eyes fluttered.

The bright light hurt, burned. I squinted.

“It’s the light,” Keene called to Holden. “Turn it off.”

The overhead lights flicked off, leaving only the sun coming in through partially drawn curtains.

Anson cupped my cheek, leaning over me. “Ro, you with us?”

“Hi,” I croaked.

Lucas pushed in on my other side, holding up a cup with a straw. “Take a little drink. It should help your throat.”

I took a sip. The cool water was the best thing I’d ever tasted. Just as I was about to gulp more down, Lucas pulled the cup away.

“Give your stomach a chance to adjust. You’ve been out a long time.”

I blinked again. Out a long time? Memories slammed into me. Images I’d never forget, burned into my brain. I struggled to sit up. “Vaughn.” Tears pooled in my eyes.

“It’s okay,” Lucas said, trying to make me lie back down.

“Where’s Vaughn?” My breaths came faster and faster. Each one seemed to trip over the last as I struggled to breathe. Tears leaked from my eyes.

There was a commotion. Someone shoved Anson aside and then Vaughn filled my vision. His inky black hair, ice-blue eyes, and angular face. His hand slid into mine. “I’m here,” he gritted out. There was so much anger filling his expression. Rage. But I didn’t give a damn. He was here.

“Are you real?” It was the only thing I could think to ask. How did I know this wasn’t another trick of the black sea that had held me captive? How did I know Vaughn was really alive?

He sank down onto the bed, lifting my hand to his chest. “Feel my heart.”

The steady beat against my palm was the best thing I’d ever felt. Tears slid down my cheeks. Vaughn wiped them away with his fingers. “What were you thinking?” There was a slight growl to his words.

“Vaughn,” Keene warned.

Vaughn shook his head. “You almost died.”

My heart stuttered in my chest. “I had to try.” What I didn’t say was that if Vaughn had died, a piece of me would’ve gone with him. A piece of all of us.

This time, there was no slightness to his growl. “Foolish.”

“Back off,” Anson barked. “She’s been through too much already.”

“He can tell me how he feels. I’m not going to break.” Yet I wouldn’t deny that his words hurt. For me and for him. That Vaughn didn’t believe he was worth fighting for. Worth saving. That he didn’t believe I was strong enough to bring him back.

“Promise me you’ll never do something like that again.” There was no question in Vaughn’s words, they were an order.

I looked into those eyes that had always made me feel less alone. They held a grief so similar to my own and that pain was blazing now. “Promise me you won’t almost die on me again, and I’ll promise not to heal you.”

Those eyes hardened. “It wasn’t my choice to get attacked by three wolves.”

“It was your choice to tell me to run.”

“And if you had, none of this would’ve been an issue.”

And Vaughn would be dead. The thought had a vicious pain burning through my chest. “You can’t stop me from fighting for you.” I shifted, trying to sit up, to be level with Vaughn. As I moved, a sharp pain lanced my hip.

At my wince, Vaughn froze. “What is it?”

“My hip.” I pulled the covers down. Someone had put me in my pajama pants and a T-shirt. I pulled the bottoms down slightly, and I sucked in a breath as I took in the flesh there. It looked almost like a tattoo, yet not. It was carved into the skin, just to the side of my hip bone, almost like a brand.

A star with five different points. One of the points was filled in. The rest were all empty spaces. “W-what is this?”

“It’s our bond mark,” Keene said softly.

“Our bond mark?”

“It appears as the bond is starting to form,” Lucas explained.

I looked at Lucas. “Why is only one part of the star filled in?”

He glanced across the bed to Vaughn, then back to me. “When you saved Vaughn, it bonded you two together. That connection is fully formed.”

My gaze jumped to Vaughn. “We’re bonded?”

He dropped his hold on my hand and stood. “Only until I can figure out how to break it.”

2

THE DOOR SLAMMED SO HARD the walls around it rattled. I stared at the place where Vaughn had been. Tears burned the backs of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. As I forced myself to look away from the door, my gaze caught on Holden.

The pain in my chest intensified, and my tears fought harder to be released. The skin on my hip throbbed. The bond had started to form, but it was holding two members of it hostage. The image of Jasmine’s lips meeting Holden’s filled my mind.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to force the picture from my mind. A hand linked with mine, a warm, soothing buzz flitting through me. My eyes opened, locking with Lucas’. “You don’t have to do that.”

His mouth curved. “Just like you needed to try to save Vaughn, I need to do this.”

I scanned his face, making note of the dark circles rimming his eyes. “It’s too much. You’ve been taking my pain while I slept, haven’t you?”

“I needed to do something.”

Anson sat down on the other side of the bed, taking my other hand. “You were unconscious, but you were writhing in pain.”

“How long was I out?” My stomach rumbled as if to say too long.

“I’ll get you something to eat,” Holden said, without looking at me. He ducked out of the door before I could say anything at all.

“A week,” Keene said as he lowered himself to the foot of the bed, his eyes glistening. “Thank you. What you did for Vaughn—”

I leaned forward, my muscles protesting. I pulled my hand from Anson’s and tugged Keene towards me. “You don’t have to thank me. I care about him.” The words hurt to say. How often did I have to be the one who cared about someone who didn’t care about me in return? Given away by my birth mother, cast aside by my adoptive parents, a boyfriend who couldn’t be bothered to stick around while I was grieving my sister, and now this.

Keene bent forward, his head resting on my side. “I’ve never been so scared. I thought we were going to lose you.”

I ran my hands through his hair. “I’m fine.” My eyes shifted to Lucas. “Aren’t I?”

He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my palm. “You healed yourself by the third day.” He lifted the hem of my shirt. Faint claw marks showed on my skin, but they looked as if they were years old, not days.

I stared down at the marks. “Sam?”

Anson tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “He didn’t make it. Neither did the other injured wolf.”

“Crispin,” I whispered. As much as I wanted to throttle Sam for what he’d put us through, I hated that Crispin had lost his father. He was now alone in the world. I knew what that felt like, and it was the last thing I wanted for the sweet boy.

“We’re taking good care of him,” Lucas assured me, as if sensing my trail of thoughts. “He’ll never feel alone. We aren’t telling the young ones about Sam’s betrayal.”

“Can I go see him?”

Lucas squeezed my hand. “As soon as you’re on your feet. You need time to recover first.”

I bit my lip and nodded. “Sam said he wanted to take me to my father.”

A muscle in Anson’s jaw ticked. “Vaughn told us.”

Keene straightened to a sitting position. “I went through his phone and computer. The only thing we found was frequent calls to a burner cell. It wasn’t stored under a name in his phone, and I wasn’t able to trace it back to anyone.”

I ran my fingertip along a seam in the quilt. “Do you think he was telling the truth? That he wanted to take me to my father?”

“We don’t know,” Keene said. “It’s possible.”

Luc’s gaze shifted to the window. “Or he was taking you because he was paid to.”

My eyes widened. “Paid?”

“We found cash deposits in Sam’s bank account, starting around the time you showed up,” Keene explained.

“Why would someone want me that badly?”

The guys eyed each other but didn’t say a word.

I pulled my hand from Lucas’ and pushed myself up higher against the pillows. “Start talking. I’m so damn sick of secrets.”

Lucas winced but nodded. “The strongest bonds are those of true mates. Our gifts will strengthen each other’s. But those true connections are somewhat rare in our world. Some shifters just fall in love and want to bond with that person. In those cases, you still get some strength from the bond, just not as much as from a true mate.”

“So someone could still use some of my power if we bonded?”

“Yes.”

“But I would have to agree.”

Anson shook his head, eyes darkening. “It’s archaic and majorly fucked up, but you can force a bond against someone’s will.”

“What?”

Keene nodded. “It’s painful to the wolf who’s forced. It’s a form of breaking their will. But it is possible.”

Nausea swept through me. It was a form of rape in so many ways. “And you think someone might want to do that to me.”

Lucas found my hand again. “You’re very powerful. More powerful than we ever could’ve dreamed. That makes you a target.”

Anson moved in closer to me. “We won’t let anything happen to you. You’re stuck with us as your permanent shadows from now on.”

My permanent shadows. Two of whom didn’t even want anything to do with me. The burning sensation behind my eyes was back. “This isn’t going to work.”

Keene straightened. “What are you talking about?”

“Look around. Vaughn told me straight out he’s going to try to break the bond. Holden couldn’t get out of this room fast enough, not to mention the fact that he was kissing Jasmine the last time I saw him.”

Anson’s eyes started to glow. “They’re fools.”

“Not helping,” Lucas muttered. He brought his focus back to me. “It’s an adjustment period for everyone. I know for a fact Holden doesn’t want Jaz. I would feel it if he did. The only thing he’s feeling right now is guilt.”

I was supposed to feel relieved that Holden felt guilty? That I was some sort of messed up responsibility? “Did you ever think that I might want to be wanted just for being me? Not for some weird bond that is forcing you into this. Do you even like me? Not feel pulled to me, but actually like me?”

Anson cupped my face, leaning in close. “You saw through to the deepest parts of me from the first day we met. No one has ever called me on my shit like that. No one’s ever seen how much I might be hurting or what I was using to hide it. I’m falling for you, Ro. Not because of some bond, but because your heart is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever encountered. You’re kind and strong and so damn courageous it’s terrifying. It’s the greatest honor of my life to be yours.”

I let out a shuddering breath. I wanted to believe those words. To hope that maybe Anson was falling for me because of who I was and not what I was. But it wasn’t just Anson in this bond. There were four other guys and not all of them felt that way.

3

THE DOOR OPENED and all the guys looked up. Holden stepped through, carrying a tray. “Got you some of that soup you liked and a little fresh bread.”

My fingers found the hem of the sheet, rubbing it between my fingers. “Thanks.”

Lucas cleared his throat. “Why don’t we grab some grub while Holden sits with Ro?”

Anson stiffened. “I don’t think—”

Lucas cut him off with a look. “Let’s go.”

Anson turned back to me. “You gonna be okay? I can stay.”

“Go get some food.” I’d have to face Holden at some point. Better to simply get it over with.

Keene squeezed my leg. “Want me to bring you some dessert?”

I forced a smile. “Sure. That sounds good.”

“We’ll be back soon,” Anson said, his words and glare pointed at Holden.

Holden didn’t react in any way. He didn’t stare Anson down or tell him to back off, he simply took it.

The guys headed for the door. Holden hovered, not moving to sit down, but not heading for the door either. “Does this look okay? Or did you want something else? I can get Jase to make you whatever you want.”

“No, this is good.” It smelled amazing, and I wasn’t sure my stomach could handle more than soup right now. How was I back here so soon? In Holden’s bed, being nursed back to health.

I didn’t reach for the bowl. I kept worrying the hem of the sheet between my fingers. Waiting for Holden to say something. Anything.

“I’ll never forgive myself.”

My head snapped up. “For kissing Jasmine?” Did it make him an asshole? Yes. But never forgiving himself seemed a little harsh.

His deep blue eyes heated, turning brighter somehow. “For almost getting you and Vaughn killed.”

My jaw slackened. “That’s not on you.”

“Isn’t it?”

“No. It’s on Sam and the other two wolves who attacked us.”

Holden’s jaw worked back and forth as his molars ground together. “If I had stopped Jaz faster, you wouldn’t have run—”

“And Sam would’ve grabbed me some other time.”

It was the simple truth. Sam would’ve had an opportunity at some point. There was plenty I was upset at Holden for, but the attack wasn’t a part of it.

“Are you honestly telling me that you’re not mad at me?”

Anger was certainly one of the emotions in the stew, but it wasn’t the strongest. Hurt was what was invading every inch of my chest cavity and scratching at my heart. “I’m not saying that.”

A muscle in his jaw ticked. “I’m sorry. I should’ve pushed her away faster.”

“Why didn’t you?” That was the first piece of information I needed. The how mattered some, but not nearly as much as the why.

Holden ran a hand through his hair, beginning to pace. “I don’t know. It surprised me, I think.”

I scoffed. “Shifters have super reflexes, don’t they?”

His cheeks colored. “Yes, but that’s not the kind of surprise I meant. It wasn’t that she moved too fast, it’s that I couldn’t believe she was doing it. By the time I realized what was actually happening, it was too late.”

I wasn’t sure if I believed Holden and that killed. I didn’t know if there was a part of him that wanted Jasmine or not. I didn’t know how he truly felt about me either.

As if he could read my mind, Holden swiveled back to face me. “I don’t want her. I want you. You’re all I think about.”

“You lied to me.” That was what hurt the most. What helped breed the disbelief in Holden’s words. That he’d lied before.

He blinked a few times. “I lied?”

“You said there was no history between you and Jasmine. That you’d only been friends.”

“We have only been friends.”

I sat up straighter in bed. “I heard you guys. You’ve kissed.”

“Once. One kiss. That’s it.”

“I don’t kiss my friends.”

Holden let out an exasperated sigh.

Anger lit inside me. “Ridge is my friend. How would you feel if I went up and kissed him? It would just be once, so it’s no big deal, right? I wouldn’t have to tell you about it when you asked.”

Holden growled, prowling towards the bed. “That’s different.”

“I asked you straight out if you had a history with Jaz. You said no.”

A little of the anger slipped out of Holden then. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you everything. But I didn’t want you to get in your head about Jaz when that kiss meant nothing. It was a mistake one night when I was upset about my dad.”

He’d meant the words to reassure me, but they only made me more insecure. Even if Holden didn’t want Jasmine in a romantic way, they’d had an intimacy of sorts. A closeness I wasn’t sure I could compete with. “I appreciate the apology.”

Holden’s shoulders slumped. “But it’s not enough.”

“I’m not saying that.” I collapsed back against the pillows, trying to find the words I needed. “These past few months have been a lot.”

He moved closer to the bed. “I know that. I’m sorry I’ve piled more on your shoulders when that’s the last thing you need. I’ll do whatever I can to make it up to you. I swear. You can trust me.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my tears at bay. “I’m not sure this can work.”

Panic lit Holden’s expression. “Don’t say that.”

“We’re a mess and we haven’t even bonded. Maybe this six-person bond is a mistake. You said there’s never been another one in your pack. Maybe the mark means something else.”

“It doesn’t. This is a gift from the fates. It’s meant to be. We want it.”

I met Holden’s gaze. “I’m not sure you do. And I’m not sure I can take the risk.” It hurt too much when I saw the signs that not all of them might want this. Want me.

“Rowan, please.”

I shook my head, staring down at my hands. “Just give me some time. Right now, I think I just need to be alone.”

“Take all the time you need. I’ll be here waiting whenever you’re ready.” His footsteps sounded on the hardwood floors, the door opening and closing again. Then there was nothing but silence.

I was completely alone. It should’ve been comforting. Alone was familiar. But now it hurt worse than anything I’d ever felt.

4

A SOFT KNOCK sounded on the door. I forced myself to uncurl from the ball I was in and sat up. “Come in.”

My voice sounded hoarse, the result of a serious crying jag and not using it for days before this. I wiped under my eyes but knew it was likely hopeless. My face was probably a tomato.

Keene poked his head through the cracked door. “Can I come in?”

“Sure.” It was a simple, one-word answer, but inside, a battle was raging. I wanted nothing more than for him to hold me and tell me everything would be okay, but at the same time, I was scared to let myself lean on him, on any of them.

He moved into the dimly lit space, taking me in. “Ro…” My name was pained. So much hurt in a single syllable. He strode towards the bed, then stopped just as he was about to sit. “Do you want me to leave?”

I studied Keene’s face. He too had dark circles rimming his eyes. Scruff dotted his jaw, and his hair was in messy disarray. “I don’t know.” It was the honest truth. Every step I could possibly make had so much potential for pain.

“Don’t push me out because Holden messed up and my brother’s being an asshole.”

Guilt flooded me at his words. That was exactly what I was doing. Punishing Keene, Lucas, and Anson for someone else’s actions. It made me lower than low. I looked up into those pain-filled eyes and admitted the truth. “I’m scared.”

He moved then, sinking onto the mattress and curving his body around mine. “I’m so sorry. I’m here. I always have been.”

Keene was right. He had been a steady warmth from day one. He gave me the space to move at my own pace, but had always been there when I needed him.

I turned in his arms so I could bury my face in his chest. “I’m sorry. It’s just all so much and it hurts. Every time Vaughn walks away. Holden’s lies. It makes me question everything. I know that’s not fair to you, but I don’t know how to stop it.”

Keene stroked a hand up and down my back. “I get it. I really do. Take all the time you need, just don’t lock us out while you do.”

“I’ll try.” Even though a voice in my head was screaming to run fast and far, I couldn’t imagine leaving any of the guys behind. Not even Holden and Vaughn.

“That’s all we can ask.” Keene’s lips skimmed over my hair. “You might not want to hear this, but Holden is beating himself up about what happened.”

My fingers twisted in Keene’s T-shirt. “That’s not what I want.”

“I don’t know. I think he deserves a swift kick or two.”

“Maybe just one.”

Keene pulled me tighter against him. “Okay, one. Technically, it already happened. Anson gave him a nice shiner.”

I jerked back. “What?”

Keene winced. “None of us were exactly pleased with him, and you know Anson has a temper. Especially when it comes to anyone hurting you.”

I let my head fall back to Keene’s chest. “That’s not helping anything and definitely not what I would’ve wanted.”

“Luc reminded him as much. But Holden’s actions have consequences and none of them are good.”

Keene was right. A relationship between two people was hard enough, but six? All the threads that wove together in that bond were easily knotted and tangled. Tug the wrong one and everything would be twisted beyond repair. The only choice would be to sever the threads altogether.

I tilted my face up to Keene. “How do we do this?”

He brushed the hair away from my face. “We talk. We’re honest.” He pressed his lips to my temple. “We’re going to mess up. Every single one of us. We just need to do what we can to repair the hurt when it happens. Try to not make the same mistake twice.”

“Holden’s trying to repair the hurt.”

“He is. He asked his father to move Jasmine and Coby out of the lodge.”

My eyes flared. “He did?”

“Yup. They weren’t thrilled about it, but Mason did it anyway.”

“Great, just another reason for Jaz to hate me.”

Keene’s hand trailed down my back to my hip. “I really do think she’ll get over it. Holden has been pretty damn clear with her the past few days.”

I hated the way my stomach twisted at his words, the knowledge that Jaz had been alone with Holden any number of times while I’d been unconscious. “My one and only boyfriend cheated on me after Lacey died.”

Keene reared back. “What?”

“I guess he got tired of what a downer I was being. He didn’t even bother breaking up with me. One day I showed up to school, and he was with another girl. Apparently, it had been going on for weeks. He’d lied so many times about studying or needing to help his mom. Really, he’d just been screwing someone else.”

“I’m so sorry, Ro. He’s an idiot.”

I made a scoffing sound. “He’s definitely that. I was already hurting so much. I missed Lace, my family was falling apart. I was supposed to be able to lean on him and he just disappeared. It hurt more than I realized, I guess.”

“And stuff with Holden brings back those memories.”

“It’s not fair. I know that. Holden pushed her away. It’s the little lies that hurt the most. They make me scared that he’ll leave too, one day.”

Keene traced a nonsensical design on my hip. “He’s not going to leave. He’s not going to betray you. I know it’ll take time, but you’ll see it eventually.”

I wanted Keene to be right. I wanted to trust Holden, to believe that he wanted me above all others, but that ground felt incredibly shaky.

“How are you feeling?” Keene asked as his gaze swept over my face.

“Better.” I’d showered and changed into a fresh pair of pajamas. My muscles no longer ached as if I’d been through a washing machine’s spin cycle. I reached up, tracing the dark circles under his eyes. “How about you?”

“I’m good.”

I pinned him with a stare.

Keene chuckled. “A little tired, but feeling so much better now that you’re awake. You scared the hell out of me. Out of all of us.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I know that, but I’m still sorry you went through it.”

He leaned forward, brushing his lips against mine. “Just assuring myself you’re real.”

I grinned against his mouth. “Definitely real.”

I deepened the kiss, something lighting deep inside me as Keene’s tongue stroked mine. His hand tightened on my hip, drawing me closer. He hardened against me, the contact sending sparks of sensation dancing across my skin.

A phone dinged. We ignored it. Keene rolled me to my back, his hand slipping beneath my shirt.

The phone started ringing. Keene muttered a curse and pulled the device from his pocket. “What?”

He squeezed his eyes closed, as if fighting back the words he wanted to let fly. “Yes, you can come in.”

He tapped a button on the screen and rolled to his back. “Anson is such a fucking cockblock.”

I couldn’t help it, I burst out laughing. After all the heaviness of the past few weeks, it felt more than good. Not as good as alone time with Keene would’ve felt, but close.

5

I WOKE TO A FAMILIAR HEAT. One that made me feel safe, cocooned. I blinked a few times and Lucas’ face came into focus. It was relaxed in sleep, but I could feel that soothing energy flowing from him, reaching out for me even in unconsciousness.

A hand tightened on my hip and Keene growled. “Anson, if that’s your dick I feel against my ass, we’re gonna have words.”

Anson mumbled something unintelligible and then rolled to his back. “Morning wood isn’t my fault.”

Keene cursed. “We need a bigger bed.”

“We need many bigger beds,” Lucas muttered, leaning forward to kiss my forehead.

“I don’t know. I kind of like small beds.” I gave Lucas a quick peck. “Makes for good cuddling.”

“For you, maybe,” Keene said. “I get stuck with Anson dry humping my back.”

Anson pulled the pillow from behind his head and thwacked Keene with it. “You should’ve switched places with me last night, then I’d be dry humping Ro.” He sent me a devilish grin. “Or doing something else.”

My cheeks heated.

A knock sounded on the door, and Lucas called for whoever it was to come in. The door opened slowly, and Holden’s tall frame filled the entryway. The longing in his eyes was a sucker punch to my stomach. “Hey. Breakfast’s almost ready, and my dad wants to talk to us.”

I tried my best to give Holden a warm smile but knew it came across forced. “Morning.”

“Morning, Ro.”

He’d been the first to use my nickname here in Cloverdale. In some ways, it felt like it belonged to him. “You get some sleep?” He hadn’t come back to the room last night, but I hadn’t asked him to either.

“I got enough.”

The deepened circles under his eyes told another story. I bit my lip. “I know there’s not a lot of room in here, but maybe you could stay here tonight?”

Something that looked a lot like hope lit in his gaze. “We have air mattresses we were sleeping on before. I can bring one of those in.”

Keene smacked Anson with a pillow, sending a few feathers flying. “Anson can sleep on it.”

“No way. I’m sleeping next to Rowan tonight.”

I flopped back against the pillows with a groan. Figuring out sleeping arrangements was going to be interesting.

I HOVERED at the top of the stairs. I could hear a few voices filtering up from below, but I couldn’t seem to make myself take the first step. I’d taken more than my sweet time showering and getting ready. I’d slipped into Lacey’s jacket hoping it would feel as if her arms were around me, whatever came my way.

Holden appeared at the bottom of the stairs. He took one look at me and was bounding up them. “What’s wrong?”

I twisted the strand of my bracelet around my fingers, absently thinking that it must’ve somehow stayed in place during my shift. “Nervous, I guess.”

A single finger came to my chin, lifting my face to his. “About what?”

“Everything.” I still hadn’t been with the entire pack since our bond had been announced. I wasn’t sure I was ready for the attention. And I knew I wasn’t ready for any judgment about not being good enough for the guys.

Holden wrapped an arm around me and pulled me into his side. “Most of the pack is already done with breakfast. There are just a few stragglers left. And trust me, people are in awe of you. They’re grateful you risked yourself to save Vaughn.”

I let his warmth seep into me. “Okay.”

“I won’t leave your side. Promise.”

I looked up at him. “Thanks.”

“Whatever you need. All you have to do is ask.”

It was more than just the right now in those words. He was asking what I needed to let him back in. “I need the truth. And I need you to stay.” Two simple requests, yet they could be impossible to give for some people.

Holden’s hands cupped my face. “I can give you that.”

“Good.” I itched to stretch up on my toes and brush my lips against his. Yet I couldn’t bring myself to close the distance. Fear still railed against my brain.

Holden pressed his lips to my forehead. “We have all the time in the world.”

“Thanks,” I whispered.

Holden released me but immediately took my hand, leading me down the stairs. As we reached the bottom, a couple with a little girl appeared. The couple dipped their heads in our direction, but the little girl stared at me in wonder. “You’re her.”

My cheeks pinked, but I gave the little girl my warmest smile. “I’m Rowan. What’s your name?”

“I’m Lucy. I don’t think I have any special gifts, but if I did, I’d want to be a healer just like you.”

Her mother tugged her back. “Sorry about that. Not a lot of filter with this one.”

“That’s okay.” I sent Lucy a wink. “We should always say what’s on our minds when it’s kind.”

Lucy beamed. “I’m always kind.”

“It’s the best thing you can be,” I assured her.

Holden gave me a little nudge. “We need to get going.”

“Nice to meet you, Lucy.”

“You too, Rowan,” she called as her parents pulled her in the direction of the door.

We started towards the dining area but drew up short as we almost walked into Jasmine and Coby. Jasmine’s eyes zeroed in on Holden’s and my joined hands, and her lips thinned. “I heard you were awake.”

“Jaz,” her mother warned.

A muscle in Jasmine’s cheek fluttered. “Glad you didn’t kick the bucket.”

Coby’s jaw tightened as she took in her daughter. “I’m happy to see you up and around, Rowan.”

The words didn’t ring entirely true, but there wasn’t anything I could do about that. “Glad to be up and around.”

Jasmine’s mouth curved. “Holden, we’re on patrol together tonight. Want me to make you an extra sandwich? It’s going to be a long night.”

I stiffened, but Holden simply squeezed my hand. “Jack’s taking my shift, so ask him. I’m sure he’d appreciate it.”

Jasmine’s smile morphed into a scowl, and it pointed straight at me. “I’m not going anywhere.”

For Holden, it was a promise. For me, it was a threat.

6

“I’M SORRY, Ro. She shouldn’t have said that. I’m going to talk to my dad, see if he’ll officially sanction her—”

“No.”

Holden’s steps faltered and he looked down at me. “No?”

“I can’t keep letting people fight my battles when it comes to her. Jaz will only back off if I show her she can’t mess with me.”

“Rowan. Jaz is a trained fighter. She’s scrappy because she’s had to be. She could seriously hurt you.”

My hands fisted at my sides, my fingernails biting into my palms. “Then teach me to fight.”

“You’ve only just shifted for the first time. None of us even thought that would be possible so soon. You’re still learning so much about what it means to be a shifter, one with a powerful gift on top of it. I don’t want to throw too much at you at once.”

“I can handle it. I’m not weak.” I’d been through hell and back, and Holden needed to trust that I wasn’t going to break.

“I don’t think you’re weak—”

“Then you shouldn’t have any problem with me learning how to fight.”

“Fight, huh?” Anson asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “I can teach you.”

I grinned up at him. “After breakfast.”

His smile faltered. “You’re still recovering—”

I pinched his side. “I’m fine.”

“She’s not at full strength,” Holden warned.

I scowled at him. “I might not be at one hundred percent, but that doesn’t mean I need to lie in bed all day.”

Lucas strode across the room, a frown on his face. “How about we all compromise? Anson starts her training, but they take it easy.”

I opened my mouth to argue and then promptly shut it. We were going to need boatloads of compromises if this bond was going to work. “That sounds good to me.”

Anson dropped a kiss to the top of my head. “Me too.”

“Fine,” Holden gritted out. “But you need to eat a big breakfast.”

I gave him a mock-salute. “Sir, yes sir.”

Lucas choked on a laugh.

Holden simply shook his head. “We need to get going before my dad reams me out for being late.”

A flicker of guilt lit inside me. I had no idea what Holden had been through with his father these past few days. I started heading towards the dining area, Anson in tow.

Mason beckoned us towards his table. “Sit. We need to talk.”

A pit formed in my stomach and not just at his words. It was the scowl on the face of the broody bastard next to him. Vaughn glared in my direction. Great. More warm and fuzzy encounters ahead.

Keene sent me his best reassuring smile from his place next to his brother. “There’s French toast and it’s awesome.”

I rolled my shoulders back. Vaughn didn’t get to know that his scowl had any effect on me. “French toast sounds great.”

Keene slid a Diet Coke across the table to me as I sat. “Thought you might need this.”

I popped the tab and immediately took a long pull. I sighed. “Ah, the nectar of the gods.”

Anson chuckled as he lowered himself into the chair next to me. “You’re too damn cute.”

Holden took the chair on my other side, and Lucas the one next to him. Anson loaded my plate and his with an array of breakfast foods, but I couldn’t help studying Vaughn out of the corner of my eye. His hold on his fork looked as if he were about to break the piece of silverware in two.

Once everyone had their food, Mason cleared his throat. “How are you feeling, Rowan?”

“Good. So much better.” It was true. After a night next to three of the guys, I felt like a new person. But I couldn’t ignore the slight tug in my chest. It was as if my heart was physically pulling itself towards Vaughn. Traitorous heart. I could only hope he was feeling it ten times worse and would break first.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Mason took a sip of his coffee and then set down the mug. “I need to let you know that while you were unconscious, I had to report your existence to the shifter council. There are strict rules when it comes to newly changed wolves—”

“The shifter council?” I asked, cutting him off.

Holden nodded. “They’re the governing body of our people. Dad has a seat on the council, but he still has to abide by its rules.”

“Why do they want to know about new wolves?”

“They don’t, usually,” Anson muttered.

Mason shot him a quelling look. “We keep strict records of our kind, but Anson’s right. They don’t usually care about your average, newly changed wolf.”

Lucas sent me a sympathetic glance. “They do care when it’s discovered someone is particularly powerful.”

“Especially when it’s a female,” Keene added.

“Because…” I let the word trail off in question.

“They hope that she’ll have young who are powerful too,” Holden said softly.

Mason leaned back in his chair. “Fewer and fewer female shifters have been born in the past few generations. Our women are revered.”

“I’m not having babies any time soon.” The words tumbled out of me without my permission, and as soon as they did, my face flamed.

Mason sent me a reassuring smile. “No one expects that. But I had to explain the circumstances of your change to the Quad, the four leaders of the council. They are naturally curious about you. I told them when you were up to it, we could have a conference call.”

“Okay.” I tugged on one of my bracelet’s strings, twisting it around my finger.

“They’re also going to try to help us find out your father’s identity.”

Father. I’d had one of those. Not by birth but by choice. Only it seemed that choice had been rescinded. When I’d finally checked my phone last night, I hadn’t seen any missed calls from him. It was as if he’d completely forgotten I existed. A burn flared to life in my chest, but I forced myself to focus on the conversation at hand. “Do you think this council can find him?”

Mason scrubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw. “A rogue wolf who isn’t in our DNA system is rare, but they have other resources we don’t.”

I pulled the string tighter around my finger. “Could they help us find my mom?” There were so many questions only she could answer. I knew others wanted the who and where, but I only wanted the why. Why she had given me up and walked away. Why she, like so many others, couldn’t seem to love me. Why she kept me from this whole world.

Mason’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I’d like to find her ourselves, but the council’s network is much more vast than our own.”

I studied him for a moment. “You don’t trust them, do you?”

Mason’s eyes widened the slightest fraction. “These are powerful shifters at the top of the hierarchy. There are always games to be played.”

Only this time, it was my life they were playing with.

7

I LEANED back on the steps of the deck, tipping my face to the sun. I could tell there was a chill in the air, but I couldn’t feel it like I normally did. My workout pants and long-sleeved shirt were plenty warm enough.

The guys had mentioned that shifters didn’t get cold the way humans did. The knowledge that I was different now made me feel twitchy. As if I needed to run a few miles to burn off the excess energy thrumming through me. Energy fueled by a million different kinds of anxiety. Fires lit from worry, fear, the unknown.

Footsteps sounded behind me, and Anson lowered himself to sit next to me. He bumped my shoulder with his. “Hanging in there?”

“Yeah.” It might be by a thread, but that thread was strong.

A flash of movement caught my attention—Vaughn’s broad form striding away from the lodge. He hadn’t said a single word to me at breakfast, only scowled. Yet, even with the anger flowing off him in waves, something in me had relaxed in his presence. It only stoked the frustration brewing inside me. Vaughn was like a drug. I knew he was bad for me, but my body craved him.

“He’ll come around,” Anson said softly.

“Sure.” I pushed to my feet. “Ready to teach me to kick some ass?” Hitting something over and over might make me feel better. Maybe we could put a picture of Vaughn’s face on a practice dummy.

Anson stood and grabbed a large duffle bag off the deck. “I was thinking we could practice out here. We’ll do hand-to-hand combat training, but I want to start with shifting.” He looked down at my outfit. “That might get ruined.”

I muttered a curse under my breath. “I’m not going to stand around naked for the whole world to see.”

Anson’s lips twitched. “As much as I would love to see that, I was thinking you could wear this.” He pulled a sort of cloak out of his bag. “It has snaps. That way when you shift, you won’t tear it. Saves on clothing bills.”

“Makes sense, I guess.” I took the soft cloth from his hand. “Be right back.”

I ducked inside to a bathroom off the lounge area. I made quick work of changing into the cloak and folding my discarded clothes in a pile. I paused before opening the door. I felt oddly exposed. My body was covered, but simply the knowledge that I was naked underneath had me blushing.

I closed my eyes for a moment and forced myself to open the door. I hurried outside, towards Anson in the grassy area behind the lodge. No one else seemed to be around.

Anson grinned at me. “It’s a good look on you.”

I glared at him. “I feel ridiculous.”

He pulled me into a hug and dropped a kiss to the top of my head. “You’ll get used to the nudity thing. It’s an unspoken rule that no one looks at each other when we’re preparing to shift. It becomes normal after a while.”

“You didn’t grow up here. Did it take you long to get used to it?” I knew that the pack went on group runs, and I couldn’t imagine being brave enough to cast off my clothes with so many people around.

Anson shifted on his feet. “I’m still not used to everything here, but that piece of things doesn’t bother me so much.”

“Because you’re a guy,” I muttered.

He brushed the hair out of my face. “Hey, you don’t have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with. You can change, and we can just work on hand-to-hand today.”

I shook my head. “I need to learn how to shift, right?”

“A healthy relationship with your wolf is the most important thing you’ll foster in all of this. It took me almost a year. Shifting was so entangled with finding out my father wasn’t who I thought he was, and the anger I had about all of that. It took a lot of work to make peace with my wolf.”

My fingers twisted in Anson’s T-shirt. “I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been.”

“It wasn’t a walk in the park, but it taught me a lot too.”

“Like what?”

“Anger can be fuel if used in the right way, you just have to know the power behind it.”

I released my hold on Anson. “Tell me what to do.”

He took a step back. “Do you remember at all what it felt like to shift?”

“It hurt.” Flashes of memory swept through me. “It all happened so fast. Vaughn was injured and I panicked. I wasn’t trying to shift, it just happened.”

“Heightened emotions are often what can bring about your first change. Over time, it’ll be as easy as breathing, and you’ll barely have to think about it.”

“But when I’m just getting started?”

“Close your eyes.”

I did as Anson instructed, letting my hands fall to my sides.

“Take some deep breaths and clear your mind. Listen to the wind in the trees. Now, picture the life force inside you. Your wolf.”

I tried to imagine an actual wolf. Keene had mentioned my fur was a reddish-brown color, just like my hair. I tried to paint that picture inside me but wasn’t sure I had it entirely.

“Now, meld your energy with hers. See your forms blurring together.”

I did my best. Seeing in my mind the way the guys seemed to blur as they shifted. Nothing happened.

I cracked open an eyelid. “I’m doing something wrong.”

Anson studied me for a moment. “Do you feel your wolf at all?”

I thought about it, taking a mental inventory of how my body felt. It didn’t feel as though some foreign creature was going to burst forth from my being. “I don’t think so.”

Footsteps sounded behind me. “I think it might need to work differently for her.”

I turned towards Lucas. “How?”

“Your gift and mine are similar. I needed to lock onto an energy or a feeling to bring on my change. What do you feel when you use your gift?”

I thought back to healing Vaughn. Nausea swept through me at the memory, but I forced myself to go there. “I kept picturing this pool of golden energy here.” I touched my hand to my stomach. “It was like I could push that energy into Vaughn.”

“Perfect.” Lucas dropped back to where Anson was standing. “Picture that spreading over you until it consumes you.”

I nodded, closing my eyes again. I drew on that golden pool, dragging it out from my belly and letting it grow. It was a million times harder than I remembered. My hands fisted at my sides, nails digging into my palms. The light spread over the majority of my torso as sweat broke out on my brow.

The energy snapped back into its little pool in my belly, and my eyes popped open.

Lucas sent me an encouraging smile. “That was better. We could see the start of a shift coming on.”

“It felt like I was battling a boulder up a mountain.”

Anson chuckled. “It’s rough at first. It’ll get easier, I promise. You just have to find the right fuel.”

The sound of a twig snapping had all our gazes jumping to the forest. Lucas sighed. “Come help instead of lurking like a creeper.”

Vaughn stepped out of the trees, scowling as usual.

“You know,” I muttered, “if you keep making that face, it could freeze like that.”

His scowl only deepened.

My back teeth ground together. “If you hate me so much, why are you even here?”

“Being linked to you is a liability. I need to make sure you can defend yourself so you don’t get us all killed.”

Heat coursed through me. A rage that had my golden pool of energy intensifying.

Anson moved in closer to me. “Use that. Everything you’ve been through in the past few weeks. That’s your fuel.”

I stared into Vaughn’s ice-blue eyes, thinking about the roller coaster he’d sent me on. The moments of kindness mixed with cruelty. The hope and the heartbreak.

The energy in me spread, burning brighter. Then I could feel her. My wolf. For the first time, I could sense her pawing to get free. And I let her.

My transformation didn’t hurt this time. There was that same burst of light, and then I was on four legs instead of two. I let out a low growl as I stalked towards Vaughn.

Mate.

The single word echoed in my head, followed by anger and pain. Another growl slipped from my lips.

“Shit. Is she going to attack him?” Anson said, an edge of panic slipping into his tone.

“Give her a minute,” Lucas told him.

Vaughn didn’t move, he simply stared at me. “You needed the motivation to protect yourself. I’ll always make sure you’re safe. Even if it makes you hate me.”

8

I LEANED back in the Adirondack chair and balanced my sketch pad against my legs. The early morning air was still, the only thing I could hear was the echo of Vaughn’s words in my head. “I’ll always make sure you’re safe. Even if it makes you hate me.”

He hadn’t stuck around for me to shift back. He’d simply turned on his heel and headed for the woods. He hadn’t come back for lunch or dinner, and I had too much pride to try to reach out to him through the pack link I was now a part of.

My pencil brushed across the page, filling in the dark fur of the wolf with haunting ice-blue eyes. My paper and pencil were the only tools I had at my disposal for trying to figure out Vaughn. I created a little glimmer in those eyes. A little piece of hope amongst the dark shadows.

I was an idiot. It didn’t matter that Vaughn’s reasons for keeping his distance were noble. He still wanted nothing to do with me.

Someone set a can of Diet Coke on the arm of my chair, and I jumped. My hand flew to my chest as Holden lowered himself into the chair next to me. “When am I going to get those handy wolfy skills that mean no one can sneak up on me?”

Holden chuckled. “You already have them. You just have to pay attention to your senses. I wasn’t exactly quiet, and the way the air is flowing, you should’ve scented me.”

My lips pressed into a thin line as I reached for my soda and popped the tab. “The learning curve around here is steep.”

Holden glanced at my notebook. “Or maybe you just have a lot on your mind. Give yourself some slack.”

I stared at the image on the paper. I wanted to pull the wolf from the page and throw my arms around him. “There’s a lot to think about.”

“Vaughn’s been through a lot. He’s always going to look for bogeymen, even when there aren’t any.”

I shifted in my seat, taking a sip of my soda. “You guys keep hinting at something that happened. Is someone actually going to fill me in?”

Holden traced a design on the arm of the chair. “Vaughn needs to be the one to tell you. It’s his story.”

“Then I guess I’ll never know because he only communicates with me in scowls and glares.”

Holden reached over, his hand slipping beneath my fall of hair and squeezing my neck. “He’ll—”

“Come around,” I finished for Holden. “Yeah, yeah. So you’ve all said.” I lifted my gaze to the trees, wondering where Vaughn was at that very moment. If he was all right? Warm? Hungry? At the last mental question, my stomach growled.

Holden grinned and stood, holding out a hand. “I might not be able to fix Vaughn, but I can get you breakfast. What do you say?”

I took his hand and tucked my sketch pad under my arm. “I say feed me.”

I FIDDLED with the strap on my backpack, wedged between Keene and Lucas in the back seat of Anson’s Range Rover. “What’s the story about why I was out again?”

Holden turned in his seat. “We were all out. Bad flu bug.”

“Stomach or regular?”

Anson grinned at me through the rearview mirror. “You a method actor or something?”

“I just want to make sure I have my story straight. I don’t want us getting into trouble because Keene said he was barfing everywhere and I said I had a cough.”

Keene arched a brow in my direction. “Why am I the one who has to be barfing?”

“It’s hypothetical,” Lucas said.

“I hate throwing up.” He gave an exaggerated shiver. “I don’t want to do it, even in a hypothetical.”

“Fine. Luc was the one puking, even in the hypothetical. Now, can we decide what kind of make-believe flu we all had?” My voice grew louder with urgency as we pulled into the parking lot.

Lucas’ hand landed on my thigh, squeezing gently. “Just breathe.” His warm, soothing energy flowed into me. “We all had fevers and bad coughs. Sore throats. Achy. That’s it.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Keene studied me, little lines appearing between his brows. “You sure this is about make-believe flu symptoms?”

I stared out the windshield at the group of girls I could see gathered near Anson’s spot. Even though he’d sent Sadie a message that he was no longer interested, she was still hanging around. She was surrounded by her usual gaggle of friends, all dressed to the nines. I looked down at the simple jeans, T-shirt, and leather jacket I wore. I suddenly wished I would’ve spent a little more time getting ready that morning.

“Hey.” Keene bumped my shoulder. “You’re not alone.”

“Thanks.”

Anson parked, turning off the engine. He shifted in his seat so he could see me. “You’ll tell me if she does anything?”

“I can handle it,” I assured him.

“I know you can. I still want to know.”

“Fine. As long as you promise I can fight my own battles.”

Anson’s lips pressed into a hard line as he struggled to agree.

Holden pinned me with a stare. “None of us fight our own battles, Ro. Not anymore. We’re stronger together.”

Flashes of the attack flitted through my mind. “Mean girls aren’t exactly wolf ninjas.”

Keene’s lips twitched. “Wolf ninjas?”

“I don’t know what you call them. That’s just what they seemed like to me. The worst thing Sadie and her friends are going to do is call me a slut. That I can deal with on my own.”

Luc tugged on a frayed string on my jeans. “You can deal with them, just as long as you know we have your back.”

“Fair enough. Now, let’s go before we’re late and get detention.”

Lucas pushed open his door and I followed him out. The rest of the guys climbed out and met us at the front of the SUV. I stiffened as Sadie approached, her hips swaying.

“Anson, I was worried about you. Why didn’t you text me back?”

Cass appeared from between the vehicles, Jack and Ridge following behind her. “Probably because he blocked your ass from his phone. Scamper, Sadie, before I decide to make you pay for that poster stunt you pulled.”

Sadie blanched but quickly recovered, glaring at Cassidy. “Whatever, weirdo.”

Cassidy rolled her eyes. “So original.”

Sadie turned on her heel and strode away. “Call me later, Anson.”

I looked around our group. “Is it just me, or is she delusional?”

Cassidy grinned and looped her arm through mine. “I missed you, Ro. School has been way too boring without you here.”

9

“SO, HOW ARE YOU FEELING? REALLY?” Cass asked as she leaned against the locker next to mine. We hadn’t been able to get any real time alone to talk during classes or lunch. The guys had been serious hoverers, waiting for someone to pounce. But no one had. The worst I’d gotten had been a few whispered insults. Cass had finally growled at the guys to meet us in the parking lot as classes finished so we could get just a few minutes of privacy.

I bent to pull a book out of my backpack and shoved it into my locker. “I’m mostly okay.”

Cass arched a brow.

My shoulders slumped, and I leaned against my open locker door. “All right, I’m a mess. This is a lot for a very short period of time.”

“Understatement of the century.”

“Between finding out I turn furry, have crazy healing powers, Vaughn telling me he doesn’t want to be my mate, Holden kissing Jaz—”

Cass grabbed my arm. “What did you just say?”

“Which part?”

“Vaughn not wanting to be your mate? Holden kissing Jaz? What the hell are those idiots doing?”

I twisted the string on my bracelet. “To be fair, it was Jaz who kissed Holden. He pushed her away.”

“I don’t care if he pushed her away. She shouldn’t have ever been within kissing range.”

“I don’t disagree with you there.”

Cass shook her head. “He’ll be lucky if I don’t slip some ex-lax into his coffee tomorrow.”

I snorted a laugh. “That might be a little extreme.”

“We need a girls’ night. You and me, a bucket of popcorn, and a ridiculous amount of candy. We’ll sort it all out.”

My nose stung. How long had it been since I’d had something like that? Not since Lacey was alive. She used to make a batch of brownies but not cook them all the way so that they were ooey-gooey in the middle. She’d set the baking dish on the kitchen counter and pull out two forks. We’d eat out of the tin until my problem was solved and we both felt a little sick.

The smile slipped from Cass’ face. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah. You just reminded me of Lacey with that offer. It sounds perfect.”

“I’m taking that as a high compliment.”

“You should.”

A booted foot snaked out and sent my backpack flying. Since it was open, my notebooks and pens scattered across the hall.

Sadie paused in front of us. “Oops.” Her little followers giggled.

“Careful, Sadie,” Cass sing-songed. “Your bitter is showing.”

She scoffed. “Like I would be bitter about this loser.”

I gave Sadie my best sickly-sweet smile. “You spend a lot of time and energy on someone you think is a loser.”

Color hit her cheeks. “You need to learn your place.”

“Oh, you mean the spot next to Anson, Holden, Lucas, and Keene? That place?”

Her eyes widened. “You can’t seriously tell me you’re with all of them?”

Cass grinned. “Jealous, Sadie?”

“Of course not. I was worried about Anson getting messed up with you freaks, but only as a friend.”

A broad-shouldered guy I used to see hanging around Anson slipped an arm around Sadie’s shoulders. “Everything okay, babe?” He sent us a narrow-eyed stare.

It was the most incredible thing I’d ever seen—in an instant, Sadie had tears pooling in her eyes. “I was just stopping to tell Rowan I was glad she was feeling better.”

The guy—Chris, I remembered—wiped a stray tear off Sadie’s cheek. “That doesn’t sound like something to be upset over.”

Sadie sniffed, looking truly hurt. “She said some ugly things about me and Anson.”

Chris’ chest puffed up and he dropped his arm from around Sadie’s shoulders. “What’s your problem?”

“Do you seriously believe that act? You have to know your girlfriend well enough to know that I wasn’t the one tossing out insults.”

He stalked towards me, crowding me against my locker. “You calling my girlfriend a liar?”

“Back off,” I warned.

“Seriously, Chris. Anson will remove your head from your body if he hears about this,” Cass said.

Chris only moved in closer. “Heard you like to spread those legs for anyone who wants a piece.” His hand came up, skimming my waist and moving towards my breast.

A sick panic welled up in me and before I could think, I shoved at his chest. Hard. A burst of energy exploded from my palms.

Chris stumbled back, falling on his ass. “What the fuck? Did you just tase me?”

Cass hurried to step in front of me. “No, I did. And you’re lucky that’s all.”

“Hey, what the hell is going on?” Anson charged down the hallway, Holden, Lucas, and Keene on his heels.

Chris climbed to his feet. “Your new friends are psychos.”

Anson moved to my side. “What did they do?”

I couldn’t answer. I was still staring at my hands. Maybe I was a psycho. The energy that had sparked from my palms was a fraction of what I was capable of. I could’ve seriously hurt him or worse.

“Ro?” Anson prodded.

“Your ex kicked Rowan’s bag and said some rude shit. But your best buddy over there called her a slut and tried to feel her up,” Cass explained helpfully.

Anson froze and then slowly turned around. “You what?”

Chris paled. “She’s lying. I didn’t do any of that.”

Anson lunged. Some part of my brain woke up at that, and I grabbed the back of his shirt as Holden shoved Chris out of the way.

“Get out of here, and if you don’t stay away from Rowan, I’ll let him at you the next time,” Holden barked.

Anson was still stalking after Chris, practically dragging me down the hall.

“Stop,” I ordered, gripping his shirt tighter. “I’m fine.”

Lucas stepped in Anson’s path. “Not worth it, man.”

“I’m going to kill him.”

“Not going to help the situation,” Luc argued.

Anson blew out a long breath, and I slowly released my hold on his shirt. Anson turned, pulling me into his arms. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” I mumbled into his chest.

“I shouldn’t have left you alone.” He released me. “How’d you get him off you?”

My gaze went from Anson’s face to my hands. I stared at my palms. “I don’t know.”

10

“WALK ME THROUGH IT AGAIN,” Holden demanded.

My gaze kept drifting to my hands. I couldn’t help it.

Lucas covered my hand with his. “It’s okay, Ro. We’re just trying to figure out what happened.”

I jerked my arm back. “Don’t. What if I hurt you?”

He moved slowly, taking my hand again. “You’re not going to hurt me.”

Tears burned the backs of my eyes. “You don’t know that.”

Keene took my other hand in his. “You were defending yourself. It was your power lashing out because you were in danger.”

Anson growled from the driver’s seat.

I looked up at Holden. “What kind of power is this?”

He was always the one with the answers, but right now, it didn’t seem like he had any. “There are offensive powers. But I’ve never heard of a wolf having two gifts.” He leaned towards the back seat, squeezing my thigh. “Can you tell me what happened one more time?”

I sent a sidelong glance in Anson’s direction. I wasn’t sure he could handle me covering the events of this afternoon again. The first time I’d started recounting it, he’d swerved off the road and begun pounding the steering wheel.

Holden followed my line of sight. “Anson has it under control. Right?”

“I’m fine,” he gritted out.

I bent forward, pressing a kiss to Anson’s shoulder. He turned to face me, cupping my face and taking my mouth in a long, slow kiss. When he pulled away, he held my gaze for a moment. “You’re okay?”

“I’m okay.” I wasn’t sure I could say the same for Chris.

Anson released me and I settled back in my seat.

“I was talking to Cass when Sadie came up. She kicked my backpack and was being her usual charming self.”

There was a low rumble from Anson, but Holden sent him a sharp look.

“Then Chris showed up. Sadie convinced him I was saying awful things to her and he got mad. He crowded me against the lockers and said some gross things.” I wasn’t going to repeat his words, the guys already knew. “He started to touch me, and all I could think was that I wanted him away. I shoved at his chest, and it was like energy shot out of my palms.”

I bit my bottom lip. “Chris thought I’d tased him.”

Holden studied me thoughtfully. “What did it feel like?”

I stared at my palms. They looked completely normal. “I could feel that same golden pool of energy rise up in my belly. It’s the same pool I draw from to heal or to shift.”

Keene shifted in his seat. “Is it possible it’s all part of the same gift?”

Holden tapped his fingers on the console. “I’ve never heard of another gift like it, but anything’s possible.”

“Always the freak,” I muttered.

“Hey,” Lucas scolded gently. “You’re not a freak.” He nuzzled my neck, breathing me in. “You’re amazing. Powerful, kind, strong.”

“With the potential to seriously hurt someone.” I wasn’t sure I wanted that kind of power.

Anson gripped the steering wheel. “He deserved it.”

I didn’t disagree there. I wrapped the strand of my bracelet around my finger. “It scares me that I can’t control it.” I was swamped with a whole new empathy for what Vaughn dealt with every day. The fear that he could do serious damage without meaning to, even kill.

Holden’s hands wrapped around my calves. “We’ll figure it out together. You’ll find a way to control it.”

I hoped he was right but didn’t have quite the same level of confidence.

A phone dinged and Holden slid the device from his pocket. His brows furrowed as he read the message and typed a response. “My dad wants us back at the compound.”

My stomach dipped and rolled. What now?

Anson started the engine and pulled back onto the dirt road. It was only a matter of minutes before we were coming to a stop in front of the lodge.

“Did he say why?” I asked, glancing at Holden.

He shook his head. “Just to hurry back.”

Lucas ran a hand up and down my thigh, pulling the worst of my anxiety from me.

“You don’t have to do that.”

His hand slid along my jaw, and he took my mouth in a slow kiss. “I need to. It helps me too. Knowing that I can ease something for you.”

I pressed my hand to his chest, leaning in for another kiss. Everything about Luc was a warm buzz. It made my nerve endings feel as if they were drunk. “Thank you.”

“Always.”

“We should go,” Holden said.

I followed his gaze to Mason, who was standing at the top of the steps. I swallowed hard. Putting it off wasn’t going to help anything. I nodded and Lucas opened his door. I followed after him, Keene on my heels.

A figure strode from the woods, heading directly for me. Vaughn came to a halt just inches away. His chest rose and fell in heavy pants. “He touched you.”

I sent a glare in Keene’s direction. He had the decency to look a little sheepish. I turned back to Vaughn. “I’m fine.”

“He. Touched. You.” The words were a menacing growl. I was suddenly grateful that Vaughn had graduated two years ago and wasn’t in school with us. There was no way he’d be able to keep from ripping Chris to shreds.

I reached out a hand to lay on Vaughn’s chest, but he jumped out of the way. “Don’t. I’m not in control right now. I could hurt you.”

I moved slowly but didn’t stop my forward progress. I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned my head on his chest. “You won’t hurt me.” I knew it in my bones. And I needed Vaughn’s touch then. He was the one person who could understand why the events of the afternoon terrified me so much.

His arms came around me, hesitant at first and then he crushed me to his chest. “You do whatever it takes to protect yourself. Always.”

I swallowed but nodded.

A throat cleared, and I looked up to see Mason just steps away.

“We have a problem.”

My heart lurched.

“What?” Holden demanded.

“The council has decided a conference call isn’t good enough. They’re coming here. Soon.”

11

AS SOON AS the words left Mason’s mouth, Holden was ushering me inside. All the guys were looking around as if we were under attack. They surrounded me as we climbed the stairs and headed inside.

“How much time do we have?” Holden asked.

Mason sank down onto one of the couches. “I’m not sure. A few days at least. It takes time to arrange for the entire council to meet.”

Keene’s eyes widened. “The entire council? Not just the Quad?”

I looked around the room as Holden tugged me down onto the couch opposite his father. “What’s the Quad? You mentioned them before.”

Lucas dropped down next to me. “The head of the council. Four shifters who have held the leadership for decades. They’re responsible for the majority of the council’s decisions.”

Vaughn paced behind the couch. “We should get her out of here.”

Mason shook his head. “Not an option. The mark will be our best defense. The fact that you two are already bonded.”

I let out a loud whistle. “Will you please slow down and explain why you guys are so freaked out? I know you said these council guys might want me in their pack, but they can’t make me go anywhere I don’t want to.”

No one spoke for a moment.

Panic lit through my veins. “They can’t make me go with them, right?”

Mason’s jaw tightened. “It’s happened in the past. They’ve made the case for a particularly powerful female to be housed in one of the Quad’s packs for her protection. But that’s usually a female who hasn’t found her bond.”

“And won’t ever be able to find it because they lock her away,” Anson muttered.

I blanched, my fingernails digging into my knees.

“Anson,” Holden barked.

“Shit. Sorry.” He moved behind me, dropping a kiss to my head. “That’s not going to happen to you. We won’t let it.”

“We need to leave with her,” Vaughn said again.

“They’ll only track us down and take her for sure,” Keene argued. “We need to play the game.”

Mason nodded. “Keene’s right. We need to show the council that her destined place is here with us. Even the council won’t go against the fates.”

Lucas flowed more calming energy through me, but I shook my head. “Please don’t.” He looked hurt for a moment, and I took his hand, squeezing it. “I need to feel all of this. To have all my faculties.”

He pressed a kiss to the spot behind my ear. “Okay.”

I focused on Mason. “How do we make them believe my destiny is here?”

“The mark is a good place to start.” He looked around at our group. “If more of the bond were cemented, that would help.”

My breaths started coming faster. The last thing I wanted was to push the guys into bonding. I cared about all of them. Knew I was falling faster than was wise. But I didn’t want to force them into something they weren’t ready for. My gaze found Vaughn, and a pain lanced through my chest. It already hurt too much to know he didn’t want this. It would destroy me if I found out any of the others felt the same.

I tore my gaze away from those ice-blue eyes and stared down at the floor. “I thought there was no way to make the bond happen more quickly unless it was against someone’s will.”

“Not exactly true,” Mason said. “You can spend time together. Be open with one another. The more you let down your walls, the easier it will be for the bond to form.”

Vaughn hadn’t let his walls down around me. I’d crashed through them like a wrecking ball. Completely against his will. My eyes found him again. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

His pacing halted. “What?”

“I forced the bond. I never should’ve done that. I didn’t know…” I pushed to my feet. I needed out. Air. I couldn’t seem to get my lungs to inflate.

I started for the back door as voices called for me to wait. Vaughn barked something in response, but I just kept moving, down the steps and across the grassy backyard. I tried to suck in air, but my lungs wouldn’t obey.

Branches slapped at my arms as I charged through the woods. I didn’t know where I was going until I reached the lake. My chest heaved as oxygen slowly began to make its way through my body.

I knew someone was behind me. I could hear the footsteps in my wake. The scent on the breeze made my rib cage constrict.

“Rowan.”

Had Vaughn ever actually said my name before? It sounded different on his lips somehow. Beautifully unique. I still couldn’t turn around. Couldn’t force myself to look at him.

“Rowan.”

There it was again. But this time, it was a plea I was powerless against. I slowly turned.

There was so much pain in Vaughn’s expression. It filled his eyes and carved deep grooves in the planes of his face. “It’s not your fault.”

“Isn’t it? I shoved all of my energy into you. It’s no wonder we bonded. I’m like one of those monsters that forces a bond on someone who never wanted it.”

Vaughn’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I wanted you, Rowan. But there’s nothing in this world that’s ever scared me more.”

12

“WHAT?” It came out as part word, part breath.

Vaughn’s chest rose and fell in a ragged rhythm. “When we talked about someone forcing the bond, that’s not what we meant. You gave selflessly and I took. We’re true mates. That’s why we bonded.”

My mind was still circling around the other little tidbit Vaughn had shared. “You wanted me?”

He let out a low growl. “Yes, I wanted you. I still want you, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take you.”

A little of the hope that had flared to life in my chest snuffed out. “Why?”

Vaughn lowered himself to one of the boulders next to the water. “I’ve hurt people I’ve cared about before. I’ve hurt Keene. I didn’t mean to, but it happened.”

I eased down next to Vaughn, leaving that space he liked so much between us. “Mistakes happen.”

His gaze jumped to me. “It’s not one I’m willing to risk when it could kill you.”

I stared at him, trying to weed through all the layers of pain and confusion. “I know control takes time, but your handle on it now seems to be good.”

“I’ve had this gift since I was eleven. If I was going to get a handle on it, it would’ve happened by now.”

“Eleven? I thought the gifts manifested around the time of your first shift.”

Vaughn stared out at the water. “They usually do. They also can manifest if a shifter is under a great deal of duress.”

My heart clenched. “What happened?”

“There was an attack. We still don’t know who was responsible. Whoever it was employed rogue wolves. We have emergency shelters and hiding places for that kind of thing, but when the alarms went off, I’d been playing in the woods. Before I could make it to one, they caught me.”

My fingers pressed into the rock beneath me as I watched the shadows dance in Vaughn’s eyes. “You don’t have to tell me.”

“No. You should know. They wanted to know where the alpha’s mate and son were. Mason and many of our top wolves were away at a council conference. The rogues knew we were vulnerable.”

“You wouldn’t tell them.” I might not have known Vaughn long, but I knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t have revealed the locations of the shelters if he could help it.

The corner of his mouth quirked. “That didn’t make them too happy.”

“What did they do?”

Any hint of humor fled from Vaughn’s expression. “They tortured me. I don’t know how long it lasted. It was night by the time I broke. It just wasn’t in the way they expected. I could feel this energy crackle over my skin, and when one of the wolves punched me, he crumpled to the ground.” He turned his gaze to me. “I killed all four of them. But it still took all night for someone to finally find me. When they did, they couldn’t cut me loose without me shocking them and almost sending them to their knees. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t turn it off.”

A tear slipped free and slid down my cheek. All I could see was Vaughn as a little boy. He’d lost his parents in the attack, been brutalized, and no one could touch him. I moved without thought, climbing into his lap and wrapping myself around him. I hugged him as if it could erase all he’d been through.

“I’m so sorry.”

“I’ll probably never be able to control it.”

“I don’t care.” A zap of pain sparked through my system.

“You sure about that?”

I only held on to Vaughn tighter. “Stop trying to scare me.”

He rested his chin on my shoulder. “I don’t want this. Don’t want to be linked to another person I could fail. Don’t want to risk that I could hurt you or worse.”

I trailed my fingers up and down his spine. “I was scared today.”

“That piece of shit never should’ve gotten close to you.”

“Not then.” Fear had sparked the initial reaction. But that flicker had nothing on how I felt afterward. “When I hurt him. That terrified me.”

Vaughn held me closer. “I know you. You’d never hurt someone who didn’t deserve it.”

“I’m just saying I know a little of what it’s like to be afraid.”

He stiffened, the arms around me going rigid. “That’s not what’s going on.”

I lifted my head so I could look him in the eyes. “Isn’t it?”

He lifted me off him and deposited me back on the boulder. “You have no idea. You’re just learning about this world. You don’t know how much I could put you at risk.”

I slid off the rock, crossing to him. “Then explain it to me.”

“You sent a guy falling on his ass. I put my brother in a coma for a week.”

I froze. “What?”

Vaughn’s jaw worked back and forth. “We got into a fight. It was so stupid. Arguing over who was covering what chores that week. Keene said something that flipped my trigger. I shoved him. That was all it took. He dropped like a stone.”

Vaughn’s hands fisted at his sides, knuckles bleaching white. “I thought I’d killed him. I stood there for seconds, thinking my brother was dead and that I’d done it. Then I saw his chest rise and fall.”

“Vaughn…” I reached out, wanting to give him some sort of comfort.

He stepped out of my range. “I sat by his bed for seven days until he woke up.”

Suddenly, Vaughn’s reaction to my own seven-day sleep made a little more sense. He hadn’t caused my state, but I’d gotten to that place by trying to save him. “It was an accident.”

“Just because something’s an accident doesn’t mean the consequences are any less.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Rowan. I won’t risk it.”

And in a flash, Vaughn was gone. Disappearing and taking that hope for fixing things between us with him.

13

VAUGHN MUST’VE ALERTED the rest of the guys to his disappearing act because I wasn’t alone for more than a couple of minutes. I stared out at the water as footsteps sounded behind me. I could feel the guys—pulse points on an invisible map. I could feel Vaughn too. Moving farther and farther away.

The knowledge made my chest ache. Every time I thought we’d had a breakthrough, the ground beneath us crumbled.

“Ro?” Anson’s voice was hesitant.

I let my eyes fall closed for a moment. I wanted to lash out, to push them all away. But that was my hurt talking, my fear. I couldn’t blame the rest of the guys for Vaughn’s actions. I couldn’t even blame Vaughn. He’d been through hell.

I swallowed against the burn in my throat. “What happens if Vaughn never wants to be a part of this bond?”

Holden moved to stand beside me. “He’s already a part of the bond. The only way that breaks is if one of you dies.”

My chest tightened. I didn’t want to hold Vaughn hostage, not when being with me would cause him this much pain. As much as it would’ve killed me to let him go, I would’ve. “There’s no way to undo it?”

Lucas stepped up next to Holden. “I’ve never heard of it happening before.”

Keene shuffled in on my other side. “That’s not what he wants, Ro. I know he said it but—”

“I’m hurting him.” I turned to Keene, fighting to keep my tears at bay. “He’s been through so much, and I’m only causing him more pain.”

Keene blanched. “I don’t think that’s the case.”

“You didn’t see him just now. Being linked to me, fighting to stay away, constantly worrying about hurting me…it’s torturing him.”

Keene ran a hand through his hair and looked out at the lake. “He hasn’t truly hurt anyone in years.”

“But that burden stays with him.”

“I know,” Keene whispered. There was so much guilt in his voice. A weight of his own that he was battling with. “I goaded him that day. I was being an ass. I knew he was still struggling with control and I didn’t care.”

I moved closer to him, laying a hand on his arm. “You were a kid.”

His eyes met mine. “I was old enough to know better.” A muscle in his jaw ticked. “Do you know he wouldn’t touch me or anyone else for almost a year after that? A year of no human contact. That messes with someone.”

I’d felt so alone after Lacey died and my parents all but disappeared. There were months where I hadn’t gotten a hug, but I’d still had a casual touch here and there. A pat on my shoulder. The shake of my hand. Vaughn hadn’t had any of that. The tightening in my chest only intensified.

“I don’t know how to help him. Is it best if I simply stay away?”

“No.” It was Anson who spoke, his green eyes hardening to emeralds. “He’s so used to everyone letting him get away with this disappearing act. I think it’s time we push.”

Keene whirled on Anson. “You have no idea what Vaughn went through. Losing our parents. Almost dying. Manifesting so early. It’s more than the scars on his body. It’s the scars on his fucking soul.”

Anson didn’t move as Keene shoved at his chest. I held my breath, waiting for Anson’s infamous temper to explode, but it didn’t. “You’ve all been tiptoeing around him and making excuses for years. Every time you let him push you out, it makes those walls a little stronger.”

The burn in my throat was back. Anson knew what it was to push people away, except his walls weren’t made of scowls and biting comments. His had been constructed of cocky smiles and pretending to be someone he wasn’t.

I moved without thinking, stepping between him and Keene, wrapping my arms around Anson’s waist. “You’re right.”

“It’s not a good idea,” Keene argued. “When Vaughn gets like this, he needs his space.”

Anson’s face nuzzled my hair as he inhaled deeply. “I’m not saying we chase after him right now, but tomorrow, we find his ass and let him know he doesn’t get to pull the lone wolf thing anymore. With the council coming here, we need to stick together.”

Holden stepped forward, clapping Anson on the shoulder. “He’s right. We have to start thinking like a real bond. It’s not just our relationships with Rowan that are important. We have to look out for each other too.”

My heart warmed at Holden’s support of Anson. The fact that they could come together on an issue gave me hope for our bond as a whole. I knew that hope was dangerous, that my heart could keep being shredded along the way, but I was going to keep trying anyway.

Lucas moved into our little huddle. “Ridge describes their bond with Cassie as a brotherhood. It’s just as important that we all trust each other. We need time together and not just when we’re in crisis.”

I turned in Anson’s arms so that I was facing the group. We’d been through so much over the past month. And Lucas was right, a large portion of it had been attacks of one kind or another. We needed time to simply be. To get to know one another on an everyday level.

My gaze swept around the group as an idea took shape in my mind. “Holden, do you think your dad could call in an excuse for us at school tomorrow?”

“Sure. What’re you thinking?”

A smile stretched across my lips. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

14

I SHUT the door to Holden’s bedroom as quietly as possible. Getting out of the bed had been a comic feat. The sounds of soft snores and deep breathing quieted as the door snicked shut. I let out a breath and started down the hall.

It was still dark outside, but wall sconces created a soft glow. I moved down the stairs, stopping short when I saw a woman on the couch with her arm around Crispin. When his eyes found mine, he jumped up, running for me. “Rowan!”

I let out an oomph as he hit my stomach, my arms going around his small body. “Hey, C.”

“Missed you,” he mumbled. “I thought maybe they were lying and you were dead like my dad.”

My heart clenched and I pulled him tighter against me. “I’m right here.” My hand trailed up and down his back.

The unfamiliar woman gave me a kind smile. “We didn’t wake you, did we? I thought some hot cocoa might help shake off the bad dreams.”

“Not at all. I was actually hoping to make use of the kitchen before the breakfast crowd descended. I’m Rowan, by the way.”

“I’m Sarah. I can show you around the kitchen and help you find whatever you need.”

“I can help too,” Crispin added.

I looked down at him. “I was going to make some sandwiches for the guys. Think you can tell me what they like?”

He bobbed his head up and down in an enthusiastic nod. “I know their favorites ‘cause we have sandwich Saturdays.”

“It’s Jase’s day off from the kitchen duty. We do a serve-yourself sandwich bar for lunch,” Sarah explained.

I gave Crispin’s shoulders a squeeze. “Then you’re the perfect helper.”

“I’ll get the bread.” He charged towards the kitchen.

Sarah let out a light laugh. “It’s good to see him smiling like that.”

“How’s he doing?” I lowered my voice as we started for the kitchen.

“Giving him things to do like this is good. He misses his dad. It won’t be easy when he’s old enough to know the truth.”

“I wish he never had to know.”

“The truth is rarely easy and it’s always complicated.”

I made a humming noise. I wished I knew what Sam’s motivations had truly been. He hadn’t seemed like a bad person. The way he’d loved and cared for Crispin made it hard for me to believe him to be purely a villain. My stomach cramped at the thought of what might’ve happened had he succeeded.

Crispin appeared, holding up two loaves of bread. “I got the white and the honey wheat. Those are the ones they like.”

I forced a smile at my tiny friend. “Show me the ropes.”

“Lucas always wants peanut butter and jelly. Holden and Keene like turkey with cheddar, tomato, and lettuce. Last time, Anson had salami and cheddar, so I know he likes that.”

“There’s a little hero worship going on here,” Sarah explained.

I grinned at Crispin. “What about Vaughn?” It was more of that dangerous hope, making a sandwich for him. But I couldn’t help holding out for the broody bugger.

Crispin’s lips pursed. “I don’t know. Vaughn doesn’t usually come on Saturdays. Only official pack meals.” He gave a little shrug. “He probably eats rock sandwiches or something.”

I burst out laughing. “I’d love to see Vaughn’s face when he took a peek at that sandwich.”

Crispin’s eyes went wide and he held up both hands. “It wasn’t my idea.”

I pulled him to my side. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

HEAT BLOOMED at my back as arms went around my waist. “It puts me in a bad mood when I wake up to Keene’s morning breath instead of your body.”

I wanted to sink into that heat. To get lost and never come up for air. “Anson. Little ears,” I warned.

Crispin looked up at us as Anson pressed his lips to my neck. “Ick. I don’t need to see that.”

Anson chuckled against my skin. “One day, that’s all you’re going to want to see.”

Crispin paused for a moment, giving Anson a skeptical look, then shook his head. “No way. That kissing stuff is gross.”

Anson’s lips trailed along my neck, sending sparks of sensation dancing across my skin. “What do you think, Ro? Is kissing gross?”

I struggled to keep myself from panting. None of the guys had taken anything beyond kissing since my episode. But as much as I appreciated them giving me time to recover, I was about ready to combust. “Kissing is definitely not gross.”

Crispin made a gagging noise.

Anson barked out a laugh. “So, Crispin, you been keeping our girl company?”

He nodded, a grin stretching across his face. “I’ve been helping with your surprise.”

Holden appeared, leaning a hip against the doorway. “Surprise, huh?”

I felt suddenly nervous. “We’re going to spend the day at the lake. No school. No distractions. Just a picnic and each other.”

“Sounds perfect. You pick out your bikini yet?” Anson asked.

“Bikini? It’s like fifty degrees out.”

Holden’s lips twitched. “Shifter heat. We can swim any time.”

“Really?”

“Go get that bikini,” Anson said with a light tap to my butt.

I turned to Crispin and pulled him into a hug. “Thanks for helping me. Want to hang tomorrow? Play a little air hockey?”

“Only if you’re ready to lose.”

“I’ll try to prepare my heart for decimation.”

Sarah poked her head in the kitchen. “You done, Crispin? We were going to head into town to the library.”

“I’m ready.” He gave me one more hug and then trailed off after Sarah.

The expression on Holden’s face was so tender, it made my chest ache. “You’re good with him.”

“I’d like to be. I can’t imagine how much he’s hurting right now.”

Anson wrapped his arms around me. “You’re helping to ease that pain.”

I hoped so, but none of it felt like enough. I forced myself to shake off the hurt I felt for Crispin and focus on the day in front of us. I closed the picnic basket with a snap. “Who’s going to carry this?”

“I’ve got it,” Holden volunteered.

I looked between Anson and Holden. “Think Keene can convince Vaughn to meet us at the lake?”

Doubt flickered over Holden’s expression. “He can try.”

15

MY GAZE SWEPT over the surrounding forest. “He’s not coming, is he?”

Keene sent me a sympathetic look, but there was a flicker of annoyance in his gaze. “I’m sorry, Ro.”

I let my eyes fall closed for a moment. Giving myself just a second to feel the sting of the hurt. Then I pushed it all aside. I looked around at the guys. “We’ll keep asking him. We’ll keep showing up. But we also won’t let him ruin the time we have together.”

Lucas wrapped an arm around me and pressed a kiss to my temple. “Sounds like the perfect plan to me.”

“Me too,” Holden agreed.

“It really is gorgeous out here.” I looked around the lake. There was a ridge on the opposite side of the shore that made the perfect overlook. “We should go camping up there sometime.”

Holden stiffened and then shuffled his feet. “Yeah, that would be cool.”

Lucas draped an arm around Holden’s shoulders. “Holden isn’t huge on camping.”

“Oh.” I wasn’t sure if that was really it though.

Anson finished blowing up a floatie and tossed it onto the lake. “I’m ready.”

Keene started laughing. “Is that a unicorn?”

“Hey, what’s wrong with unicorns?”

Luc shook his head. “Nothing. You and your unicorn are going to have an awesome day.”

I looked around the group. “Wait. Are unicorns real?”

All the guys froze and then promptly burst out laughing.

Keene wiped under his eyes. “Oh, man. That was good. I needed that laugh.”

I scowled at him. “You are a human that turns into a wolf. I don’t think unicorns are that much of a stretch.”

Holden smiled at me, clearly struggling to keep his laughter at bay. “As far as I know, unicorns do not exist in our world.”

“Bummer,” I muttered.

“I’ll let you use my unicorn.” Anson scooped me up and carried me towards the lake.

“That water’s probably freezing,” I shrieked.

“Good thing you’ve got that wolf warmth now.” He tossed me onto the float, the water splashing up around me.

I braced for the shock of cold to hit me, but it never came. The water felt as if it were the same temperature as the air. I dipped my hand into it, watching my fingers in fascination.

“Watch out!” Holden called.

But it was too late. Someone grabbed my hand, and I fell into the water. I came up spluttering for air and cursing. Lucas sent me a devilish grin. “You wanted to have fun today.”

I sent a splash of water in his direction. “I don’t call nearly choking to death, fun.”

Arms wrapped around me from behind. “You’re all wet, Ro.”

I growled in Anson’s direction. “I’m aware.”

His chuckle skated across my skin, sending delicious little shivers with it. “Have I told you lately how gorgeous you are?” His fingers traced a design on my stomach.

My breath hitched. “Never hurts to hear it again.”

His thumb teased the tie of my bikini bottoms. “This is going to be the death of me.”

Lucas moved in closer. “But it’ll be a good way to go.”

Keene popped up from under the water, shaking out his dark hair. “A hell of a way.”

Holden strode into the water, his golden skin on display and a heat in his eyes that had me swallowing hard. “It’s a beautiful kind of torture.”

I squirmed as Anson held me tighter against him. He let out a low groan. “Torture is definitely the right word.”

I turned in his arms. “Sorry?”

Keene pressed against my back. “Apologies definitely aren’t needed.”

“Hell, no,” Anson agreed.

My breathing picked up speed as Holden crowded me on one side with Lucas on the other.

“Hi,” I squeaked.

Holden chuckled, sliding his hand along my jaw and tilting my face towards him. His gaze was riveted on my mouth. “Can I kiss you, Rowan?”

My heart stuttered. He was asking for so much more than a kiss. He was asking if he was forgiven. It scared the hell out of me, but I couldn’t imagine my life without Holden in it. “Please.”

His lips met mine. The kiss was slow at first. Long, languid strokes and a simmering heat. But it quickly picked up intensity, turning hungry and just a little bit feral. I nearly moaned as he nipped my bottom lip.

“Hot as hell,” Lucas muttered as he adjusted himself in his swim shorts.

My cheeks flamed and I ducked my head.

Anson framed my face with his hands. “Don’t get bashful on us now.” He took my mouth in a gentle kiss that turned just a little desperate before he let me go.

“Anson’s right,” Keene said as his lips trailed down my neck. “Watching you with them is making me hard as a rock.”

“It’s not weird?”

Lucas gave a strand of my hair a playful tug. “Not weird at all.”

Holden scanned my face. “Is it okay with you?”

I took a moment to really think about how I felt about their lips meeting mine, their hands touching me all at once. My blood heated and I pressed my thighs together. “It doesn’t bother me.”

Keene scooped me up in his arms and strode towards the shore. The sounds of splashing followed us. In a blink, he was lowering me to the blanket we’d laid out earlier, his mouth covering mine. My hands found his hair, tugging on the wet strands. I needed more. So much more.

He tore his mouth away, breathing raggedly, as the rest of the guys dropped around us on the blanket. “So damn sweet.”

Anson’s fingers found the tie of my bikini top. He took hold of the string, his eyes meeting mine in question. My answer wasn’t with words. I stretched up, grasping his shoulders and kissing him with everything I had in me.

Other fingers found the rest of the ties to my bikini, and the top fell free. The cool breeze made my nipples pebble. Lips latched around one. My back arched and I moaned into Anson’s mouth.

I fell back to the blanket, unable to keep my hold on Anson. Holden followed me down, his lips finding my nipple again.

Lucas hooked his fingers into my bikini bottoms. “Yes?”

“Yes,” I said, voice hoarse.

In a flash, I was completely bare to them. I should’ve been embarrassed or self-conscious, but I couldn’t find any of that. Not when a heat was building deep inside.

Keene trailed a finger down my center. “So beautiful.”

Anson’s hand massaged my breast, rolling my nipple.

“Wait until you feel her around your finger,” Lucas muttered.

“Fuck,” Keene gritted out. Then his finger slipped inside.

“Keene,” I whispered.

“Need more, Ro?”

I nodded.

He sent me a devilish grin. “We can give you more.”

He slid a second finger inside me as Lucas lowered his head to that bundle of nerves. His tongue circled, then flicked. My inner walls clamped down on Keene’s fingers, and I let out a shaky breath.

“Please.” I didn’t know what I was even asking for, but the guys somehow understood.

Keene’s fingers pumped in and out of me, curling and hitting a spot that had flickers of light dancing across my vision. Holden’s teeth tugged on my nipple, that little hint of pain driving me impossibly higher. Anson bent, his mouth a breath away from mine. “Let go.”

Lucas’ lips locked on my clit and his tongue flicked out. They all seemed to move as one. A coordinated assault I’d never recover from.

Sparks danced across my skin, that invisible tether between us all pulling tighter.

“We’ve got you,” Anson whispered against my lips.

It was all it took. I fractured. Light burst around me, and I knew I’d never be the same.

16

THE SUN DIPPED low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the lake and the guys. Lucas nuzzled into my side. “Today was a good day.”

I leaned back into him, watching as Anson snagged the frisbee Keene had sent his way. “The best day.”

Holden dug his thumbs into the arch of my foot. “Just what we needed.”

It had been. An escape. Time for just us. My skin still hummed with the memory of this morning, but it was more than that. We’d laughed, ate, simply relaxed with each other.

Lucas groaned. “I promised my parents I’d come for dinner tonight.” He looked at me. “Would you want to come?”

“I don’t want to intrude on family time.”

“You wouldn’t be,” Luc assured me. “My parents have been bugging me about bringing you over, but I didn’t want to push. I know you’ve had a lot coming at you from all sides.”

“If you really think it’s okay.”

Holden released his grip on my foot. “If your mom made apple pie, you better bring some back for me.”

Lucas chuckled. “I’d never betray you by leaving leftovers behind.”

“You’re a true friend.”

Luc flipped his phone over. “Shoot, we better hurry.”

I sat up. “I need to shower. Do my hair. Put on some makeup.”

“Sorry, Ro. No time. You brought a change of clothes in your backpack, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but I want to make a good impression, not wear my ratty jeans and a hoodie.”

“You’d look beautiful if you wore a paper bag.” Lucas leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine. A rush of reassuring energy passed at the contact.

I instantly pulled back, my head a little woozy.

“Shit. I’m sorry. I don’t know what that was,” Lucas hurried to apologize.

“What happened?” Holden barked.

Lucas glanced from him to me as Anson and Keene hurried over. “I don’t know. I wanted to reassure Rowan that everything would be okay, but I had a surge of power.”

I touched my fingers to my lips. “It felt like my system was being overloaded.”

“I’m so sorry.”

I reached out and squeezed Lucas’ leg. “It’s okay. It didn’t hurt or anything. I just felt dizzy.”

Holden’s brows pulled together as he stared at us. “I wonder…”

“What?” Anson prodded.

“I bet we’ve deepened our bond today. On a lot of different levels. I wonder if it’s increased our gifts.”

Lucas’ eyes widened. “Test it.”

Holden climbed to his feet, eyeing Keene. “Be my guinea pig?”

He muttered a curse but nodded. “Don’t make my brain explode, please.”

Holden’s lips twitched. “I’ll try my best.”

I stood, laying a hand on Holden’s arm. “Maybe you shouldn’t. Not until we know what’s going on.”

“I’ll be careful. Promise.”

I bit my bottom lip but stepped back.

Holden focused on Keene. “I can usually hold someone in place for thirty seconds at the most.” His eyes narrowed. “All right, try to move.”

Keene’s face was still expressive, but that was it. Even as lines of strain appeared, none of his limbs moved an inch.

“Ninety seconds,” Luc called out.

“Holy shit,” Anson muttered. “Do you feel drained?”

Holden shook his head. “Not at all. I feel like I could keep going forever.”

“Two minutes,” Luc informed us.

“Let him go,” I said softly. Something about Keene being held hostage made my stomach turn.

Holden blinked and Keene was charging forward.

“Crap!” Anson caught Keene around the waist before he plowed into us.

I hurried towards them. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Keene grinned and gave me a quick kiss. “I’m fine. That was crazy though. I couldn’t move at all, and I could almost feel your power around me. It was a hell of a lot stronger than any other time we’ve practiced.”

Holden turned to Anson. “You try.”

“What exactly?”

Holden looked around before his attention settled on a massive log down the beach. “That.”

The thing had to be twenty feet long and who knew how wide. “No. There’s no way. He’s going to hurt himself,” I argued.

But Anson was already striding towards the log.

“Anson, no!”

Lucas grabbed my hand as I hurried after Anson. “He won’t do it if it’s too much.”

I sent Lucas a look that asked if he thought I was stupid. “Anson will take any challenge.”

Luc winced. “You might have a point.”

We picked up our pace, but Anson was already squatting to grab hold of the log. In a flash, he lifted it over his head and threw it down the beach. The rest of us froze.

“I’ll be damned,” Keene said softly.

Anson turned back to us, a huge grin on his face. “That was fun. I wonder what else I can do?”

“Oh no.” I stepped forward, holding up both hands. “I don’t want you to get hurt or accidentally taking out an innocent bystander.”

“She has a point. We should test the gifts in a safe environment,” Holden said.

Anson pouted. “You guys never want me to have any fun.”

Keene stared at where the log had landed. “I think we might want to be careful about who we let in on this new development.”

A shiver ran down my spine. “Why?”

“The council,” Lucas said softly.

Holden looked around our group, his gaze finally settling on me. “I don’t want to think about what might happen if they find out you can already supercharge our powers.”

My stomach twisted into a tight knot. “They aren’t going to take me. Right?”

Anson moved in closer, wrapping his arms around me. “No one’s taking you anywhere, Ro.”

But I wasn’t sure he could be so confident about that. Not if these council leaders were as powerful as the guys said. I’d just have to convince the council I was a healer and nothing else.

17

“THEY’RE HERE!” a girl’s voice shouted from the house.

I fiddled with the strings on my bracelet until Lucas laid his hand over mine, stilling my movements. “My parents already think you’re great. Lily will too.”

I laced my fingers with his, squeezing hard. “Your parents haven’t spent any real time with me.” Aside from when the bomb had been dropped on me about my birth mother being a part of the pack. That thought had me wondering about my other mother, the one who had raised me for almost eighteen years. I hadn’t heard a word from her or my father in the past week or so.

Lucas came to a stop on the walkway, turning to me and framing my face with his hands. “What’s going on in that head of yours right now? It doesn’t feel good.”

Of course, he could feel the blend of anxiety and fear thrumming through me. “I don’t have a great track record with family.”

His thumbs swept back and forth across my cheeks. “That’s changing now.”

“I hope you’re right.” I shifted on my feet. “I guess there’s a part of me that’s scared.”

Luc pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me. “You are worth loving, Rowan. Nothing about you makes that difficult. You make it as easy as breathing.”

My heart gave a stutter step in my chest. “Luc—”

He tipped my face up to his, brushing his lips across mine. “I love you. I think I started falling the moment you crashed into me in the band room.”

“I love you too.” The words fell from my lips without even trying. They came easily because they were the simple truth. I loved Lucas’ kindness and empathy. The way he always sought to sow seeds of peace and draw people together. I loved how seen and understood he always made me feel.

The smile that split his face nearly brought me to my knees. His forehead dropped to mine. “I’d do anything to whisk you away right now. Somewhere private.”

I couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled out of me. “I don’t think that would be very polite.”

“Fuck polite.”

My eyes widened a fraction. “Lucas…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, dinner with my family.”

I stretched up on my tiptoes, running my hands along the buzzed sides of his head. “There’s always later.”

He let out a groan. “I’m going to have a hard-on going into dinner with my parents.”

“Think about baseball. Isn’t that what guys always do?”

“Trust me, no amount of baseball stats are going to save me right now.”

I gave a little shrug. “Sorry?”

Luc chuckled, shaking his head and pulling me towards the door. “You’re not sorry at all.”

The front door opened and Lara appeared, with a girl who looked to be around thirteen flitting around her. “I’m so happy you could come with Lucas,” Lara said.

“Thank you for having me. I hope I’m not intruding.”

Lara pulled me into a quick hug. “Never. You’re family now.”

The easy words made a flicker of pain light down my sternum. A mixture of fierce want and fear. “Thank you.”

“This is Lucas’ sister, Lily.”

She bounced on her toes. “Is it true you can heal people? That you saved Vaughn’s life?”

“Lil,” Luc warned.

I waved him off. “Nice to meet you, Lily. I can heal my bond mates. I don’t know about anyone else.”

Lily sighed wistfully. “That would be such a cool gift.” She looked at her mom. “What do you think I’ll have?”

Lucas ruffled his sister’s hair. “Maybe you’ll be able to turn grown men into frogs.”

She made a face at him. “Gross.”

“Let’s head inside. Greg’s just putting the finishing touches on dinner.”

“Thank God,” Luc muttered.

“I heard that,” Lara shot back.

He sent her a sheepish smile. “You have lots of gifts. Cooking just isn’t one of them.”

Lara laughed. “My son has a point.”

Greg looked up from where he set a plate of what looked like chicken stir-fry on the table. “Welcome, Rowan.”

“Thanks for having me.”

“Any time. Take a seat. What can we get you to drink?”

“Water’s fine.”

“She likes Diet Coke,” Lucas told his dad.

Lara grinned at me. “A girl after my own heart.” She pulled two cans from the fridge and poured the contents into glasses. “So, how was your day? You guys went to the lake?”

My cheeks heated, remembering all the events of the day. Thankfully, Lucas filled my awkward silence. “It was great. I think we all needed a break.”

Little worry lines appeared between Lara’s brows as she set our drinks down. “You guys have been dealing with a lot. Too much for this age.”

Greg squeezed his wife’s shoulder and lowered himself in a chair at the head of the table. “He’s growing up.”

Her eyes misted. “I can’t help seeing him as my baby.”

“Mom, don’t cry,” Lucas said, an edge of panic in his voice.

Lily rolled her eyes as she took the chair opposite mine. “He hates it when she cries.”

Lara swatted at her daughter with her napkin. “Don’t give your brother a hard time.”

Luc relaxed back in his chair at the hint of an exasperated smile on his mom’s lips. “She lives to give me a hard time.”

“Siblings,” Greg muttered.

Another pang hit my chest. Lacey and I had constantly given each other a hard time. Always trying to one-up the other. But nine times out of ten, it was all in good-natured fun. It had been so long since I’d been around that kind of dynamic.

Luc reached under the table and took my hand. This time, he was careful to only release a trickle of energy. Just enough to pull away the worst of the hurt.

I toyed with my napkin as Greg loaded up all of our plates. “What was my birth mom like?” I had to get the question out there. I knew if I waited too long, I’d lose my nerve altogether.

Lara froze for just a second, but recovered quickly. “Abbie was amazing. An incredible empath, but also a hoot. She had a thing for sweets. She was never without some form of candy. She was an amazing friend, and I know she would’ve made an incredible mother.”

I gripped Luc’s hand tighter and knew my nails were digging into his skin. “Did she want kids?”

Lara met my gaze across the table. “Yes, Rowan. We talked about it often. Starting our own families one day, what we’d name our little ones. I know without a shadow of a doubt, she never would’ve given you up unless she didn’t have another choice.”

18

“THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING ME,” I said as Lucas and I hovered by the door to his parents’ cabin.

Greg pulled me in for a quick hug. “You have an open invitation.”

“Yeah, if you get tired of Luc and his friends showing you fighting techniques, I can do it,” Lily chimed in.

“I just might take you up on that.”

Lucas tugged on his sister’s ponytail. “Are you saying I’m a bad teacher?”

Lily grinned at him. “Sometimes we need a little girl power.”

“She’s not wrong,” I told him.

“I found it,” Lara called, waving something as she hurried down the hall. She handed me a photo that was worn around the edges. “I have more, come by any time if you’d like to see more.”

I looked down at the image. The woman in the frame looked so much like me. Her hair was redder than mine, my auburn tended more towards brown, but the eyes were like looking in a mirror. That same blend of green and blue. Her arm was thrown around a younger Lara. Both of them smiled so widely at the camera. There was such life in their eyes and a hint of mischief too.

“Thank you.” My voice came out hoarse, and Lucas wrapped an arm around me as thunder rolled in the distance.

“If you ever want to talk about her, I’m always here. Come by any time,” Lara said.

I nodded, saying my final goodbyes. But my gaze kept being drawn back to the photo. The woman in it was a stranger, yet undeniably familiar.

Lucas guided me down the walkway and back in the direction of the lodge. “She was beautiful.”

I swallowed against the burn rising in my throat. “She was.” I ran my thumb across her face. I had so many questions. Ones I doubted I’d ever get the answers to.

Lucas was quiet as we walked, seeming to sense I needed time with my thoughts. Yet his presence was a balm to the worst of the ache in my chest. He made me feel safe, assured me I wasn’t alone.

Lightning flashed overhead, and with a crack of thunder, the skies opened up. Rain mixed with hail pelted down.

“Shit!” Lucas grabbed my hand and tugged me towards a building.

I slid the photo into the pocket of my hoodie as we ran, hoping to protect it from the worst of the rain. Lucas pulled the door open, and it banged against the side of the building. He flicked the light switch, but nothing happened. “Power must’ve gone out. Usually, the generator flicks on, but I don’t think the storage sheds are covered.”

We moved into the space, my eyes slowly adjusting to the light. There were groups of tables and chairs, what looked like different lawn games, and pots for flowers. Thunder cracked again, so loudly, the whole building shook.

I shivered and Lucas pulled me against him. “You cold?”

“No. I’ve never been a huge fan of storms like this.”

He pulled me down onto some sort of cushioned chaise lounge, more than big enough for two people. “They don’t usually last long. It’ll roll right through.”

“As long as we don’t get hit by lightning.”

Luc chuckled. “We’re in a grounded building. We’re safe.”

“If you say so…”

He squeezed the back of my neck. “Trust me.”

I looked up into his eyes. “I do.”

His lips swept across mine. “One of the best gifts you could ever give me.” He was quiet for a moment, searching. “Was tonight too much for you?”

I shook my head, pulling out the photo. With my new shifter sight, I could see the image clearly, even in the near dark. “There are so many things I want to know, but I might never get the chance. She could be impossible to find.” My hand gripped the side of the chaise. “Or she could be dead.”

“Sometimes I think the unknown is worse than anything else.”

I thought about it for a moment. Losing Lacey had fundamentally changed something inside me. There was a pain that had left its mark on me forever. It was solid, and I knew I would never forget what it was like to love her and lose her.

My birth mother was this ever-changing thing. It felt like trying to balance on a paddleboard in a rough sea. I had no stable ground to stand on. “I keep wondering, was she this noble, amazing woman as your mother described? Or was she someone who had an affair with somebody she shouldn’t have and got rid of the evidence? Good or bad? I want to know where to put her in my mind.”

Lucas’ hand trailed up and down my back. “It’s probably somewhere in between.”

I looked up at him in question.

“We’re all shades of gray, Ro. None of us is all good or all bad. We may skew a little more to the dark or light, but we’re actually a beautiful mixture.”

I traced a rip in Luc’s jeans with my finger. “It feels safer to put her in a category and keep her there.”

“Safe maybe, but you’d miss out on so much. It’s the presence of the light and the dark that makes us appreciate each opposite. We need that balance to be fully human.”

“I think if I give her that space to be fully human, it hurts that much more that she gave me away.”

Lucas brushed the hair away from my face. “Her circumstances have nothing to do with you being loveable and worthy. Of course, it hurts. It wouldn’t matter if the reasons were noble or nefarious. It still caused you pain. I want you to have the answers so that you can find your way to forgiveness. Not for her, but for you.”

He let his fingers sift through my hair in a soothing stroke. “That’s the thing about being an empath. You realize that understanding where another person is coming from is the key to freedom. I can let go of so much because I realize how little of it actually has anything to do with me.”

I looked at the woman in the photo again, wondering if she might’ve even been pregnant here. I thought about how scared she must’ve been to be alone in that knowledge. I felt the tugging strands of compassion and struggled to grab hold. I could find that empathy for her, even if I didn’t have all my answers.

I looked up at Luc. “You make me better, you know that?”

He brushed his lips across mine. “We make each other better.”

As our lips met again, a searing pain lashed against my hip and I cried out.

“Hell,” he muttered, wincing. “Are you okay?” Lucas was already pulling the worst of my pain away.

“What was that?”

His hands went to the waistband of his jeans, tugging it down a fraction. The small triangle that had been only an outline yesterday was now filled.

I leaned back, adjusting my jeans so that I could see my star. Another prong of the shape was filled in. My gaze shot to Luc. “Was that—?”

A smile stretched across his face. “We bonded.”

19

ARE YOU OKAY?

What happened?

Where are you?

Typically, if someone spoke to you via the pack link, there was a sort of polite knocking in your mind. But this time, voices barged right in. The last question had been growled by Vaughn.

We’re fine, Lucas assured them.

Rowan felt pain, Vaughn pushed.

I bit my lip. I must’ve accidentally let my pain out through the pack link to our bond. But this was something I wanted to share in person, not through some bizarre brain connection. We’re okay, really. We’ll fill you in when we get back to the room.

It was a challenge to Vaughn. He couldn’t demand answers, yet refuse to be a part of our bond. At some point, he had to jump.

Looks like the rain’s letting up. Can you make it back? Holden asked.

We’ll be there soon, Luc answered.

The voice in my mind blinked out. Lucas took my face in his hands. “I really don’t want to go back.”

My hands went around his waist, pulling us closer together. “Me either.”

He took my mouth in a kiss that seared me to the spot. He poured all of his emotion into it, and I swore I could feel just how much he loved me. In a flash, I was straddling his lap, needing more of that feeling.

Lucas’ hands gripped my ass, pulling me flush against his growing hardness. I moaned into his mouth at the delicious friction. “Luc.”

“Hell, Ro,” he whispered against my mouth. “I need you.”

“Think they’ll wait?” The last thing I wanted was someone mentally barging in on my and Luc’s first time together.

He grimaced. “No, they won’t.”

I brushed my mouth softly against his. “We’ll find time together soon.”

He nipped my bottom lip. “I’ll kidnap you if I have to.”

“Is it kidnapping if I go willingly?”

Luc chuckled. “I guess not.”

I climbed off his lap, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. He let out a pained groan. I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. “Sorry?”

He pushed to his feet. “You’re not sorry at all.” Luc opened the door and peeked out. “Looks like we’re good to go.”

He held out a hand and I took it. The woods around us looked even more green after the storm. As if the trees had instantly soaked up the nutrients.

I tapped out a nonsensical rhythm on Luc’s hand. “Is it going to be weird to tell the guys?”

He looked down at me. “It’s good for the whole of the bond when the connections begin to cement.”

“But?” I asked, sensing there was something he was holding back.

“There can be moments of jealousy.” He squeezed my hand. “Jealousy might not be the right word. We all want that link with you—”

“Vaughn doesn’t.”

“Vaughn’s fear doesn’t want the bond. The rest of him certainly does.”

“Sometimes fear can override everything else.”

Lucas tugged me to a stop. “We’re going to fight that fear with him. Have a little faith. We’ll all come together when we’re supposed to.”

“You really believe that?”

He bent to brush his mouth against mine. “I do. Fate is a more powerful force than any of us.”

I wished I could believe in fate and her benevolent goodness, but I’d seen too many bad things happen.

Luc lifted a hand, tucking my hair behind my ear and letting his fingers sift through my strands. “Fate doesn’t mean that bad things won’t happen. It simply means that through the bad it’s possible for good to come.”

“Like a silver lining?”

“Kind of. I believe that fate can bring purpose to all the things in our lives, even the bad. She can rearrange the pieces to bring us to something more beautiful than we ever could’ve imagined.”

I thought about all the pain of this past year. Losing Lacey. My parents slowly disappearing. Moving. My mom’s growing hatred. It had all brought me to Cloverdale. To the guys. The truth was, I would experience all of that pain again if I knew it would bring me here.

I leaned into Lucas, pressing my lips to his. I poured all my gratitude into that kiss. I thought of how it felt to be loved by him and how safe I felt with our bond. When I pulled away, his eyes were a little glassy. “Thank you,” I whispered.

“Love you, Ro.”

“I love you too.” Just saying the words made me giddy.

Luc grinned down at me. “We really should go or they’ll send out a search party.”

“Come on.” I tugged on his hand, leading us towards the lodge.

We walked as quickly as possible without breaking into a jog. A handful of people were hanging around downstairs when we arrived, but Luc simply offered a wave and pulled me towards the stairs.

The door to Holden’s room was flung open as we reached the landing. Anson filled the entryway. “What the hell was that? We could all feel it.”

Luc motioned him back into the room, and I shut the door as soon as we were inside. Turning, I scanned the space. “No Vaughn?”

Keene shook his head. “He said he had stuff to do.”

I pinned Keene with a stare. “Did he ask you to tell him what we said?”

Keene nodded, looking a little sheepish.

“Don’t tell him,” I ordered.

Holden’s eyes widened a fraction, and the rest of the guys went silent.

“He doesn’t get to play both sides of this. Staying informed but not being a part of the bond. He’s in or he’s out.”

Keene bit the inside of his cheek. “He’s not going to take that well.”

I huffed. “I don’t take his hot and cold act well.” My shoulders slumped. “I feel for him. I really do. I can’t imagine what all he’s been through. But we have to push back a little. Vaughn is used to having things his way because people are scared to go against it. It’s time he learns some boundaries.”

“It’s a good plan,” Holden said, looking around the room. “Are we agreed?”

Anson gave a chin lift. “Agreed.”

Luc nodded. “Agreed.”

Keene stared at the floor. I moved to him then, taking his hands in mine. “I know it’s hard. But this is for him as much as it is for us.”

Keene lifted his head to meet my gaze. “Agreed.”

I brushed my lips against his as I squeezed his hands. “Thank you.”

“Now, will someone finally tell us what happened?” Anson griped.

I released Keene’s hands and stepped back into Luc’s hold. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and grinned at the group. “We bonded.”

Holden’s mouth dropped open. “Wow. That’s amazing.”

There was a small tic in Anson’s jaw. “How?”

I took Luc’s hand, needing his calm reassurance. “We got caught in the rain and ducked into a storage shed. We were just talking, and then we kissed and boom.”

“We’ve all talked and kissed,” Anson pointed out.

Keene clapped him on the shoulder. “You know that isn’t how it works. It’s not some checklist you can mark off. It’s a lowering of the metaphysical walls in one way or another.”

“We were talking about my mom,” I said softly. “Dinner brought up some stuff.”

Concern flashed across Anson’s expression. “Are you okay?”

“I’m good. But I needed to process it.” I looked up at Lucas. “Luc was there for me.”

Holden smiled, and I relaxed as I took in how genuine it was. He crossed to me and Lucas, pulling us both into a hug. “Happy for you guys.”

His gesture was followed by more hugs and back slaps. Moving through these awkward moments gave me hope for our future.

I let out a big yawn, covering my mouth.

Keene chuckled. “Long day?”

“It’s certainly been eventful.”

Holden kissed my temple. “Why don’t you get ready for bed? I think we could all use an early night for once.”

I grabbed my pajamas and hurried into the bathroom. I made quick work of washing my face and brushing my teeth. By the time I made it back out, the guys were already in bed. I grinned at all four of them crammed into the king-sized bed. Usually, someone moved to an air mattress during the night, but I liked it best when we were all together.

The only thing that would’ve made it better was if Vaughn were here. A pang lit through my chest at the thought. Without considering the ramifications, I barged into his mind. We miss you.

Only silence greeted me. I slowly backed out of his mental space and climbed onto the bed, wedging myself between Lucas and Keene. Despite the crowdedness, I fit perfectly. For once, I felt like I belonged.

It was that knowledge and peace that drew me into sleep almost instantly. It was a rest so deep, it took a minute for me to wake up as someone pounded on the door.

“Come in,” Holden said groggily.

I blinked a few times, my eyes adjusting to the light pouring in. Mason filled the doorway. His gaze landed on me. “Rowan. We found your mom.”

20

I BOLTED UP IN BED. “WHAT?”

Mason stepped into the room, switching the light on. “We found Abigail.”

“Where?”

Lucas curved his body around mine, pouring comforting energy into me. Keene took one of my hands, his thumb tracing those calming circles on my skin.

“She was living in New Orleans,” Mason answered. “But she’s being escorted back to the compound now. She’ll be here in a few minutes.”

Holden’s eyes flicked to the clock and then narrowed on his father. “You knew about this yesterday.”

Mason’s features hardened. “I knew it was a possibility that we’d found her. I got word a few hours ago that they were successful and on their way back.”

“You should’ve told us.”

Mason let out a low growl. “Don’t forget who’s alpha.”

Holden fought to keep his father’s gaze but eventually lowered his eyes. “Rowan deserved to know.”

“I’m telling her now,” he gritted out. “You all needed your rest. What good would a couple hours of worry have done?”

“It is what it is,” I cut in. The last thing we needed was Holden and his father going at it before my mom showed. I looked at Mason. “Is she okay?”

Something passed over Mason’s eyes so quickly I couldn’t identify it. “Yes. Mac said she was unharmed.” He paused. “She’s not pleased about returning to Cloverdale.”

I gripped Keene’s hand harder, my other fisting in the blankets. As much anger, hurt, and confusion I had swirling around inside me about my mother, I didn’t want something forced on her. “After we ask our questions, you’ll let her go, right?”

Mason’s eyes shifted to the side the barest amount. “It depends on her answers.”

My jaw clenched as my back molars ground together.

Keene squeezed my hand. “Let’s get dressed.”

Anson climbed out of bed, looking at Mason. “We’ll meet you downstairs.”

It was a not-so-subtle request to leave.

A muscle in Mason’s cheek fluttered. He opened his mouth to say something, but as his gaze landed on me, he closed it. “Hurry,” was all he said as he turned to leave the room.

“Hell,” Anson muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face.

“You okay, Ro?” Keene asked.

“I don’t know.” I had gone a little bit numb.

Holden moved so he was facing me. “I’m so sorry. He should’ve told you as soon as he had a lead. I can’t believe he didn’t.”

“It’s okay.” It wasn’t. I should’ve had time to mentally prepare for this. Instead, I was getting thrown straight into the fire. But there was nothing we could do to change it.

“It’s not,” Anson growled.

“Guys,” Luc said. “You’re not helping. Dial it back a notch.”

I nuzzled into his neck. That warm buzz flowing from him into me. “Thank you.”

“We should get dressed,” he said quietly.

We should, but at that moment, I didn’t want to move. I forced myself to push off his chest and scoot to the end of the bed. I grabbed clothes from my duffle and ducked into the bathroom. I pulled them on and quickly brushed my teeth. By the time I was out, the guys were all dressed.

Anson pulled me into his arms. “We got you. You’re not alone.”

Keene glanced our way, shuffling his feet. “Vaughn knows something’s wrong. Some of your anxiety trickled out over the pack link.”

I paused for a moment, searching my mind. I could feel his energy, so wolf-like. It seemed to pace back and forth, pawing at the ground. I opened a link to him and the rest of the guys. If you want to know what’s going on, come to the lodge.

There was an answering growl, but nothing more. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but I was done giving Vaughn what he wanted while he got to stay an arm’s length away.

Holden slipped his hand under my hair and squeezed the back of my neck. “Good for you.”

I gave him a wobbly smile. “I’m trying.”

“I think it’ll work over time.”

Keene’s phone beeped. He looked down at the screen and then up at us. “An SUV just passed through the gates.”

My stomach twisted. This was it. No turning back now.

Lucas laid a hand on my shoulder. “We’re with you.”

“I know. I don’t think I could do this without you.”

Anson kissed my temple. “Good thing you don’t have to and never will.”

I took a deep breath and moved to open the door. As we poured out into the hallway, the guys surrounded me. It was that same formation that made us look like the President and Secret Service.

I twisted the strands of my bracelet around my finger as we descended the stairs. Mason was waiting for us with Coby at his side. Coby glared in my direction, as if I were the cause of all her problems.

Holden let out a low growl and Coby averted her gaze.

My hearing picked up the sound of tires on gravel. An engine shut off and doors slammed. Footsteps sounded on the stairs and then one of the huge doors opened.

The woman who opened the door was vaguely familiar, someone I’d seen around the compound before. When she stepped to the side, she revealed a woman flanked by two massive men. They looked like they could be MMA fighters.

The woman in between them had me sucking in a sharp breath. Her reddish hair was in a haphazard disarray, her clothes rumpled. Her eyes were wide and jumped all around the room. When they landed on Mason, she stumbled back a few steps.

He frowned at her. “We’re not going to hurt you, Abigail.”

“I-I-I can’t be here. He’ll find me.”

Mason stepped forward. “Who will find you?”

She snapped her mouth closed, her eyes sweeping the room. When they landed on me, she froze. “No, no, no. You’re supposed to be safe.”

The panic lacing her voice tore at my heart. “I am safe.”

She rushed forward. “You’re not. You have to leave. Get far away.”

Holden and Anson stepped in front of me just before she reached us.

Abigail skittered back a few steps. “No,” she whispered.

The back door slammed as Vaughn strode towards us, moving to my side.

Abigail’s gaze jumped from one guy to the next before it finally settled on me. “What have you done?”

21

MY HEART HAMMERED in my chest. It beat so hard, my entire body trembled. “I haven’t done anything.”

“I can sense the bond,” Abigail growled low. “We need to leave now. There still might be hope.” She pushed forward, but Anson and Holden closed off her path. “Let me through.”

“No,” Holden said.

Abigail’s eyes flashed. “If you care about her at all, you’ll let me take her far away from here and you won’t follow. But you don’t care. You just want her for her power.” She shoved at his chest. “Let me through.”

“Stop it,” I barked at her. “Don’t touch him.”

Abigail’s gaze shot to me, her expression softening. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself in the middle of. I’ll explain everything, but we have to go.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” As much as I wanted those answers, I wouldn’t leave the guys. I wouldn’t let her take me on some wild escape journey.

“I gave up everything for you. Just to keep you safe. You don’t understand.” Her eyes bolted around the room again, barely landing on one person before jumping to the next. “He already knows. He’s going to come here. We have to leave.”

She charged Anson and Holden as if she were a linebacker.

“Hell,” Anson muttered, trying to push her back.

Abigail lost it, screaming and kicking. “Give me my daughter! He’ll kill us all!”

“Shit. She just bit me.” Anson’s hand went to his cheek as Vaughn surged forward, pushing Abigail back.

Her fighting only intensified. Mason and Coby took her arms, but she thrashed and thrashed, screaming about him.

“Get her out of here,” Holden barked to Anson as Lucas and Keene stepped in front of me to shield me.

“I don’t want to go.”

Abigail’s screaming grew louder, now a nonsensical jumble of words.

Anson wrapped an arm around me, gently yet firmly guiding me towards the door. “You being close is only going to make her more hysterical.”

I looked over my shoulder as he pushed me towards the back deck. Abigail no longer looked human. She was a spiral of limbs and hair.

Tears burned the back of my throat and I forced my gaze away. The whole world blurred around me as Anson guided me outside. I barely took in my surroundings until Anson was opening the door to a small cabin. He tugged me inside, moving me to a small couch in an open living space.

I moved like a robot, lowering myself to the cushions and staring at the rough wood walls. What had just happened? Images and words flashed in my mind. What have you done?

A sob tore from my throat. In a flash, Anson lifted me onto his lap, cocooning my body with his. The tears came in brutal waves. I shook violently, but Anson simply held on.

“Let it out, Ro. You have to let it out.”

So that was exactly what I did. I cried for all that had been lost. For all the wounds of this past year. For the woman whose mind was clearly broken. For the mother I would never have.

I let the tears flow until there was nothing left in me. When they slowed, Anson stood, carrying me to the bed and laying me down. He wrapped himself around me, his thumb stroking the column of my neck. “I’m here. You’re not alone.”

“I know,” I whispered hoarsely.

We lay in silence. I didn’t know for how long, but Anson never once let go.

I burrowed deeper into his hold. “She’s so broken.”

“That may explain a lot of her actions.”

What if that fracture had begun when she was pregnant with me? I remembered reading about the commonality of mental illness having an onset during pregnancy in a psychology class. What if everything had been simply a figment of her imagination? What if there was a father out there who would’ve loved to have me in his life? Or maybe she was right, and there was someone after us both.

My hands fisted in Anson’s T-shirt. “How will we ever know the truth?”

“With time. We need to give her time to calm down.”

I wished I could believe that was true. “She might be too far gone.”

His fingers ran along the ridges of my spine, as if he were playing a musical instrument. “I’m sorry, Ro. I know you wanted those answers today.”

“What if all this was a waste? That she took me away for no reason at all. Gave me away when she didn’t have to.”

Anson pulled back so he could look into my eyes. “I know it hurts. But it also made you the amazing person you are.”

I lifted a hand, my fingers stroking his rough jawline. Anson knew that kind of hurt better than anyone else. “Did you ever meet your birth father?”

His jaw worked back and forth before he answered. “Once. I hired a P.I. to track him down. He was living in Idaho.”

“And?”

“He told me he didn’t want anything to do with me. That it was just an affair and he didn’t have time or money for a kid.”

My hand stilled. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not. I don’t need that in my life.”

I ran my hand over his buzzed head, his hair tickling my palm. “He’s losing out on the most amazing gift he could’ve ever been given.”

Anson swallowed hard, his eyes growing glassy.

“It’s true,” I pushed. “You’re incredible. Fiercely protective of the people you care about. You make me laugh until my stomach hurts. And there’s a kindness you try to hide away. You know whenever I need you and you’re always there. That’s the greatest gift of all. You stay, no matter how hard things get.”

My hand slid over Anson’s head, down his neck and to his back. “That’s what you were talking about, wasn’t it? You stay because you know how much it hurts when someone you care about leaves.”

Anson’s eyes blazed with that deep green heat. “I love you, Ro. You’ve seen my soul from that first conversation. It’s a gift I’ll never be able to repay.”

Warmth flooded me. Our link had been cemented with some of our hardest experiences, and that meant I could never wish those hardships away. “I love you more than I have the words to say.”

Anson moved to close the distance, but before his lips met mine, I jerked. A now familiar pain flared on my hip, and my eyes flew to his. “Anson.”

A smile stretched across his face. “You’re mine.”

My lips twitched. “It goes both ways, you know? You’re mine too.”

His mouth took mine in a searing kiss. “I belong to you. Always.”

22

THERE WAS SO MUCH in the kiss. Desire, pain, hope, fear, love. We lost ourselves in the flood of emotion, the tangle of tongues, and the roving hands.

But I needed more. I needed everything.

“Anson,” I breathed.

His eyes turned a molten green as he looked down at me. “What do you need?”

The answer was simple. “You.”

The grin that spread across his face took my breath away. “You have me.”

He tugged his shirt over his head, sending it to the floor. Then his hands were on my tank top. His knuckles grazed against my sides as he lifted it, sending delicious shivers skating across my skin.

Anson’s mouth curved as he took me in. “No bra?”

I bit the side of my lip. “I was in a hurry.”

He let out a little growl as he bent down, taking my nipple into his mouth. I nearly bowed off the bed. My hands fell to his head, lightly scratching my nails over his scalp.

Anson’s hands tugged at my sweats. I lifted my hips as he yanked at the cloth, and my fingers went to the button on his jeans, fumbling with it. He released my nipple, but not before giving it a little nip that sent a jolt straight between my legs.

Anson stood, pulling down his jeans and boxer briefs. As he sprung free, my jaw dropped. Was it weird to call a penis beautiful? Because that was exactly the term that came to mind.

“You keep looking at me like that and I’m going to combust.”

“You’re beautiful.”

His eyebrow arched. “Beautiful?”

My cheeks heated. “I love looking at you.”

On those words, he pounced, tugging my underwear down and tossing it to the floor. He grabbed my legs and pulled me towards the end of the bed. He slipped one leg over each shoulder and then his mouth was on me.

There was no gentle exploration, this was pure hunger. His tongue dove into me. My hands fisted in the blankets as he brought his mouth to my clit. He flicked the tiny bundle of nerves with the tip of his tongue as his fingers found my entrance.

I let out a moan as they pushed inside. He stroked and sucked, twisting my nerve endings into a frenzy I’d never recover from. He hummed around my clit and then pressed down with his tongue.

I almost came apart, and my hands gripped his shoulders. “Want you.”

His eyes found mine. “You sure you’re ready?”

I nodded and he began to move. “Wait,” I said. “Condom.”

He smiled. “Shifters don’t get diseases like that and I would scent if you were fertile.”

My eyes widened. “Seriously?”

Anson nodded. “It’ll drive us crazy when it happens. With wolf shifters, it’s only every three months.” His gaze heated as it swept over my body, completely bared to him. “Can I take you?”

There was nothing I wanted more in the world at that moment. “Yes.”

He moved in a flash, hovering over me as he bumped against my entrance. Anson didn’t look away as he pushed inside, and I sucked in a sharp breath as he consumed me. There was a hint of pain and such fullness.

He took my mouth in a slow kiss, leaving his forehead resting against mine. “You okay?”

I nodded. My hips rocked against him in a testing move and he groaned.

“You feel perfect.” With that, he began to thrust. Slow at first and then faster, deeper.

I felt him everywhere. As if Anson were imprinting himself on every cell of my body. I arched into him, meeting him with every move.

My fingers dug into his shoulders, nails biting into the skin. I had this burning desire to mark, to claim.

Anson growled, thrusting impossibly deeper. He hit a spot inside me that had light dancing across my vision. My legs shook as everything within me vibrated.

“Eyes on me,” he commanded. “I need to see you come.”

I forced my eyes open, locking with those gorgeous green ones. “Love you,” I breathed.

Those words sent him over the edge. Anson drove into me with feral thrusts. One after the other. But we never lost sight of each other once. When his thumb found my clit and pressed down, I shattered.

The world around me fractured into a million little pieces, yet I never lost those eyes. They were full of everything I’d ever needed to see. So much love and acceptance. Desire and reverence. I never wanted to forget.

Anson released deep inside me as my legs hooked around him, holding him to me. His head fell to the mattress, his breathing heavy. “That was…”

“Incredible?”

“Incredible isn’t good enough. I was searching for a word, but I don’t think there is one.”

I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me. Anson groaned. “Don’t do that. You’ll kill me.”

I stilled, pressing my lips together to keep from laughing.

He slowly pulled out of me. I winced as he did, feeling the loss instantly.

Anson tracked the movement. “You okay? Was that too much?”

I reached up, brushing my lips across his. “It was perfect.”

His fingers traced the spot on my neck he was always so fascinated with. “It was. More perfect than I ever could’ve imagined.”

There was a pressure in my mind that I knew was in Anson’s too. I opened the invisible door and Holden’s voice filled my head. You guys should come back. My dad wants to talk to you.

It was a bucket of ice water to my overheated skin. Anson rolled us, pulling me onto his chest and wrapping his arms around me. We’ll be there in thirty.

Holden was quiet for a moment. Okay.

I was sure he had felt the bond coming into place, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was weird for him to know Anson and I were likely intimate right now.

Anson’s lips brushed across my temple. “It’ll be okay.”

The image of my mom flashed in my mind. Her rage and hysteria. “I hope you’re right.”

Anson lifted me into his arms and stood. “Let’s get cleaned up.”

He carried me to the shower, turning on the spray. The way he washed me was so tender, it nearly brought tears to my eyes. And I knew that no matter what came our way, I was loved beyond measure.

23

ANSON CURVED his arm around my shoulders as we walked back towards the lodge. I burrowed deeper into his side, seeking out that comfort I’d come to rely on. He dropped a kiss to the top of my head as he pulled me tighter against him. “No matter what, we’ll figure it out.”

I nodded into his chest. I wanted that kind of confidence. That trust and belief that everything would work out in the end. I had to hold on to the glimpses that Anson had shown me.

As we reached the bottom of the stairs to the back deck, the doors opened, and Mason and the guys poured out. They instantly focused on us. Holden’s nostrils flared and his hands fisted at his sides. He closed his eyes for a moment, seeming to struggle to get himself under control. Lucas dropped a hand to his shoulder, squeezing hard and whispering something in his ear. He gave a small nod.

Keene cleared his throat. “So, I’m guessing you guys bonded.”

I dropped my focus to my flip-flops. I couldn’t help but feel like I’d done something wrong. Anson let out a growl directed at the group. “Don’t be assholes. That’s the last thing Ro needs right now.”

I could feel heat from one specific direction, and I lifted my head, coming face-to-face with ice-blue eyes and a faint scar. I was expecting anger or some sort of scowl on Vaughn’s face. Instead, there was longing. It was so fierce, I almost stumbled back a step.

He quickly moved his blank mask into place. “If that’s what you both want. Good for you.”

It was Vaughn’s version of trying to make peace, even if it was a little rough around the edges.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Keene crossed to us, slapping Anson on the shoulder and giving me a quick kiss. “Happy for you. Really.”

“Thanks, man,” Anson said.

Holden slowly moved towards us, Luc in tow. He tugged me to him, and his hand slipped under my hair, squeezing the back of my neck. “Just because this is hard doesn’t mean I’m not happy for you. I want you to bond with all of us. I can feel both of those things at once.”

I relaxed into his arms, letting his touch soothe away the worst of my nerves. “I’m sorry it’s hard.”

“Nothing worth having ever comes easy.”

I guessed he had a point there. I tipped my face up to his, brushing the golden locks away from his forehead. I didn’t have the right words for comfort or reassurance. Instead, I closed the distance between us, pouring everything I couldn’t say into the kiss.

When I pulled back, Holden’s eyes were a little dazed. He bent, his lips teasing the shell of my ear. “You always know just what I need.”

I wanted that to be true. Wanted to give each of my guys just what they needed, when they needed it. But I worried at some point I’d drop the ball with at least one of them.

Lucas moved in, kissing my temple. “You’re doing great.”

I huffed. “Why do you always have to be a mind reader?”

Holden chuckled as he released me. “It really gets annoying after a while.”

Luc sent him a mock glare. “That’s rude.”

Anson squeezed my shoulders. “It’s true.”

My focus drifted to Vaughn. He hovered on the outside, looking in. It broke my heart, but I couldn’t make that leap for him. All I could do was let him know the door was always open.

Mason cleared his throat. “Congratulations.”

My face turned the shade of a tomato. “Thanks.”

Anson let out a low laugh as he wrapped an arm around me. “Nothing to be embarrassed about, Ro.”

“Easy for you to say,” I grumbled.

Mason’s expression grew more serious. “We need to talk about Abbie.”

A lead weight settled in my stomach. “Is she inside?”

Everyone around me went silent. Mason leaned against the deck railing, looking out to the woods for a moment before coming back to me. “We had to sedate her. She began to shift—”

“What?” Anson barked.

Mason’s hold on the railing tightened. “It could’ve been very bad.”

I looked around the group, searching for some sort of explanation.

Holden sent me a sympathetic look. “A wolf in her state could go feral. She might not ever shift back.”

“And she likely would’ve taken out several of us in her quest to get free,” Vaughn muttered.

My head snapped in his direction. I knew that Vaughn’s own wolf could go feral at times. The fact that he carried that kind of weight tore at me. I moved in his direction, not caring that he’d likely push me away. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my face into his chest. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” he gritted out.

“I’m sorry you carry that.”

He stilled, freezing in place. It killed me that he was so used to people backing away from him when they were confronted with his broken side. I pressed a kiss to his pec. “You’re not alone.”

His muscles tensed even further, but he didn’t say another word. He also didn’t push me away. Instead, I slipped under Vaughn’s arm and stayed at his side as I turned to face Mason. My wolf sighed at the contact. She’d missed him, her mate. Missed even the slightest brush of touch. A strain in my chest I hadn’t even recognized eased.

My stomach dipped when I met Mason’s strained expression. Panic licked at my insides. “Was she hurt?”

“No, nothing like that,” he hurried to say as his features smoothed out. “We’ve had to send her to a hospital.”

I blinked a few times. What were the chances that both my mothers would end up needing that kind of medical care? And, in some way, both incidents were my fault.

“Don’t you dare take that on,” Vaughn ordered.

“If it wasn’t for me, neither of my moms would be where they are.”

Keene moved forward, making sure to meet my gaze. “They’re sick. The sickness was always there. Circumstances beyond your control are what brought them to the surface.”

“He’s right,” Mason said. “None of this is on you. What’s important right now is that we get Abbie the care she needs.”

“Can she even be at a regular hospital?” I couldn’t imagine so, if there was a chance of her shifting.

“She’s in a special institution for supernaturals. They can give her a medication that prevents her from shifting,” Mason explained.

I pressed closer to Vaughn’s side. “They can help her?”

“They’re going to do their best.”

“Can I go see her?”

“In a couple of weeks, I’m sure you can. Maybe if she sees over time that you’re safe and well, it will help her healing process.”

God, I hoped he was right. I didn’t want to lose her too. She wasn’t ever really mine, yet the idea of her never coming back to herself, never giving me the answers I was looking for, was gutting. “She didn’t tell you anything?”

Lucas shook his head. “Nothing that was useful. I tried to pick up on her emotions, but they were so jumbled, I couldn’t get a clear read other than panic and fear.”

“I hate that she’s so scared.”

Vaughn’s hold on me tightened, and the rest of the guys moved closer to me.

“The doctors will help with that,” Holden reassured me.

Mason stilled, his eyes going hard.

Holden’s gaze instantly jumped to his father. “What’s wrong?”

“The council. They’re here.”

24

“I THOUGHT it was going to take days for them to get plans in place,” Holden said as he stepped closer to me, taking up a defensive position.

Mason’s mouth pressed into a firm line. “Apparently, only the Quad is here. They decided they didn’t want to wait for the rest of the council.”

“Or inform you that they’d be arriving ahead of schedule,” Vaughn muttered.

Lucas stared through the lodge to the front doors. “They wanted to throw us off. Make sure we weren’t prepared. They never had any plans of bringing the entire council.”

“Luc, you need to keep yourself open to them. See what you can pick up,” Mason said.

Lucas nodded. “I doubt I’ll pick up on much. They’re too good at shielding.”

“Shielding?” I asked, looking at Keene. “Like your gift?”

Keene shook his head. “Not really. I can protect myself from physical and psychic attacks. The council is old and powerful, and they’ve learned to shield their minds from probing over time. They’ll also have a guard with them that can defend against psychic and physical attacks.”

“How old are they?”

“They’re all over two hundred years,” Mason answered.

My eyes bulged.

Mason chuckled. “Wolf shifters live a very long time.”

I turned my attention to the rest of the group. “You guys are leaving out some important information about this whole shifter thing.”

Anson disguised his laugh with a cough. “Sorry.”

The humor didn’t reach Holden. He stayed focused on his father. “What do we do?”

“What you don’t do is look like you’re ready for attack.” He motioned to Holden’s stance. “We need to pretend like there’s nothing more to Rowan than a valuable healer.”

Holden rolled his shoulders back, forcing himself to relax. “It’s typical for us to be protective of our mate.”

“To a certain level, yes. Looking like you’re about ready to take one of their heads off is a bit more than protective.”

Holden turned away, staring out into the woods.

“Let’s move inside so we can greet them,” Mason instructed. “Rowan, don’t meet any of their stares for more than a count of three. Shake their hands, but end the contact as quickly as possible. Hopefully, all of you together will muddy their read on Rowan.”

“They’ll be able to sense my powers?”

“Not your specific gifts, but a level of power. The fact that you are mated to five dominant wolves will make it harder for them to figure out what your power is and what belongs to your bond mates.”

“You don’t have to do this,” Vaughn said in a low voice. “We can still run.”

Keene clapped his brother on the back. “You know it’s too late for that.”

“I don’t like this.”

Anson squeezed his other shoulder. “None of us do.”

Surprise lit Vaughn’s eyes at the contact. Shock that someone other than his brother and me would touch him. I could’ve kissed Anson right then.

“I’ll be okay.” I forced as much confidence into my voice as possible.

Vaughn scowled in my direction. It was weirdly comforting, that little piece of normal amidst all the crazy swirling around us.

Mason pulled open one of the back doors and we all filed into the lodge. Coby hurried into the room. “I just heard. What do you need?” There was no glare in my direction, but a simple desire to help. I guessed as much as Coby disliked me, we were united against the council.

Mason moved to the front of the group. “I already have people preparing the guest cabins for their arrival. Now, we greet our guests.”

Coby nodded in assent, reading everything Mason needed to communicate between the lines. She glanced in my direction. “Look at the nose instead of the eyes. It will keep them from intimidating you or tripping you up.”

My mouth went slack at her actual helpfulness. I quickly shut it. “Thank you.”

She didn’t reply, simply turned around and faced the front doors. I stood behind her and Mason, flanked by Holden and Keene on one side and Vaughn, Anson, and Lucas on the other. As I surveyed the guys around me, my nerves ratcheted up a level. I would do anything for any of them, and I knew they would do the same for me. I just hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

The front doors swung open, two familiar wolves holding them.

A man I didn’t recognize stepped forward, flanked by two massive shifters that had to be his guards. He had salt-and-pepper woven through his hair and golden, tanned skin. He had to be at least six-foot-five, and his stature was only intensified by the sharkish grin stretching his face. “Mason. This is quite the welcome. We had no less than a dozen wolves escorting us, and I suspect more holding back in the woods.”

The man clearly got a thrill from Mason viewing him as a threat. My dislike of him was instant, as if I’d tasted something foul.

Mason inclined his head the barest amount. “It’s not every day that the Quad graces us with its presence, Gregor.”

“I guess that’s true enough.” He extended a hand to Mason.

Mason did exactly what he’d instructed me to do—a quick shake and then a release of the hold.

A woman stepped forward next, two more guards trailing behind her, their eyes darting about the room. I never would’ve thought “shifter” when looking at her. She was clad in a figure-hugging dress and sky-high heels. She looked around the room, scrunching up her nose. “How rustic.”

Another man stepped forward with gray at his temples and a mischievous smile on his face. “Now, Cinna, not everyone prefers the concrete jungle.” His three guards held a tight formation at his back.

She huffed. “There’s nothing like running in Central Park under a full moon.”

“I’ll just have to take your word for it.” The man extended his hand. “Good to see you, Mason. Thanks for having us.”

Mason accepted the quick shake and dipped his head. “Kaleb. We would’ve been more prepared if we’d had some warning.”

“If you’re a true alpha, you shouldn’t need warning. You should always be prepared.” The fourth and final member of the Quad stepped into the lodge, leaning on a cane. His pure white hair caught the light as he turned to glare in Mason’s direction.

The movement Mason made with his head was deeper this time, more reverent. “Ivan.”

Ivan didn’t bother with a handshake, he simply moved in my direction. “You.” His eyes narrowed as he scanned my face. “What are you hiding?”

25

I STIFFENED, my hands going damp. The guys moved in closer, and Ivan didn’t miss the action. He raised a single brow. “I asked you a question, young lady.”

I swallowed hard, using Coby’s tip to look at his nose instead of his eyes. “I’m not hiding anything that I know of.”

Ivan let out a harumph. “We’ll see about that.”

He extended a hand to me. I stared at it for a moment before slipping mine into his. Ivan’s eyes flared as he held on. I hurried to pull my hand back as he studied me with a thoughtful expression. “Very interesting.”

His reaction had the woman stepping forward, extending her perfectly manicured hand. “I’m Cinna.”

“Rowan,” I said with a small dip of my head.

Her shake wasn’t long, but there was a wariness in her expression as she released me. She glanced at Ivan. “There must be an explanation.”

Kaleb moved forward next. “Nice to meet you, Rowan. I’m Kaleb.” His expression was neither warm nor cold, but there was an assessing quality that had me fighting not to squirm.

“You too.” I reluctantly extended my hand.

Kaleb took it, his jaw going slack for a moment. He quickly covered it, releasing my hand and stepping back. “I’ll be damned.”

“What the hell is all the fuss about?” Gregor asked as he strode towards me.

There was something about the way he moved, the hardness in his stare, that had me taking a step back. Vaughn’s hand found my lower back. “We’re here,” he whispered.

Gregor’s eyes narrowed on Vaughn. “Remove your hand so I can get a clear read.”

Vaughn scowled at Gregor but did as he commanded.

Gregor didn’t wait for me to meet his shake, he grabbed my hand before I could raise it. His eyes widened, and the grin that stretched across his face was nothing less than terrifying. “This is going to be fun.”

I yanked my hand out of his grasp, not caring that the action was rude.

Gregor turned to Mason. “You haven’t been entirely honest with us, Mason. You downplayed her power. Lying to the council is a punishable offense.”

Holden stiffened at my side, and I slipped my hand into his, squeezing hard.

Mason didn’t show the slightest hint of a reaction. “I would never insult the council by lying. I informed you that she was powerful, our first healer in centuries. If you’re sensing something else, please loop us in.”

Ivan leaned on his cane, surveying the room. His gaze kept returning to the guys at my sides. “There’s a prophecy in the old texts. That a wolf will come along to reveal the rot in the shifter community. She will have five mates and untold power. She will burn out the sickness among us and truly unite the packs.”

Holden’s grip on my hand tightened, and Vaughn pushed into my other side.

Ivan took a few wobbly steps forward. “Has your bond been revealed?”

I glanced at Mason hoping for some sort of instruction.

“Look at me,” Ivan barked.

My head snapped back in his direction. “Yes.”

“Show us the mark,” Gregor demanded.

Anson let out a low growl, and Lucas grabbed his shoulder, pressing down hard.

I released Holden and lifted my T-shirt a fraction while tugging on the hem of my sweats.

Cinna let out a gasp and whirled on Mason. “Do you think you can pull one over on us by faking something like this?”

“It’s not fake,” Mason said calmly.

Kaleb studied me with that same assessing stare, as if he were trying to put all the puzzle pieces into place. He moved forward, slowly extending his hand. It hovered over my mark but didn’t touch. “It isn’t fake.” His eyes tracked over the five points of the star. “It also isn’t complete. Do you know who your mates are?”

“You’re looking at them,” Anson said, his voice hard.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Gregor barked. “The feral wolf is in her bond?”

Vaughn bared his teeth at the Quad member.

Gregor took a step back. “This has to be rectified.”

“There’s no rectifying fate, Gregor. You know that. This bond is destined. You can’t break it,” Mason said.

Gregor’s expression blanked. “There are ways.”

“Has her gift been explored?” Kaleb asked, breaking into the conversation.

“She has healed herself and two of her bond mates,” Mason informed them.

Cinna picked an invisible piece of lint off her dress. “We need to test her further.”

Test? What did that mean? I instantly pictured the Quad hurting people just for me to heal them.

Ivan stepped forward, and for the first time, I saw a hint of sympathy in his gaze. “We need to know what we’re dealing with. If you are the one the texts are talking about.”

“We also need to know if Mason is instructing you properly. The Ridgewood pack might not be the right place for you,” Gregor said.

I lifted my gaze to his. My wolf demanded I not back down. “This is my home. My family. I’m not going anywhere.”

There were low growls of assent around me.

Gregor glared in my direction. I could feel his power pressing down on me. He was trying to make me submit. To defer to him and his decisions. It wasn’t going to happen. I kept my eyes locked with his. No matter how much power he threw my way, I forced my chin to stay up and didn’t look away.

“Incredible,” Kaleb whispered.

Gregor let out a growl. “How old is she?”

No one said a word.

Gregor turned to Mason. “I asked a question.”

“Seventeen.”

Gregor grinned with delight. “You’re an orphaned wolf shifter who has not yet reached adulthood. You’re under the council’s care.”

I trembled but did my best not to let it show. I was so tired of adults thinking they knew what was best for me. I stared at Gregor. “One week. I have one week until I’m eighteen. If you try to take me away from here, I’ll be gone the instant that week is up, and I’ll make you pay for it.”

Gregor prowled towards me. “You think you know this game you’re playing at, little girl. But you have no idea.”

26

I SANK down onto the bed in Holden’s room, my head dropping into my hands. There was a steady drumbeat thumping against my skull. The day had seemed to last forever, and I hadn’t been able to drop my guard once.

Apparently, when the council came to town, there was an official welcome that needed to happen. Meal after meal while each member of the pack greeted the Quad, and they heard any issues that the wolves had. It should’ve helped that I wasn’t the focus for now, but members of the Quad seemed to constantly seek me out with their gazes. Assessing every move I made.

When they finally retired to their cabins for the night, I wanted to weep with relief. I’d been so on edge all day, I was exhausted. I’d barely made it up the stairs to Holden’s room.

The bed dipped as Lucas climbed onto it. He came up behind me, his fingers digging into my shoulders. He didn’t say a word. Simply let the balm of his presence sweep over me.

Holden crouched in front of me, his hands resting on my knees. “You did amazingly. You’ll get through this.”

“Will I?” Tomorrow, the Quad was going to begin my testing. “I just learned how to control my shift. I have no idea what I can actually do. Gregor might piss me off, and I could send him flying across the room.”

“Which would be awesome,” Anson said with a smirk.

Keene smacked him upside the head. “Not helping.”

Vaughn leaned against the dresser in the corner. He hadn’t left after dinner like he typically did, but I wasn’t sure if he was staying either. I was too tired to sift through those what-ifs in my mind. He stared at Lucas’ hands on my shoulders. “I don’t like them.”

“You don’t like anyone,” Anson muttered.

Vaughn scowled at him. “They have bad motives.”

“He’s right,” Luc said, as his thumbs dug into the knots in my shoulders. “I couldn’t pick up specifics, but I wasn’t feeling warm and fuzzies coming from any of them.”

“I didn’t think Cinna was so bad. She’s so wrapped up in herself, I don’t think she cares about me.”

Keene grimaced. “She doesn’t care about you unless you become a threat to her power.”

Holden moved to sit next to me on the bed. “He’s right. There’s a chance you’re more powerful than all of them. You could replace one of them in the Quad one day.”

My jaw fell open. “What? I don’t want that.”

“It’s always the four most powerful wolves that sit on the Quad. You won’t have a choice,” Holden explained.

“Unless they just decide to take me out tomorrow,” I muttered.

“That isn’t going to happen,” Vaughn gritted out.

“How do I stop it? I need to make them believe I’m not as powerful as they originally thought.”

Keene studied me for a moment. “I have an idea.”

Luc’s hands stilled on my shoulders. “What?”

“We need to get Ro to expend a bunch of energy before they begin testing.”

“If you want me to run a marathon tomorrow morning, I’m going to hurt you.”

Keene grinned. “That would be one way to do it, but I was thinking more that you could supercharge all of us.”

I blinked up at him. “You know I don’t have the first idea of how to do that, right?”

“Got you covered.”

There was a knock at the door and Keene pulled it open. Cass and a guy I didn’t recognize appeared. She smiled at me. “Hey, girl. It’s been a day, huh?”

I snorted. “Understatement of the century.”

She crossed to me and bent to pull me into a hug. “You’re doing great.” She straightened and stepped back into the guy’s hold. “This is Cooper, my mate.”

Cooper looked as if he belonged on a surfer magazine with his shaggy blond hair and golden skin. I did my best to send him a smile. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“You too. Little Bit has been telling me all about you.”

Cass turned back to me. “I hear you need to burn some energy.”

“Before the testing tomorrow,” I explained.

She nodded. “It takes a little practice to figure out flow levels, but the process itself is as instinctual as breathing.”

“And it’ll drain me?”

“It can zap me for a few hours at least. It’s usually physical contact with my bond that fills up the reserves again. That and rest and food.”

Cooper pressed a kiss to her temple. “She’s not big on the rest portion of that equation.”

Cass made a face at him. “I’ve got things to do that don’t involve napping in the middle of the day.”

He chuckled. “See?”

“Can you show her how it works?” Holden asked.

“Sure.” Cass stepped out of Cooper’s hold. “What does your power feel like to you?”

“It’s this golden pool of energy or light in my middle. I can draw from it and push it into people. It usually comes in the form of healing them, but with Chris…”

“It was offensive,” Cass finished for me. She made a humming sound as she studied me. “I bet you could pull power from people too.”

I straightened. “What?”

She waved me off. “Just a hunch. We can play with that another time. Right now, we need to focus on getting rid of that juice. My power feels similar. I don’t picture it as a pool but as a swirling ball of blue energy. I can pull strands of it and send it into any of my mates.”

Cass turned to Cooper. “Ready for a little extra jolt?”

He grinned. “Who needs sleep anyway?”

“I’ll keep you occupied tonight,” she said with a wink. Cass took his hand and closed her eyes. “I’m pulling a strand of that energy and picturing it flowing into Coop. I can control how much and how quickly.”

“What does it feel like?” I asked Coop.

“Like you’re getting a buzz,” he said with a laugh. “That doesn’t last, but in the moment, it feels pretty damn good.”

Cass released Coop’s hand. “This kind of energy exchange can happen when you’re intimate too, but that fills up both your buckets, if you know what I mean. If you want to solely drain yourself, this is the only way I know of.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks as I remembered the day at the lake.

Cass laughed. “I see you’ve already experienced that fun little side effect.”

“Maybe a little,” I grumbled.

Cass tugged on my hand. “Come on. You try.”

“Who wants me to test this on them?”

Lucas stood from the bed. “Me. My gift has the least potential for destructive side effects.”

“Okay,” I said, blowing out a breath.

He linked his fingers with mine and gave me a quick kiss. “You’ve got this.”

I closed my eyes and pictured the pool of golden energy. It swirled around my center. I imagined pulling a stream of it up my sternum, down my arm, and into Luc’s hand.

He sucked in a breath and my eyes flew open. “What?”

“I could feel it, that’s all. Keep going.”

“You’re sure?”

He nodded.

I closed my eyes again and repeated the action. The energy was a small trickle at first, and then I opened the flow.

“Holy hell,” Luc muttered.

“It’s working?” Holden asked.

Lucas’ fingers tightened around mine. “It does feel like a buzz.”

I opened my eyes but kept the energy flowing. The gold in Luc’s hazel eyes seemed to glow. I could lose myself in those eyes forever. “Tell me when it’s enough.”

“I can feel your power,” Cass said in awe.

“We all can,” Keene said.

Luc squeezed my hand. “I think that’s enough.”

I slowly pulled back on the stream of light, sending it back to my center. I released my hold on Luc. “How do you feel?”

His mouth stretched into a smile. “I can feel everyone in this room. Usually, if there’s a group, the emotions are all jumbled. But I feel each one of you as clear as day.”

Vaughn pushed off the dresser. “Stay out of my head.”

“I’m not in your head. I can just feel what’s coming off of you in waves.”

Vaughn’s jaw tightened and he moved towards the door. I stepped into his path, my hand falling to his chest. “Please don’t go.”

His back teeth ground together. “I’m not cut out for this.”

“Please,” I whispered. “It hurts when you stay away.”

Something flashed in his eyes at the word hurts. He searched my face, looking for something. “Okay. I’ll stay for tonight.”

27

I LOOKED around the clearing at the five guys surrounding me. Somehow along the way, I’d grown to love all of them. That love looked different with each connection, something unique binding us together. They all made me stronger in some way, better.

I could feel the buzz of energy running through Holden, Anson, Keene, and Lucas. I turned to Vaughn, walking towards him. He backed up a few steps. “I can’t.”

I stopped, taking stock of the panic flashing through his expression.

He swallowed hard. “I don’t trust myself. I could kill one of the Quad if they make a move I don’t like.”

Holden moved in our direction. “How are your power levels, Ro?”

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking inventory. It was low. Lower than I’d ever felt it. “I’m good. I don’t need to expel any more. Plus, I have to be able to do something in this testing or they’ll know I’m covering.”

“That’s a good point,” Keene said.

My fingers twisted in the tails of my bracelets. “Do you know what they’ll have me do?”

Holden shook his head. “I asked my dad and he said he’s never been present at one of these testings.”

Anson’s eyes hardened. “Nothing that will hurt her.”

It wasn’t exactly a question, more of a demand.

Holden looked in his direction. “I don’t think they’d risk hurting her.”

“Not when they might want to use her,” Lucas muttered.

A rumbling sound came from Vaughn’s chest. “Not going to happen.”

He hadn’t slept in the bed last night. He’d opted for one of the air mattresses in the room. But just having him in the space all night gave my wolf a peace I’d never experienced before.

“No, it’s not,” Holden agreed. “But we have to play this smart.”

I released my grip on my bracelet strings. “They won’t take me.”

Keene looked at me. “How are you so sure?”

“What I said to Gregor yesterday made him pause. He knows he could take me for a week, but after that? He’d have me as an enemy forever.”

Lucas moved closer to me. “He might not care. He could think he needs to make an example out of you.”

My stomach twisted at that thought. Gregor did not seem like the kind of man who would take kindly to being put in his place. He was used to being revered, and I had basically spat on his position. “I’ll be careful today.”

“Good.” Lucas ran his fingers through my hair, tipping my head back so he could take my mouth in a kiss. It was light, gentle. The barest of touches. Yet there was so much love in it.

Anson cleared his throat. “Don’t go feeding the light pool.”

Luc released me with a grumble. “I know. I know.”

“Are you ready?” Holden asked.

“I need a few minutes.” None of them moved. “Alone,” I pushed.

“No,” Vaughn said.

I made a face at him. “We have three times the patrols right now. I’ll be fine. I need a minute to breathe and center myself.”

Luc studied me for a moment. “It could help.”

Keene tapped the side of his head. “Keep the mind link open to us, so we know if you need us.”

“I can do that.” Keeping that door open didn’t mean that they could read my thoughts, simply that we could communicate instantly.

The guys slowly headed away from the clearing. Vaughn was the last to go, pinning me with a stare I would’ve found threatening before I knew him. Now, it was a comfort.

“I’ll be okay.”

He jerked his head in a nod and took off after the rest of the guys.

I let out a long breath, tipping my head back to look at the sky. The first streaks of light were painting the clouds with a pink hue. “What would you make of all this if you were here, Lace?” A pang lit along my sternum. I would’ve given anything for an hour with my big sister to sort all this out.

No one could figure out a problem quite like Lacey. She could see every angle and possible outcome. And she had been the best at getting me out of my head once I’d decided a course of action.

But I didn’t have her to do that with anymore. I had to trust that all of those conversations lived in me somewhere. That because I’d known and loved her, I was a better and stronger person.

A tear slipped from my eye. “I miss you. I wish you could meet the guys. You’d love them.” My mouth curved. “You’d have so much fun messing with Vaughn.”

I ran my fingers along the rose gold beads in my bracelet. They glinted in the morning light. “Will you be with me when I have to go do these tests?” Silence greeted me. I hadn’t expected an answer, but I needed something. The faintest breeze picked up, rustling the leaves and pine needles.

I pressed my hand to my chest. “Always here when I need you. Love you, Lace.”

I forced the thoughts from my mind and with one more cleansing breath, started down the path towards the lodge. The worn dirt made the trip silent, so when I stepped out of the trees and someone said my name, I jolted.

My head snapped in the direction of the sound. Ivan’s lips twitched for the briefest of seconds before that impassive mask was back. “Sit.” He gestured to a spot next to him on the bench.

I sent a message to the guys. I ran into Ivan at the benches by the woods.

What does he want? Vaughn barked.

I don’t know yet, but I need to focus.

Leave yourself open to us, Luc said.

I will.

I lowered myself to the worn wooden seat.

“Do your bond mates think I’m going to kidnap you?”

I turned to face the white-haired man. “It’s crossed their minds. Do you blame them?”

“No, I don’t.” He looked me dead in the eyes. “Many will come for you, Rowan. You must find a way to survive.”

28

THERE WAS something in Ivan’s gaze. An intensity and certainty. There was no doubt in his mind that his words were the truth.

I swallowed hard, moving my focus to my hands. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I can heal but that’s it. I’m not the shifter in your prophecy.”

Ivan’s lips pressed into a firm line. “You’ll need to be a better liar if you want to get through this unscathed.”

I let loose a stream of expletives in my head. I’d never been an especially good liar, and I was sure the Quad had faced down the best. I shrugged, as if I couldn’t care less what he thought. “I’ll never change your mind. But maybe the tests will.”

His eyes narrowed on me. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing. I just want this over as soon as possible so I can get back to my life. I’m trying to make it through my senior year in one piece. That’s hard to do when there are mean girls, parents that don’t give a shit, and finding out that you turn into a wolf.”

Ivan burst out laughing. “Mean girls? That was first on your list?”

“Have you ever met a Queen Bee who thinks the entire school should worship at her feet?” I gave an exaggerated shiver. “Much scarier than this council business. Especially when her ex is one of your mates.”

“I’m so glad I’m not in high school,” he muttered.

“Rub it in, why don’t you?”

Ivan held up both hands in surrender. “Apologies.” He glanced towards the lodge. “Shall we get some breakfast before your bond sends out a search party?”

My stomach rumbled in response.

Ivan chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

We stood and headed for the lodge. As we climbed the stairs of the back deck, Gregor appeared at Ivan’s side, a scowl on his face. “One-on-one testing is against the code. Everything must be done with the entire Quad present.”

Ivan rolled his eyes. The action was so teenagery, I fought to keep from laughing. Ivan opened the door. “Last I checked, a conversation wasn’t against our code of ethics.”

“If you think you can convince her to move to your pack—”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I cut in.

He sent me a sharp look. “Don’t interrupt a conversation you aren’t a part of.”

This time it was me who rolled my eyes. I was simply a pawn in Gregor’s game. He didn’t even see me as a human and never would. I abandoned Ivan to him because he’d said one thing that was a reminder I needed to hold onto.

Anyone could be putting on an act. Those glimmers of kindness from Ivan could’ve been nothing more than a façade. A mask he wore to get me to trust him.

Only I didn’t trust easily. There were only five people I truly trusted. My bond. I had to remember that.

“SHIFT.”

Gregor’s command echoed against the trees.

I wanted to flip him the bird so badly. Instead, I focused on that golden pool of light within me. Even hours later, it was still depleted. I stretched it over my skin, reaching for the wolf within.

A few moments later, Holden was lifting the cape off my four-legged body. The world around was cast in a different hue. My wolf form identified the entire Quad as enemies. The only people she fully trusted were her mates.

My gaze narrowed as the Quad bent together, whispering. The only one who didn’t seem particularly interested in today’s events was Cinna. At this very moment, she was more focused on a miniscule chip in her manicure than the conversation around her. Though maybe that was an act too.

Kaleb looked from me to my mates and then back to the Quad. I’d done my best to have minimal contact with my bond since I’d poured power into them. The last thing I wanted was for my pool of light to recharge.

“Change back,” Gregor ordered.

I let out a low growl. There was nothing I could do to stop it. My wolf half was more than over this shifting back and forth on command. She saw the man doling out the orders as below her.

“Now,” Kaleb said, an air of alpha power in his voice.

I bared my teeth but obeyed. After a few seconds of visualization, Holden was covering me with my cape again.

“Thanks,” I said softly.

“Of course.”

His voice was even, but I could read the barely restrained rage in it. He was over today’s events as well.

“Bring forward an enforcer,” Gregor announced.

A muscle in Mason’s cheek ticked, but he nodded at Mac, the new head enforcer. Mac strode forward as Gregor moved away from the Quad.

Gregor pulled a long knife from his belt. “It’s time to test your healing skills.”

I moved in a flash, thankful the ties on my cape kept the fabric firmly in place. I stepped between Gregor and the enforcer. “No.”

“Excuse me,” he spluttered.

“I said, no. You are not going to hurt one of my pack mates for your perverse pleasure.”

A hand came down gently on my shoulder. “It’s okay, Rowan. I don’t mind.”

“Well, I do.”

“It’s not your place to decide. Who do you think you are?” Gregor demanded.

“I’m someone who doesn’t think it’s okay to hurt anyone in the name of an experiment.”

His eyes glinted in the afternoon light. “Your education is clearly lacking. You don’t know the way of our community, your shifting is atrociously slow. It’s obvious you aren’t learning what you need to here.”

Gregor looked towards the Quad and then around at the scattering of pack mates present at my testing. “I make a motion to remove Rowan Caldwell from the Ridgewood pack.”

29

A SERIES of gasps and a few growls went up in the crowd. I didn’t dare look at the guys. It would only make things worse.

“I’ll second that motion,” Cinna said in a bored tone.

A snicker sounded in the crowd. I searched out the responsible party and found Jasmine. The only way to describe the expression on her face was gleeful.

Gregor glared at Ivan and Kaleb. “We need a third.”

The two men remained silent.

“She is a liability if she’s left here,” Gregor pushed.

Ivan kept his face a stoic mask, but there was a hint of mischief in Kaleb’s eyes. He liked getting a rise out of Gregor.

“The time for your motion is running out,” Mason said, stepping forward.

“Give me a third,” Gregor growled.

Still nothing.

Mason looked at his watch. “That’s time.”

Gregor whirled on me. “Step aside. We will continue these tests.”

I lifted my chin. “No.”

“Then we’ll test on you.” He brandished the knife in my direction.

In a flash, Kaleb was in front of him. “You push too far, Gregor.”

My bond was there in an instant, forming a wall in front of me.

“If you think we’ll let you hurt Ro, you’re even stupider than you look in the fucking turtleneck,” Anson spat.

Gregor turned to Mason. “You allow this kind of insolence against the council? Against the Quad?”

Mason shrugged. “I teach my wolves that respect is earned. You haven’t earned our respect with your behavior on this visit.”

Gregor let out a low growl.

Kaleb moved then, pulling his own knife from his belt. This one was smaller and much less dramatic than the showpiece Gregor had. Kaleb sliced the blade along his arm, blood instantly pooling there.

“What the hell are you thinking?” Gregor barked.

Kaleb crossed to me, holding out his arm. “I’ll be your guinea pig.”

Vaughn and Holden didn’t move to let him pass.

I placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “It’s okay. Let me try.”

Reluctantly they moved to give Kaleb about a foot of space. I looked up at him. “I’ve never tried to do this on someone who isn’t in my bond. I might turn you into a toad.”

Kaleb’s lips twitched. “I’ll take my chances.”

I placed my hand over the cut and closed my eyes. My power was already dangerously low. It took all the force I could muster to pull on that pool of golden light. I reached out, trying to sense Kaleb’s pain. It was faint, as if I were receiving the message through a long tunnel. I pictured the gash in his arm and imagined the flesh knitting back together.

Sweat broke out on my brow as I pulled harder on my power. The knitting slowed, but I pushed harder on the golden liquid I imagined pouring into him. As the last piece came together, I wavered.

My arm went out to steady myself. Voices rose around me. And then everything went black.

I TRIED TO ROLL OVER, but I couldn’t move. My eyes fluttered open. I was wedged between Keene and Holden. Vaughn had one foot in his lap and Lucas had the other.

Anson was perched on the end of the bed, worry lining his normally smooth features. “Ro?”

Four other sets of eyes snapped to me. Holden pushed himself up against the pillows. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”

Keene’s thumb swept back and forth against my hip. “You scared the hell out of us.”

“Sorry,” I croaked.

Luc released my foot and crossed to the dresser, grabbing a bottle of water. “Here. Have some of this.”

I sat up slowly, my muscles protesting the action. I took a sip of the cold water. It was heaven on my throat. “What happened?” Everything was a little hazy. I remembered the testing in flashes. Kaleb cutting his arm.

“You drained yourself too far,” Vaughn said. His voice was completely flat, yet fire burned in his eyes.

“You passed out,” Anson added. “We brought you up here, and you’ve been sleeping for the past few hours.”

“She’s been unconscious,” Keene argued.

Anson opened his mouth to say something else, but I held up a hand to stop him. “The terminology doesn’t matter. I was out of it.”

Luc brushed the hair out of my face as he sat down on the edge of my bed. “What are your power levels like now?”

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking stock of that golden pool. “It’s much better. Not back to normal but close.” My eyes opened. “Is that because you guys have been close?”

“I think so,” Holden said. “Cass told us physical touch helps restore her.”

“So you sandwiched me in between all of you?”

Holden shrugged. “Hey, it worked.”

“I’m not complaining.”

Keene pressed a kiss to my temple. “Please don’t do that again.”

I searched his face, seeing so much pain there. He’d already lost so much. His parents. His brother in so many ways. He couldn’t handle losing me too.

I brushed my lips against his. “I’ll do my best.”

A knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” Holden called.

The door swung open and Kaleb filled the space. “Oh good, you’re awake.” His gaze swept around the room. “The Quad is leaving, but I was hoping we could have a word before I go. In private.”

“No,” Vaughn said, pushing to his feet.

I pushed myself up higher on the pillows. “It’s okay. You guys can wait just outside.” Kaleb had brought an end to a situation that could’ve been catastrophic today. The least I owed him was a conversation.

“Leave yourself open,” Luc ordered.

I smiled at him. “Promise.”

Slowly, the guys filed out of the room. Vaughn was the last to leave, sending a glare in Kaleb’s direction.

When the door shut, Kaleb’s shoulders relaxed a fraction. He waved a hand and a breeze began circulating in the room.

My head swiveled, trying to trace it. “What’s that?”

“A sort of wind tunnel. It protects our conversation from those who might want to listen in.”

My eyes narrowed on him. “I don’t keep secrets from my mates.”

“I’m not asking you to. There are other ears who might try to hear.”

I relaxed back on the pillows at that.

Kaleb’s feet shuffled. “I’m sorry my injury drained you. If I only gave myself a paper cut, Gregor wouldn’t have been appeased.”

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine in another couple of hours.”

He nodded, seeming to search for the words he wanted. “There’s more at play right now than you know. Those of us with power have a responsibility to be stewards of that power. If you and your bond ever need a safe place to hide, come to me. You’ll have sanctuary with the Ravenwood pack whenever you require it.”

I noticed he didn’t say if. He’d said when. Like Ivan, he was sure bad things were coming.

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

Kaleb pulled a card from his pocket and set it on the table. “There are those who want you weak. Don’t let them steal your strength. You’re destined for great things.” And with those parting words, the wind died and Kaleb was gone.

30

I LAYERED a couple of pieces of cheddar cheese onto my turkey sandwich, then some lettuce and tomato. My appetite had been otherworldly since I’d shifted. I moved down the buffet line, adding two bags of chips and a massive brownie.

Stomping footsteps sounded and I looked up to meet Jasmine’s furious gaze.

“You just have to fuck up everything, don’t you?”

I picked up a napkin and tucked it under my plate. “I’m not sure who pissed in your cereal today, but it wasn’t me.”

She let out a low growl. “Gregor isn’t letting any wolves from his pack come to Ridgewood territory anymore.”

There was heat at my back, and the unique scent that was only Holden’s filled my nose. “Jaz, that isn’t information you should have. If your mom—”

She turned furious eyes to him. “You know my mom would never break rank.” Her cheeks reddened. “I’ve been talking to Clint.” Her chin raised. “He’s the head enforcer in Gregor’s pack.” She waited for some sort of reaction from Holden. Some part of her expected him to be jealous, I realized.

When Holden simply waited for her to continue, she flushed a deeper shade of red. “He was supposed to come visit me next weekend, but now he can’t.” Her glare turned to me. “All because you can’t show proper respect to our leaders.”

Holden pinned her with his stare. “It’s Gregor who showed disrespect. His behavior was out of line and half the Quad agreed.”

Jasmine looked at Holden. “How do you not see it? She’s going to ruin everything for us. She’s a wild card who doesn’t know her place.”

“It’s you who doesn’t know your place. Rowan is the future Luna of this pack. It would be good of you to remember that.”

The rage lashed out of Jasmine, as if it were a living, breathing thing. “I will never bow to Rowan as Luna.”

Holden kept his expression neutral. “Then you better start looking for another pack.”

Her jaw went slack. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am.”

Jasmine straightened her spine. “Maybe I will. I’m sure Clint would love to have me in his pack.”

Holden pressed a hand to my lower back, guiding me away from the buffet. “I hope you’ll be happy there.”

Jasmine stood in stunned silence, not moving an inch.

Holden guided me towards a table with three sets of eyes glued on us. I tried not to let the fact that there was a set missing hurt, but the burn of rejection was there. We’d been trying to get back to normal over the past week since the Quad had left. For Vaughn, that clearly meant retreating to his cabin in the woods.

I’d see him once a day, usually at dinner. He always made a point to touch me in some way, easing the worst of our pain. But it wasn’t enough. My wolf was pissed and I wasn’t far behind. Yet I knew it was the most he could give right now, and I didn’t have the energy to fight for more.

Anson tugged out the chair next to him. “Everything okay?”

I lowered myself into it, looking at Holden. “I don’t know, is it?”

Holden sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He’d been locked up in meetings with his father more often and was obviously keeping secrets from the rest of us. “Gregor is sanctioning us. He believes Rowan is a risk and we are responsible for not training her properly. He’s no longer allowing any of his wolves in our territory.”

Keene let out a low whistle. “Isn’t something like that usually reserved for when there’s an unprovoked attack by a wolf in a pack?”

“It is,” Lucas said. His eyes went unfocused as he stared off into space. “He’s trying to force our hand. To get us to agree to have him train Rowan so he’ll back off.”

“Tell me that’s not happening,” Anson gritted out.

Holden waved him off. “It’s not happening. We just need to figure out how to make the rest of the community realize what an ass he’s being. They weren’t at the testing, so they don’t know that you aren’t violent or a risk.”

“What about Ivan or Kaleb? Couldn’t they say something?”

Holden leaned back in his chair. “They could, but it would be stepping out on a limb for either of them. The Quad doesn’t make a habit of going against each other. It’s a self-preservation thing.”

“More like a cowardice thing,” Keene mumbled.

“He’s right,” Anson agreed. “They know the truth. It speaks to their character if they won’t stand up for Ro.”

But was it the truth? I looked down at my hands, picturing the shock of pain on Chris’ face as I shoved him away. “I could hurt someone.”

Luc ran a hand through my hair, his fingers moving over the strands in soothing strokes. “You would only hurt someone who deserved it.” He bent his head so that our eyes were level. “I can sense it in you. I would tell you if you needed to guard against that gift manifesting.”

“It doesn’t feel like much of a gift right now.”

“It is,” Keene said. “To be able to protect yourself, the people you care about. That will always be a gift.”

Anson ran his fingers along that spot on my neck he seemed to love so much. “I think you need to learn to control it. My strength gift freaked me out at first, but now that I know how it works and trust myself to wield it safely, I love that I have it.”

My mouth curved. “You love that you can throw full trees across a beach.”

He sent me a cocky grin. “That doesn’t suck.”

Holden set down his soda. “Anson’s right. If you master your gifts a little more, I think you’ll feel more in control overall.”

I’d kill for a little piece of control right now. It felt like I’d been in a tornado for weeks, spun around, not knowing up from down. I was ready to have my feet firmly on the ground for a little while. “Let’s start this afternoon.”

Keene studied me. “You sure you’re up for that?”

I made a face at him. “You’ve made me take a nap every day after school and go to bed before ten. I’ve been forbidden from using my gift since I got drained. I’d say I’m rested.”

He held up both hands in surrender. “Just checking.”

A throat cleared behind me, and I looked up to see Mason. He gave me a hesitant smile. “Our care facility called. They think Abbie is stable enough to see you.”

31

KEENE DRUMMED his fingers against the steering wheel, glancing over at me every so often.

“I’m okay,” I told him, staring out the window at the winding, two-lane road.

“It would be normal if you weren’t.”

I slipped off my shoes, tucking my knees up to my chest. “I’m tired of being a mess.”

“Ro, you’ve been through more upheaval in the past couple of months than most people will go through in a lifetime. It doesn’t make you weak to be scared, confused, overwhelmed, any emotion under the sun. It makes you strong because you keep moving forward.”

I turned in my seat, running my hand through Keene’s hair and letting my fingers trail down his neck. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”

He sent me a smile that made my stomach flip. “I’ll be here to make sure you know the truth whenever you need it.”

I let my fingers tangle in the hair at the base of his neck. Keene knew better than anyone what it was like to have your life upended. He’d lost his parents and his brother as he knew him on the same day.

“How’d you get through it?”

He didn’t look my way, instead keeping his gaze focused on the road. “I put one foot in front of the other however I could. Vaughn was so broken in that year after the attack. He could barely function. I felt like I needed to be strong for him, not break down.”

Keene swallowed hard. “It was Holden who took me aside and told me I had to let it out. Even as young as we were, he could see that keeping all of the grief and anger bottled up was only hurting me. I thought letting it show would make me weak. The truth was, letting it out helped me work through it. I could be more present for Vaughn, and I didn’t have a hair-trigger.”

“And now?”

“It’ll always hurt. My parents were stolen from me. So much of Vaughn’s childhood was taken from him. Our innocence in so many ways. The grief pops up at unexpected moments, but it doesn’t take me out the way it used to. I found my new normal. Built a family of choice.”

“I like the idea of chosen family,” I said.

“In some ways, it’s that much stronger.”

That made sense. You were choosing to commit to the people in your life. To be there for them no matter what happened. Guilt pricked at me. I hadn’t kept that commitment to my adoptive parents.

I scrolled through my texts. There was still nothing from my dad. Reaching out felt like exposing a wound for reinjury. But I missed him, the man he used to be anyway. My fingers hovered over the keyboard.

Me: I hope you and Mom are doing okay.

I couldn’t bring myself to say ‘I love you.’ There was too much hurt there. All I could give was this one olive branch.

I stared at my phone, but there was no response.

Keene put on his blinker, pulling off the two-lane road onto a private drive.

I scanned the area around us. There were green rolling hills and forest in the distance.

“It’s beautiful.”

Keene nodded. “Nice and quiet.”

“That has to be calming, right?”

Keene pulled into a small, half-full parking lot. He maneuvered into a space and shut off the engine. Turning in his seat, he took my hand. “We’re with you. Every step of the way.”

I linked my fingers with his as Keene’s thumb swept back and forth across the back of my hand. “You have me too. If you ever need to talk…”

“I know.”

Neither of us made any motion to move from this spot.

“I’m scared.” I spoke the words so softly, they were barely audible.

“I would be too.”

There was something about Keene not brushing my fear aside with simple reassurances that helped. It was as if we were looking the situation dead in the eyes, not pretending that it wasn’t hard as hell.

“I’m scared she won’t be in her right mind, and I’m scared she will be.” If she had all her faculties about her, what might she reveal?

“We won’t know until we go in there.”

I stared up at the stone building. It looked to be at least three stories, and it had the feel of an old manor house—luxurious but also a little creepy. “Or we could sit here all afternoon and pretend we went inside.”

“We could do that too. But I have a feeling you wouldn’t be too happy with yourself when we got home.”

“Why do you have to go and make a perfectly reasonable point like that? It’s rude.”

Keene chuckled. “I apologize.”

“You should.”

Keene leaned forward, crossing the distance between us. He took my mouth in a gentle kiss. His tongue teased and coaxed. It was a kiss of comfort and reassurance, yet it sparked a fire low in my belly. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine. “You can do this. Whatever the reality is inside those walls, you’ll deal.”

I let out a shaky breath. “Okay.”

“Ready?”

“Nope, but I’m doing it anyway.”

He squeezed my hand. “That’s my girl.”

I released my hold on Keene and pushed open my door. I didn’t give myself a second to hesitate and immediately headed for the double doors at the front of the building. Keene jogged to catch up, beeping the locks to his SUV as he went.

I pulled on one of the doors, but it didn’t open. A voice came from a speaker I hadn’t seen on the building. “Can I help you?”

“I’m Rowan Caldwell. I’m here to see Abigail Carson.”

“Please hold your identification up to the camera.”

I riffled through my bag, pulling out my driver’s license. I held it up to the camera as I glanced at Keene. “Is this normal?” I whispered.

He shrugged. “It’s a facility for shifters. They don’t want anyone wandering in off the street.”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

The door buzzed.

“Please proceed to the reception desk,” this disembodied voice instructed.

Keene pulled the door open, and I stepped inside. My gaze swept the room. It was a bizarre juxtaposition. There were historic details like ornate wood moldings and gleaming hardwood floors—everything about the décor spoke of wealth—yet the two people behind the massive desk wore scrubs and had earpieces.

A man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties looked up. “Welcome, Ms. Caldwell.”

“Rowan, please.”

“Rowan. I’m Max. After I get you checked in, I can take you to see your mother.”

I swallowed but nodded. I handed him my ID.

“I’ll need your identification as well,” Max said to Keene.

Keene handed his over and Max made photocopies of both licenses. “Please sign these waivers.”

I quickly scanned the text, blanching slightly at waiving the right to sue for bodily harm. I didn’t let myself reconsider, I simply signed. We handed the sheets back to Max and he motioned us forward. “Let’s go see your mom.”

32

MAX PRESSED his hand against some sort of palm-reader security system. The door buzzed, and he pulled it open while pressing something else on his earpiece. “Two visitors in Hall A. Proceeding to the conservatory.”

Keene’s hand found mine as we walked down the hall. The entryway had been completely silent other than the second receptionist clicking away on a keyboard. This space was anything but. There was yelling, screaming, crying. Each room had an industrial-looking door with a small window in it, and every so often, a face would press up against the glass.

One man snarled, pounding on the door. I pushed closer to Keene.

“Apologies for the noise. This wing is for our more severe cases,” Max explained.

“And Abigail needed to be here?” I asked.

Max’s mouth pressed into a firm line. “She attacked two orderlies on her first day here. It’s standard procedure to keep someone in maximum security for two weeks after a violent incident. But she’s doing much better and has been given additional privileges like this visit.”

Keene dropped my hand, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “And you’re sure she’s stable enough for that?”

Max came to a stop outside another door. A woman who looked to be in her fifties opened it and stepped out. She gave me a kind smile. “I’m Dr. Barton.” She turned that smile to Keene. “I wouldn’t have invited Rowan here if I didn’t believe Abigail was in a stable place.”

Keene nodded but didn’t look convinced.

“How is she?” I asked.

There was a hint of sadness in Dr. Barton’s expression. “I’ll be honest. She’s been through a series of traumas. She hasn’t opened up to tell me what those are, but her mind is fractured. She has moments of lucidity and moments where she is agitated or confused. I’m hoping that seeing you will help us put some of the pieces together.”

My hand fisted in Keene’s T-shirt. “Is there anything I should or shouldn’t do?”

“Don’t argue with her. You can gently correct if she’s saying something untrue, but don’t become combative. Keeping an even keel will be helpful.”

It was like dealing with a child, I realized. Those calm corrections over and over. “I’ll do my best.”

“All right.” Dr. Barton opened the door and ushered us inside, leaving Max in the hallway. “Abigail. You have some visitors. Rowan and…”

“Keene,” he supplied.

“Rowan and Keene are here to see you.”

The room was a sunporch of sorts, with lots of windows and a world of plants around the edge of the space. Abigail sat on a wicker couch, a blanket tucked around her. She blinked a few times as if trying to bring me into focus. “Rowan…”

“Hi.” It was all I could think to say. I wasn’t ready to call her Mom, and Abigail or Abbie seemed odd too.

Dr. Barton motioned to an empty couch catty-corner to Abigail. Keene and I lowered ourselves to the cushions, while Dr. Barton took a seat in a chair.

“How are you?” As soon as I asked the question, I felt like an idiot.

Keene’s hand moved to my thigh, his thumb sweeping back and forth in soothing strokes.

“There was chocolate cake with lunch,” Abigail offered.

I did my best to force a smile. “That’s one of my favorites.”

Dr. Barton nodded encouragingly.

“What other desserts do you like?”

“Pudding.” Her mouth curved. “When I was pregnant with you, I couldn’t get enough pudding. Chocolate vanilla swirl was my favorite.”

Abigail’s eyes traced over my face. “You’re not supposed to be here. I hid you.”

My fingers dug into the couch cushion. “I know. Why?”

If there was even a chance at getting a real answer from her, I had to try.

Abigail began fidgeting with her blanket, her fingers moving in jerky motions. “He would’ve taken you. He would’ve used you. Bled you dry of everything you had.”

“My father?” It was the only assumption that made any sort of sense.

She bobbed her head up and down.

“Who is he?”

Abigail’s eyes went wide. “No. No. No. You can’t say his name. He has ears everywhere. He’ll come for you. He’ll come for me. Can’t say his name.”

I held up my hands. “All right. We won’t say his name.”

Her shoulders relaxed a fraction.

“Did he hurt you?” I asked softly.

She swallowed, her throat working with the motion. “I thought I loved him. I knew he wasn’t my mate, but he made me feel so special. He told me that sharing our power would make us closer.” Her face hardened. “He didn’t share. He only took. He took and took until he almost killed me.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “I knew I’d never be free unless I ran.” She looked up and into my eyes. “You gave me the courage to run. I knew I had to hide you.”

“Where did you go?”

“I kept moving. Never stayed anywhere longer than a few weeks. I waitressed until I was too pregnant to carry a tray. I thought at first I could keep you. That we would just hide together.” Abigail began to tremble. “But one of his men found us. I barely got away. I knew there was only one choice.”

A burn lit along my throat. “So you put me up for adoption.”

“The lawyer said it was a good family. He promised.”

The Caldwells had been a good family. The best. Until it had all gone so horribly wrong.

“They were good to me.” I moved my hand to Keene’s, weaving our fingers together. “But it wasn’t my place. I’m finding that now, with my bond.”

Abigail shook her head frantically. “You can’t. Your mates will only make you stronger. He’ll want you that much more.” She leaned forward, clutching my arm, her fingernails digging into the skin there. “You have to run. Hide. You have to be alone. It’s your only hope.”

“I can’t.” I wished I could reassure her, but I wouldn’t lie. “I couldn’t leave them, even if I wanted to. But I don’t. They make me feel safe. Loved.”

Abigail’s eyes bored into mine. “They’ll be the death of you.”

33

“STOP IT.” My voice cracked like a whip. “Don’t say something like that. Not to me and not in front of a member of my bond.”

I knew Dr. Barton didn’t want me to be combative, I knew that Abigail was sick, but I wasn’t going to let her paranoia sow seeds of doubt in my relationship.

Abigail’s eyes narrowed on me. “I know what it’s like to be lost in the throes of new love. Of what you think is love. But they’ll use those emotions to manipulate you. To use you.”

“My mates aren’t like my father.” I had no idea who that man was, but I knew he was night and day from my bond. None of the guys were perfect, but neither was I. We worked to make this relationship the best it could be. And what I’d said earlier was the truth—I’d never felt more safe and loved.

Even amidst my issues with Holden, I’d felt secure enough to tell him exactly how I felt. He’d listened and done whatever he could to make it right. No one else had ever done that in my life.

Abigail looked towards the windows. “Even if they don’t use you, they’re putting you at risk. I could feel your power from the moment you were born. Keeping you away from other shifters was the only way to tamp it down.”

“And what if I don’t want to tamp it down?” I was so sick and tired of the parental figures in my life wanting me to be someone other than who I was. For once, I was ready to step into my full power.

Her head snapped back in my direction. “Then he’ll come for you. I can feel your power now.” She studied me, as if I were some sort of experiment. “It’s a blend of both of us in a way, but different too.”

Abigail lowered her hand to my arm, closing her eyes. She made a humming noise. After a few moments, she snatched her hand back, eyes going wide. “No, no, no. It’s not possible. They don’t exist.”

“Who doesn’t?” Keene pushed, speaking for the first time.

“They died out. It can’t be…” Her voice trailed off as her fingers moved in a rapid tapping motion.

Dr. Barton leaned forward. “Focus, Abigail. Use your words. Tell us what you sense.”

Abigail shook her head, pushing to her feet. “No. You can’t trick me. I say it and she’s as good as dead.” She latched onto my arm, tugging me up. “Get out of here. You have to leave. Don’t come back. You have to run.” She dragged me towards the door. “It won’t be enough though. Too much power.”

“Abigail,” I said quietly.

A tear slid down her cheek. “I tried to save you.” Then she started to scream.

I STARED out the window as trees flew past. The blur was comforting in a way. It had a bit of a numbing effect, almost like white noise. But it wasn’t enough.

Images played in my mind. The orderlies running into the conservatory as Abigail screamed and thrashed. The injection they’d given her. How she’d dropped like a stone. Dr. Barton’s words. “I think it’s best if we don’t have another visit for a while.”

The tears I’d desperately been trying to keep at bay finally escaped. As the first drop tracked down my cheeks, the dam broke. A sob tore free from my chest. Then another and another. I couldn’t stop.

Keene cursed. I was barely aware of him pulling off onto a dirt road, but soon the vehicle was stopping and my door opened. Keene lifted me into his arms, cradling me against his chest. “Let it out, Ro. Let it all out.”

So much had been building. Months and months of dominos set in place and the first one had finally been knocked over. Violent sobs shook my body as Keene lowered us to the ground, leaning back against a log.

He never let go once. No matter how hard I cried, he kept holding on. I sobbed until I was simply heaving with no more tears inside.

Keene rubbed a hand up and down my back. “I’ve got you.”

I burrowed deeper into his chest, feeling the wet of the shirt I knew I’d soaked with my tears. “It’s too much.”

“I know. But we’ll help you carry it.”

I could feel the bond in my mind, could tell they were concerned, but no one probed me with questions. Keene had to have filled them in.

“I don’t want anyone to have to carry it,” I mumbled.

He brushed the hair away from my face. “It’s an honor to hold it with you. I don’t know what you’re destined for, but it’s something great. Maybe it’s the prophecy Ivan talked about, maybe it’s something else altogether. But we’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“What do you think I am?”

“You’re ours. You’re Rowan. Lover of Diet Coke and hater of mornings. Girl with the biggest heart I’ve ever known and fierce defender of all she cares for. You are amazing. And I am so lucky to be loved by you.”

I lifted my head to meet his gaze. “I do love you.”

He grinned. “I know.”

My lips thinned as they pressed into a firm line. “You don’t have to be so sure of yourself.”

Keene’s hand cupped my cheek. “I don’t have to be sure of myself. You show me every day.” He brushed his mouth against mine. “I love you too. Everything about you. I didn’t think it would be possible for someone to be so perfect for all five of us, but you are.”

“I’m scared of what’s coming.”

“I know you are. But we’re with you. We’re all our strongest when we’re together.”

It was a lesson we’d learned time and again but hadn’t seemed to fully grasp. I hoped we could in time. But time was the one thing we seemed to be working against. There was an invisible countdown clock to an unknown event.

I twisted my fingers in Keene’s shirt. “Maybe she’s wrong. Maybe I’m just a healer who jolted one guy because I was upset.”

Keene smiled at me as his thumb stroked back and forth across my cheek. “I have a feeling we’ve only seen the beginning of what you can do.”

34

A SLIGHT TREMOR ran through my body at Keene’s words. He was so sure. Excited about what was to come, and proud of me. I was simply terrified.

There was something happening within me that I didn’t understand or have any real grasp on. All I knew was that it could heal or hurt. The tips of my fingers tingled at the thought.

“Hey.” Keene tipped my head back so he could look into my eyes. “What was that?”

It was as if he could see the thoughts running around in my head.

“I’m worried I’ll hurt someone without meaning to. That maybe this power inside me isn’t a good thing.”

“It’s a part of you, Ro. There’s no way it couldn’t be good.”

My fingers twisted tighter in Keene’s T-shirt. “Not all of me is good. I can be selfish, quick to anger, a million other things.”

“So can all of us.” His hand moved to my rib cage, flattening itself there. “But who you are at your core is nothing but good. I’ve seen it time and again. We may all struggle to hold onto that good at times, but we’ll help each other.”

I leaned my forehead against Keene’s, breathing deep. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Pain flared at my hip. I didn’t jerk or gasp in shock this time. It was perfectly right that fate would seal my connection to Keene in this moment. Huddled together on a blanket of grass, Keene holding me as I’d fallen apart, helping me to see the light when the darkness was closing in.

“Was that…?”

I nodded against Keene’s forehead. “Are you okay with it?”

His hand slid up my body to my neck then my jaw. “I’m better than okay with it.”

Keene’s mouth took mine in a kiss that was more demanding than gentle. His tongue tangled with mine as his fingers slid into my hair, tugging on the strands. My nerve endings sparked to life, wanting more. Wanting everything.

I shifted my legs, moving to straddle him. My core came flush against his growing hardness, and the contact sent little dots of light scattering across my vision. It wasn’t enough. I ground myself into him as he plundered my mouth.

Something about the intensity of the day, from Abigail’s revelations to my breakdown, made me all the more desperate to lose myself in Keene. I tugged on his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. I trailed my fingers down his lightly tanned skin. So smooth and soft, belying the hardness of the muscle underneath.

I tracked over his pecs, down to the ridges of abdominals. I wanted to explore every last inch of him, but I was in too much of a hurry. My fingers fumbled with the button on his jeans.

Keene tore his mouth away from mine, breathing ragged. He took my face in his hands. “Ro, are you sure? You’ve been through a lot today—”

I cut him off with a kiss. Taking and taking until I was drunk on his taste, the feel of his tongue stroking mine, the scent of his lust heavy in the air. “I need you. Need to get lost in us for just a little while.”

In a flash, Keene lay me on the thick grass, his fingers lifting my shirt. He followed the action with a trail of kisses, and the occasional nip of teeth against skin. I squirmed beneath him as the energy within me built.

His hands moved beneath me, unhooking my bra. I pulled it free, tossing it to the forest floor. Then Keene’s fingers were on my jeans, flicking open the button and unzipping. The slight vibration from the tines of the zipper had me squeezing my eyes closed.

I toed off my shoes as he tugged my jeans and underwear free. Keene stood, gazing down at me. The heat in his gaze should’ve burned me alive, but instead, I reveled in it. He kicked off his boots and shucked his pants and boxer briefs.

God, he was gorgeous. I could’ve stared at him forever. Except I wanted to feel him. All of him. Moving inside me, on top of me, all around.

“Keene,” I whispered.

In a flash, he was hovering over me. My legs circled his waist, and he slid inside.

I let out a moan as my back arched. It was perfect. The pressure, the stretch. As if he were made for me.

Keene began to move, thrusting in and out. Slow at first and then building speed. My nails bit into his back, spurring him on.

The movements became more frenzied, almost feral, as we built together. My hips met him thrust for thrust. And as his angled in a different way, I couldn’t hold back the strangled sound that escaped my throat.

I felt him everywhere and knew he was forever mine.

“Rowan.” My name was a guttural plea on his lips as he drove deeper into me.

My hands found his hair, tugging on the strands.

Keene growled, driving impossibly further inside.

I forced my eyes open, needing to see those ice-blues as my walls began to tremble. I was lost in their swirling depths. There was so much within them, I could barely track it all. Fierce need and burning desire. Tenderness and love. And other things I’d never be able to put a name to.

It was seeing all that within his eyes that sent me spiraling over the edge. The cord inside fraying in a wild dance of sparks and sensation.

Keene came on a shout, arching into me.

I took it all, everything he had to give, until he collapsed on top of me, both of us gasping for air. He rolled so that our positions were reversed, his arms around me.

“Rowan,” he breathed.

“I know.”

I lay there, the beat of his heart playing against my cheek. It was the best music I’d ever heard. Then I began to giggle.

“I’m going to try to not be insulted by that laughter,” he muttered.

“I was just wondering what would happen if a park ranger discovered us right now.”

Keene barked out a laugh. “They’d be in for the shock of their life. But the ticket for indecent exposure would be beyond worth it.”

35

LUCAS, Anson, and Holden were waiting for us when we pulled up to the lodge. I jumped out of the SUV before Keene even had a chance to turn it off. Lucas pulled me into a hug first. His warm, soothing energy swirling around me. “Are you okay?”

There were so many things that were far from okay, but in this moment, I was happy. The bond was progressing. I had people I trusted at my back. The guys showed up for me, time and time again.

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“Let her go already.” Anson peeled one of Luc’s arms off of me and stole me away. He burrowed his face into my neck, breathing deeply. “Missed you.”

“Missed you too,” I said, wrapping myself around him.

Holden hovered behind, not exactly approaching. There was something in his eyes. Hurt, maybe?

My stomach clenched. He was the only one I hadn’t cemented the bond with. If the situations were reversed, I’d be hurt too.

I wriggled out of Anson’s grasp and moved to Holden. I wrapped my arms around his waist and burrowed my face into his chest. “It’ll happen when it’s supposed to,” I whispered.

His muscles relaxed at my words. “I know. There are just times when my jealousy gets the best of me.”

“When that happens, you come find me, and I’ll remind you why you have no reason to be jealous.”

Holden smiled against my hair. “I like that plan.”

“Is someone going to fill us in on what happened during this visit?” Anson prodded.

I chuckled and turned in Holden’s arms so I was facing the group. “Patience isn’t your virtue, is it?”

He shrugged, not looking ashamed at all. “I like being in the loop.”

My stomach rumbled and Holden’s hands moved to my belly. “Hungry?”

“I’m always hungry these days.”

Keene grinned. “I’ll get us some snacks, and we can eat at one of the picnic tables out back.”

“Sounds good,” Holden said, guiding me to the side of the lodge.

Lucas moved to catch up with us. “Let’s see the mark.”

I tugged on the waistband of my jeans, revealing the star. Only the center and one prong of the shape were empty now.

Luc let out a low whistle. “It’s feeling more and more real.”

“What happens when the final connection is complete?” I asked as Anson fell in step with the rest of us.

“All of our powers will be heightened, and we’ll be able to sense how each other feels on some level,” Holden explained.

Nerves bubbled as I thought about how little I understood my gift still. The idea of pouring more power into it seemed like a very bad plan. “Can we work on my gift after we eat?”

Holden glanced down at me. “Are you sure you’re up for that? I know it’s been an eventful day.”

“I’m sure. I can’t keep avoiding it. I need to figure out what I can do and how it works.”

“We can do that,” Anson said.

I looked at Luc. “Where’s Vaughn?” I hadn’t seen him since last night, and the pain in my chest was beginning to intensify.

Luc scowled, an expression that didn’t seem to fit with his usually gentle demeanor. “He’s on a run.”

“A jog or…”

“More like trying to run off the demons,” Anson said.

Holden squeezed my shoulder. “He’s in wolf form. He headed for the mountains.”

“Is that safe?” With the recent attacks, the last thing I wanted was Vaughn alone with no one at his back.

“The only creatures up there that he needs to worry about are real wolves and maybe some bears,” Anson said.

“That doesn’t exactly make me feel better.”

Lucas tugged on a strand of my hair. “He’ll be fine.”

I couldn’t resist reaching out through the mind link. Be safe.

The only response was a brushing of his mind against mine. It wasn’t nearly enough. I needed his closeness and touch, but I wouldn’t beg for it. Vaughn had to be feeling the same pain I was. He knew I was hurting, yet still, he stayed away.

I slid onto the picnic table’s bench, Holden on one side of me, Lucas on the other. Anson mumbled something about them being dirty cheaters as he sat across from us.

Keene appeared, carrying a tray loaded with all sorts of things from sodas to hummus and chips. I grinned at him as he handed me a Diet Coke. “My hero.”

Lucas snorted.

I pinned him with a stare. “Hey, if you want my appreciation, keeping me in Diet Coke is a good way to get there.”

He held up both hands. “Message received.”

“So?” Holden asked.

I toyed with the tab on my soda. “She wouldn’t tell me much about my dad, but she seemed to sense something in me.”

Luc perked up at that. “What kind of thing?”

Keene lowered himself to the bench opposite Lucas. “She said something about it not being possible. That they didn’t exist anymore.”

Anson’s hand stilled halfway to the bag of chips. “What the hell does that mean?”

Keene handed me a bowl of snap peas and carrots. “I don’t know. Have you guys heard about a gift that no longer exists?”

Lucas shook his head. “No. But once I found out I was an empath, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to gift talk.”

Holden cracked the top on his soda and took a sip. “There are actually a lot of gifts no longer in existence. We don’t know if it’s simply a genetic component we’ve lost over time, or something the fates have taken away.”

“Like what?” Luc prodded.

“There used to be shifters who could change into any form they wished.”

My jaw fell open. “Seriously? That would be so cool.”

Holden grinned. “There were those who could sense the location of water. We think that gift died out because it was no longer needed. My dad has a lot of books and journals on the subject. I’ll see if we can borrow some and start looking through them.”

“We should start tonight,” Keene said.

Lucas glanced back at the lodge. “Whoever isn’t helping Ro with her training should start now.”

The rest of the guys agreed.

The hummus and carrots I’d just eaten turned to lead in my stomach. I couldn’t help but wonder, what would they find in the pages of those books? And would I be able to live with the truth?

36

I WAS AWARE OF EVERYTHING—THE breeze in the air carrying the scent of the pines, the grass pricking my legs through my workout tights, even the sound of muted voices in the lodge. I cracked open one eye.

Holden’s gaze narrowed on me. “You’re supposed to be meditating.”

I sighed, leaning back on my hands. “I don’t think the whole ‘traveling to another plane in my mind’ is in my gift wheelhouse.”

Anson snorted out a laugh. “Me either.”

Holden strode my way and crouched in front of me. “Quieting your mind and connecting with the power within is one of the greatest tools to bring your gift forward.”

“For you, maybe. It just makes me feel twitchy.” I scanned the outdoor area behind the lodge and the surrounding forests. “Where is everyone anyway?” On a Saturday afternoon, there were usually plenty of pack mates roaming around.

Anson sent Holden a quick glance.

I sat up. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Holden let out a sound of frustration. “It’s nothing bad, promise.” He extended a hand to me. “Come on, let’s try another method.”

I ignored the offered hand and pushed to my feet. “I don’t like being out of the loop.”

“Told you it was a bad idea,” Anson muttered.

Holden stepped in front of me, his hands cupping my face. “Please. Can you just trust me? You’ll know in a matter of days.”

I looked from him to Anson and back again. “Fine. But I’m not happy about it.”

Holden chuckled, kissing my forehead and then releasing me. “I’m well aware.”

“Okay, what’s plan B?”

Holden gestured to Anson. “He’s plan B.”

Anson made an exaggerated show of cracking his knuckles. “If your power is anything like mine, you’ve somehow put an invisible cork in it to keep it in check.”

I toyed with the strings on my bracelets. My power didn’t feel like that. It felt like entirely different entities at different times. My healing required me to push that golden liquid into someone, but when Chris had touched me, my power had lashed out, seemingly of its own will.

“What is it?” Holden asked.

“It feels like two different things. One I have to push, the other works completely on its own.”

Holden and Anson shared a look.

Holden cleared his throat. “I have to push for my freezing ability.” He turned to Anson, a little wrinkle appearing between his brows. Suddenly, Anson wasn’t moving, apart from his eyes. The wrinkle disappeared and Anson was cursing a blue streak.

“Was that really necessary?” He gave an exaggerated shiver. “You know I hate that feeling.”

Holden grinned. “That’s payback for calling me golden boy.”

“Hey, I haven’t called you that in weeks.”

“I was just biding my time, waiting for the perfect opportunity.”

I snapped my fingers. “Can we focus? Or do I need to send one of you to your room?”

Holden looked a little sheepish. “Sorry. I just wanted you to see that it causes me strain to do that. It doesn’t happen on its own.”

“My strength does. If I’m not careful, I could mean to high five someone but send them crashing through a wall instead.”

I winced. That was exactly what I was afraid of.

Holden tapped his fingers on his thigh. “We need to find the trigger for your offensive gifts.”

“It’s anger or fear. Maybe a mixture of both.”

Anson shook his head. “We’re not scaring her or pissing her off in the name of science.”

Holden strode towards me. “I have something else in mind.”

His hand slid under my hair to the back of my neck, his mouth meeting mine in a bruising kiss. I lost myself in the sensation. The world went silent around me as Holden took and took. I didn’t know how much time passed when he suddenly pulled away with a light nip to my bottom lip.

I blinked a few times, getting my bearings. “I hate to break it to you, that didn’t scare me or piss me off. I just want to do it again.”

Holden laughed, but his eyes held a dark promise. I had a feeling when Holden lost control, it was a sight to behold. “I wanted to see if I could give you a boost of power.”

“All you did was give me a hard-on,” Anson grumbled.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing and closed my eyes. That golden pool felt brighter somehow, and the stores were definitely greater. “I think it worked.”

Holden looked at Anson. “Kiss her.”

“I’m a fan of his homework assignment.” Anson moved so quickly, I barely had time to register the motion before he was kissing the breath out of me.

One hand slid along my neck while the other cupped my ass, pulling me flush against his hardness. I moaned into his mouth, taking the kiss deeper. When Anson finally pulled away, I was a little dizzy.

“How’s the power now?” Holden asked.

I did a quick check as I tried to get my breathing under control. “It’s definitely fully charged.”

“Perfect.” Holden rolled a kickboxing dummy in front of me. “Zap Bob.”

I arched a brow. “Bob?”

Holden shrugged. “He needed a name.”

I stepped forward and shot my hand into Bob’s chest. Nothing. All that happened was the dummy shook a little.

I bit my lip and tried again. This time, I hit harder. The dummy shook more, but I’d expelled no power.

“You need to find that mad again,” Anson said.

I nodded, closing my eyes. I pictured Cass and I talking in the hall at school. Sadie and her rude comments. Chris. The feel of his hand on me. The words he’d said. I struck out without opening my eyes.

A shock of power erupted from my arm and my eyes flew open. The dummy was a good thirty feet away, embedded in a thick pine trunk.

“Holy shit,” Anson said. “That dummy’s designed to withstand shifter strength.”

“Not all shifters apparently,” Holden remarked. “Don’t lose your grip on the power.”

I could feel the tendrils of it still wrapping around my arm.

“Send it into this.” Holden tossed a chest pad for kickboxing onto the ground.

I didn’t touch it this time, simply imagined shooting my energy towards it. Golden bolts of light shot from my palm, straight into the pad. As the smoke cleared, a hole was revealed. I’d burned a six-inch wide cavern through the metal reinforced foam. What did that mean I could do to a human being?

37

LUCAS LEANED into my side as he passed the bowl of breadsticks to Keene. “You okay?”

I nodded, picking a piece of pepperoni off my pizza and popping it into my mouth. “Just a long day.” One of the longest in memory, and that was saying something, given all I’d been through these past few months.

Vaughn’s mouth flattened, making the scar by his cupid’s bow stand out. “What happened?”

Keene shoved the bowl of breadsticks into his brother’s chest. “You’d know the answer to that if you bothered showing up once in a while.”

Our entire table went silent. Some of the guys called Vaughn on his shit, but Keene had never been one of them. He’d seen the hell his brother had been through and never wanted to push. I guessed the tides were turning.

Vaughn blinked a few times. “I needed to go for a run.”

“Are you running twenty-three hours a day? Because we only see you at dinner. I get that you need to burn the edge off, and that you’re having a hell of a time dealing with your new reality. But newsflash, Vaughn, you’re not the only person in this bond. Did it ever cross your mind that we might need you?”

Before Vaughn could answer, Keene shoved back from the table. “Now I’m the one who needs to go for a run.”

He took off for the back doors. Other members of the pack stared after him and then turned their attention to our table. Coby and Jasmine glared at me. I met their gaze, not looking away. I refused to bow down. As much as they wanted all the issues lately to be my fault, they weren’t.

Mason moved his chair, blocking Coby’s and Jasmine’s view. I turned back to my own table as Vaughn stared at the back doors. “He’s pissed.”

Anson scoffed. “No shit, Sherlock.”

Vaughn growled at him.

“Don’t pull that crap with me. I think we’re all about at the end of our ropes with you. This whole broody, tortured thing has run its course.”

Lucas cleared his throat. “What I think Anson and Keene are trying to make you understand is that your actions have ramifications. They hurt Rowan and they hurt the rest of us too.”

“He doesn’t hurt me, he pisses me the hell off,” Anson clipped.

Holden sighed. “Not helping. We need open communication. No ego.”

“I didn’t want this,” Vaughn said quietly.

His words cut me to the quick. For some reason, I thought maybe we were working our way past this. For the first time, I found my mad. “Do you think I did? That I want to be mated to someone who can barely stand the sight of me? If I’m lucky, I get this hot and cold from you, but most of the time, you leave me alone until it feels like my chest is being shredded from the inside out. That isn’t exactly what I’ve dreamed of when it comes to a life partner.”

Vaughn’s nostrils flared. He didn’t say a word, simply rose from his chair.

My eyes burned, but I didn’t look away from him. “You’re a coward.”

Not even my accusation could stop him. He headed for the door. This time, I didn’t turn to watch him go. I was done. Through with bending over backward and trying to understand. Vaughn could take his cabin in exile and his long runs, and drown in them both.

“Ro,” Lucas said softly.

A tear slipped free, sliding down my cheek. “Please don’t make excuses for him right now.”

Luc brushed the tear away with his thumb. “I wasn’t going to.”

“He’s a dipshit,” Anson muttered.

He was certainly acting like one.

Holden slipped his hand under my hair and squeezed the back of my neck. “I want to say that we’ll figure this out in time—”

“Don’t. I can’t hear it right now.” I looked around the table. “We’re building something special. At least, I think so.”

“We are,” Holden assured me.

“It’s the first time I’ve felt like I had family in a long time,” Anson said.

There was a burning in my chest. That family was worth fighting for. “He doesn’t get to come in here and ruin that. I’ll see Vaughn once a day to stave off the worst of the pain. The rest of the time, we focus on us. Building that family.”

Lucas looked unsure. “It’s not right—”

“It might not be, but it’s the best I’ve got right now. I can’t keep putting myself out there, only to be pushed away. It hurts too much.” My voice broke on my last sentence.

Lucas wrapped his arms around me in a hug. “Okay. I get it.” He rubbed a hand up and down my back. “We’ll focus on us.”

“We can take it one day at a time,” Holden said.

There was still hope in Lucas and Holden. Hope for our bond to be whole. But maybe this was one case where fate had gotten it wrong. Maybe she’d hijacked someone who wasn’t built for this.

Lucas pressed his lips to my hair. “No matter what, we’ll find our way.”

I quickly wiped under my eyes and straightened from his hold. “We will. But first I need to eat.” My stomach rumbled, as if punctuating my point.

Anson’s lips twitched as he handed me the breadsticks. “Here, take one of these. I don’t want you turning hangry on me.”

I plucked one from the bowl. “You certainly don’t.”

Movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. Mason rested a hand on Holden’s chair. Something about the lines bracketing his mouth had the pizza in my stomach souring. He nodded at me. “Rowan, I just got a buzz from the gate. Your dad’s here.”

38

MY FATHER. A man who hadn’t bothered calling or texting in weeks. But now he was showing up at my door.

I looked up at Mason. “Did he say why?”

“Just that he needs to see you.”

My stomach cramped. The possibilities were endless, but the first thing that came to mind was that something had happened to my mom. I pushed back my chair and stood. Holden, Lucas, and Anson were by my side in an instant.

Mason led the way towards the front of the lodge, pulling one of the double doors open. Darkness was already descending, the glow from the sconces on either side of the entry only casting so much light. But in a matter of seconds, my shifter sight took over, enabling me to see far into the dark.

I picked up the hint of headlights heading this way. Anson slipped his hand into mine. “We’ve got you.”

I leaned over and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. He knew just what I needed to hear. I was no longer alone when it came to facing the issues of my family. Though calling them that felt wrong. These past months we hadn’t resembled anything close to a family. But through that time and hardship, I’d begun to find a place where I truly belonged.

The headlights of my dad’s luxury SUV cut across us, and Lucas pushed in closer on my other side. Holden stood behind me, next to his father, but I could feel the heat from him wrapping around me in waves.

The vehicle came to a stop in front of the stairs and the engine shut off. I held my breath as my father stepped out of the SUV and shut the door. I searched his face as he climbed the stairs. I’d meant to wait for him to speak, but I couldn’t hold the words in. “Is Mom okay?”

He blinked a few times, surprised. “Oh, yes, she’s fine.”

My lungs released the air they’d been holding hostage.

My dad looked around at the group, a hint of wariness taking over his expression. “Mason,” he greeted with a nod.

“It’s good to see you, Bruce.”

“You too. Thank you for looking out for Rowan while I couldn’t.”

“It’s been wonderful to have her here. She’s really settled in and become one of the family.”

My father grimaced. He tried to hide it quickly, but it was too late.

Anson’s grip on my hand tightened.

Dad cleared his throat. “I’ve been doing some thinking, and I believe it’s best if you come back with me to the city. I’ve found a private school that you’ll be very happy with. And you’ll be close to your mom when she’s ready to see you.”

My mouth fell open. “Are you serious right now?”

A slight flush rose to his cheeks. “Yes, I’m serious. It’s important for you to be with your family.”

“You didn’t think it was all that important when you disappeared for weeks on end and left me with a woman who was in the middle of an abusive breakdown.”

Lucas moved even closer, and Holden let out a low growl that only we could hear.

My dad’s jaw tightened. “I realize I’ve made some mistakes, but I’m trying to rectify those now.”

I let out a laugh, but it had an ugly tinge to it. “You’re making up for it by uprooting my life yet again because that’s what’s most convenient to you.”

“It’s what’s best,” he gritted out.

“Why?” I pushed. There was something he was holding back, some reason he was here now. He’d all but forgotten about me for months.

Dad’s gaze zeroed in on Anson’s hand, then Lucas at my side. “You need to be with your family, and I don’t think this school and town are good for you.”

I froze. It wasn’t the school or the town, it was the pack. My mates. “Why wouldn’t it be good for me? The people here have supported me more than anyone else has since we lost Lacey. They’ve been there for me when I was missing Lacey, when Mom was making my life a living hell, when you were nowhere to be found.” And so many other things I couldn’t share with him.

A muscle in my dad’s cheek fluttered. “I think that might be a bit of an exaggeration.”

“I don’t,” Anson said coolly.

Dad glared at him. “You aren’t a part of this conversation.”

“But he is.” My voice remained calm, but inside, I was raging. Hot anger that had built up over months of neglect, rooted in such deep pain, flowed freely through me. “Because Anson was there.”

“And who else has been there for you?” Dad asked, his eyes narrowing. “I’ve heard what this community is all about, and I won’t have my daughter be a part of it. I won’t have you sully our family’s good name.”

The fresh pain took me by surprise. He didn’t care about me or what I was going through, he only cared about what it might mean for him. “Who called you?”

“Someone who was concerned about what you might be exposed to here. Someone who didn’t want my clients to find out what you were wrapped up in.”

“Who?” I pressed harder.

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Well, I’m none of your concern anymore. You’ve made that clear already, but we might as well make that official.”

The heat in my father’s face was no longer from embarrassment. Anger had taken hold. “You will go gather your belongings and come with me this instant.”

“No.” I didn’t yell it. I kept my tone even, matter-of-fact.

“You aren’t eighteen. I still make the decisions for you.”

You would think he couldn’t hurt me anymore, yet somehow it still cut, his lack of knowledge or memory when it came to me. It was as if when Lacey died, he’d tried to wipe both of us from his mind. “You could try to call the cops and have them haul me off, but when I tell them I’m only seventeen for five more hours, I doubt they’d do that. But you didn’t remember my birthday was tomorrow, did you?”

39

I STARED at the man who had played tea party with me for hours on end. The man who had bandaged scraped knees and banished bad dreams. How had we gotten to this place? The one where neither of us trusted the other, and we were all but strangers.

My dad opened and closed his mouth a few times before any words came out. “I’ve been very busy trying to stay afloat at work and visiting your mom. I lost track of time.”

“What about me? I didn’t rate as a priority to you until it put something you cared about at risk, right?”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“It’s true.”

My father’s shoulders pulled tight. “You are too young to understand all the pieces at play. I’m doing the best I can. I’m trying to look out for you. If you stay here, involved with these people, your reputation will be damaged beyond repair.”

“I don’t give a fuck about my reputation. I want to be with people who love me. Who actually care about my well-being.”

He scoffed. “Love you? Is that what they’ve said? They’re using you. Taking advantage.”

“You can believe whatever you want. I know the truth.”

“And how many of them are you sleeping with?” he spat.

“Five.” It wasn’t entirely true. I hadn’t been intimate with all of my bond, but we’d shared a bed. I wouldn’t hide this from my father. I wouldn’t be ashamed.

“Five?!” he spluttered.

“Five. They love me and I love them.” Okay, Vaughn definitely didn’t love me, but I had no doubt he’d kill for me. That was something.

“That is disgusting.”

Mason stepped forward. “All right, Bruce. I think it’s time for you to leave.”

Dad stood firm. “I’m not leaving without my daughter. You’ve brainwashed her. Put her under some mind control to convert her to your perverted ways.”

“Leave.” Mason’s eyes glowed in the low light, his alpha authority ringing through his words.

My father wasn’t a shifter, but he also wasn’t immune to the power coming off Mason in waves. He seemed almost confused as he walked back to his car. “This isn’t over.”

But it was. Pain lanced through my chest as the last tie to the family who’d raised me severed. I watched as his lights flared to life and then wound down the gravel road until they disappeared altogether.

Lucas moved then, pulling me into his hold. Anson and Holden surrounded me too, their heat enveloping me. I didn’t cry. I didn’t have anything left within me to pour out.

I was exhausted. A bone-deep fatigue swept over me until my legs began to tremble.

The world tilted as Anson swept me into his arms. All I could see were the blurry stars overhead. The sky was blanketed with them. I wanted to lose myself in those stars. To disappear and never come back. I didn’t want to have to think about whether my adoptive parents had ever really loved me, or whether my birth mother’s ramblings were true. I didn’t want to think about who my birth father was, or if I’d ever be able to make this bond truly work.

I squeezed my eyes closed as the bright lights of the lodge filled my vision. I burrowed my head into Anson’s chest. I could feel him climbing the stairs, but I didn’t look up. Not when he reached the landing. Not when he stepped inside Holden’s room. Not when he lay me down on the bed.

“Turn the lights down,” Lucas said softly.

The bright light I could see through my closed eyes blinked out, replaced by a soft glow I knew was Holden’s reading lamp.

Anson nuzzled my neck. “You want pajamas?”

I nodded.

Holden’s familiar fingers dipped into the waistband of my leggings, gently tugging them down. A second later, Anson and Lucas helped me into my flannel pajama bottoms. My eyes opened and I tugged my tank top and sports bra off, reaching for the worn T-shirt Anson handed me and pulling it over my head.

I immediately fell back to the pillows, curling into a ball. One by one, the three guys surrounded me. Anson curled around my back. Holden at my front. Lucas behind him.

I stared at Holden. “How do I hold onto Lacey but let my parents go?” I knew I needed to release them. If I didn’t, it would only tear me apart.

“You keep her alive with us.”

Lucas leaned against the pillows, his fingers sifting through my hair. “Tell us about her.”

My throat burned, but my lips still curved. “She had a real thing about birthdays. They always had to be special. She used to make me these ridiculous crowns. She’d make me wear them to school so everyone would know it was my birthday.”

Anson’s thumb stroked up and down the ridges of my spine. “I like a good crown.”

Holden snorted. “You would, prom king.”

A small laugh escaped me. “She’d always convince our parents to turn our birthdays into yes days.”

“What are yes days?” Luc asked.

“They would have to say yes to everything we asked, within reason. Ice cream sundaes for breakfast, blowing off afternoon classes for a trip to the movies, that kind of thing.”

Holden linked his fingers with mine. “We could have a yes day tomorrow if you wanted.”

My chest burned. In one way, it felt as if it would be wrong to do it without Lacey here, but at the same time, wasn’t this how I could keep her with me? Keeping our traditions alive?

“I think that would be perfect.”

40

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY.”

Keene’s husky voice tickled my ear. He must’ve come back at some point last night and shoved his way in between me and Anson.

I rolled over, my back to Holden and Lucas. I searched his face. There were dark circles under his eyes. “You okay?”

He brushed the hair away from my face. “I’m better. I just needed to run off the worst of it.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“None of this is on you. I’m frustrated with Vaughn, and I realized a lot of it is my own fault. I don’t tell him how I feel often enough. I make excuses for him. But that’s going to change.”

I tangled my fingers with his. “I love you.”

Keene leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine. “I love you too.”

The hair was pulled away from the back of my neck and a kiss was placed there. “Happy Birthday, Ro.”

Lucas pushed himself up on the pillows. “It’s yes day.”

I smiled. There was pain there, but there was also joy. Happiness that the guys would help me keep Lacey’s memory alive. “Yes day.”

“Maybe for yes day, Rowan wants to sleep in,” Anson grumbled.

I couldn’t hold in my laugh. I reached over and tickled his side.

Anson jerked and writhed into a sitting position. He glared at me. “That wasn’t nice.”

I shrugged. “It’s yes day. I get to do whatever I want.”

He scowled at Holden. “This was your idea. I blame you when she becomes a tyrant.”

Holden tapped my butt. “Come on, tyrant, let’s go get breakfast.”

We all got ready quickly. I opted for jeans and my comfiest flannel shirt. Sliding my feet into worn boots, I started for the door. The guys flanked me on either side, and as we descended the stairs, I let out a little gasp.

The entire dining area was covered in streamers and balloons. A huge banner hung over the fireplace that read, Happy Birthday, Rowan! My nose stung as I took in so much of the pack waiting for us—people who had become like family and even those I only knew by name.

“How?” I whispered.

Holden chuckled. “We had some help.” He inclined his head towards Luc’s sister, Lily, who was holding hands with a bouncing Crispin.

“Happy Birthday,” he yelled, running towards me and throwing his arms around my waist.

I hugged him to me. “Did you do all this?”

“Me and Lily. We had help, but we did the most.”

“It’s amazing, Crispin. Thank you so much.” I lifted my gaze to Lily. “You too. This was incredibly kind of you.”

She shuffled her feet and then pulled something from behind her back. It was a crown cut out of construction paper and decorated with glitter. “Luc mind-linked me last night. He said your sister used to make you a crown every year. Since we’re going to be sisters, I thought maybe I could take over that tradition?”

Tears tracked down my cheeks. I released Crispin and wrapped my arms around Lily. “I can’t tell you how much this means. I’m so lucky to have you as a sister. Thank you.”

Her breath hitched. “You’re welcome.”

When I released her, Lily set the crown on top of my head, smiling. “Perfect fit.”

I turned to the guys, my eyes still a little watery. “How do I look?”

Luc grinned. “Like a birthday princess.”

I flew at him. Thankfully, he was quick on his feet and caught me as I launched. “Thank you. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m so grateful.”

He pressed his lips to the side of my neck. “I feel the exact same way.”

Mason let out a loud whistle and all of the conversations around us halted. “The buffet is now open. Help yourselves.”

Lucas lowered me to the floor, and I turned to face Mason. “Thank you so much for doing all of this.”

“You’re welcome, Rowan.”

Holden stepped up beside us. “We’ve got all your favorites. Jase’s biscuits and gravy, waffles, scrambles. And I put in a last-minute request for an ice cream sundae bar.”

Crispin cheered at that last bit of information. “Can it be your birthday every day?”

“If it were, none of this would feel so special.”

He looked thoughtful for a moment and then shook his head. “Ice cream’s always special.”

“He has a point there,” Keene said.

Mason cleared his throat. “Before we stuff ourselves silly, I have a little something for you.”

I stilled as he pulled a small box from his pocket and handed it to me. “This belonged to my wife. She would talk every so often about Holden’s future mate, wondering what they might be like. I know she would’ve loved you.”

My hand found Holden’s, squeezing hard. “I wish I could’ve met her.”

“Me too,” Mason said with barely restrained emotion filling his voice. He handed me the box. “She was fond of jewelry of all kinds. I was looking through it the other night, searching for something to share with you, and this seemed perfect. Almost like it was meant to be.”

I released Holden’s hand and moved to the box. My thumb grazed the velvet of the lid as I slowly opened it. Inside was a necklace. Hanging from the delicate chain was a rose gold star with five points. Each point held a small diamond, and in the center sat a larger one. My breath caught. “Mason, this is too much.”

He met my gaze, shaking his head. “It was meant for you. Like some part of her already knew you were coming.”

My throat clogged. Every member of my bond held their own wounds and losses. We carried them with us. Yet together, we were more able to lift the burden. Not only that, we could hold the memories as well. Right then, I made a promise to myself. I would bring all of our lost loved ones into the light. Lacey, Holden’s mom, Keene and Vaughn’s parents. We would remember them all.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

I would cherish this always. Not just because it was a gorgeous piece of jewelry, but because it was a symbol of the true gift I’d been given. A family.

41

“I’M SO full I don’t think I can move,” I grumbled as I leaned back in my chair.

The rest of the pack had already left, moving on with their Sunday, but I’d been incredibly touched by their birthday wishes, cards, and even a few small gifts. The only people who hadn’t been present were Coby and Jaz. But that had been a gift in itself.

Holden kneaded the back of my neck. “You’re going to have to move for the next part of our day.”

“I thought it was my yes day. If I don’t want to move an inch, I don’t have to.”

Anson’s green eyes sparkled with mischief. “Trust me when I say you’re going to want to move for this.”

That had me sitting up a little straighter. “What is it?”

“You’ll have to come with us to find out,” Keene said.

Lucas was almost twitching in his seat. “Let’s go now.”

I couldn’t hold in my laughter. He looked more like a little kid right now than anything else.

“Okay, we can go.” I looked around the table. “Thank you. I can’t imagine a better morning.”

The only thing missing was Vaughn. I hadn’t seen him since last night. Hadn’t felt him brush my mind. He was simply silent. I did my best to ignore the pain in my chest and focus on all the good around me. I’d have to get better at that because there was little sign that Vaughn would be changing his tune any time in the near future.

I pushed my chair back and got to my feet, groaning. The combination of biscuits and gravy and a massive ice cream sundae, all before ten a.m., might’ve been a little too much, even for me.

Luc rubbed my lower back. “You gonna make it?”

“Let’s hope so because I want to see this surprise.”

He pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “I can’t wait to see your reaction.”

Excitement bubbled through me as I tried to make mental guesses at what the guys had in store. But everything I could come up with didn’t seem right.

We headed outside and down the steps to Anson’s Range Rover. He moved behind me, lifting a scarf and covering my eyes. “So it’s a real surprise.”

“Seriously?”

“Just go with it,” Keene chided, helping me into the vehicle.

I scooted into the middle seat, Keene on one side, Holden on the other. As the vehicle started up and began to move, I tried to track the turns and figure out where we were headed. After the fifth turn, I had absolutely no idea where we were or even what direction we were headed in.

The road grew bumpier, and I reached out to Keene and Holden to steady myself. “If you guys are taking me into the woods to murder me, I’m going to be really pissed. And you better believe I’ll haunt your asses.”

Anson chuckled. “No murder on the agenda. Promise.”

“Isn’t that what all diabolical serial killers say?” I muttered.

Keene’s thumb swept back and forth across my thigh. “Just breathe. We’re almost there.”

My stomach did a series of flips just as we pulled to a stop. A door opened and soon Holden was offering me a hand. When I reached the end of the seat, he simply lifted me down.

He kissed my temple. “Wouldn’t want you falling.”

“If I wasn’t wearing a blindfold, that wouldn’t be an issue.”

“She really doesn’t like surprises,” Lucas said, amusement lacing his tone.

“Can I take it off already?”

Anson came up behind me, his fingers moving to the tie. “Ready?”

“Yes.” I was about ready to tear the damn thing off.

He pulled on the ends of the scarf and it fell away. I blinked a few times, my eyes adjusting to the light. In front of us stood a massive house. It was the same mixture of wood and stone as the lodge but had its own unique look.

There was a huge wraparound porch, complete with rockers and a swing that looked more like a bed, and so many windows, I knew the light inside had to be amazing. Yet somehow it all still looked as if it belonged here. The mixture of rock and timber seemed to grow right out of the ground.

“What is this place? It’s beautiful.”

“It’s our home,” Holden said softly.

I whirled in his direction. “What?”

A grin spread across his face. “I started the design as soon as I knew you were mine.” His lips twitched. “I had to keep adding rooms as we found more of our bond mates.”

“Hank and his crew have been working around the clock to get it done. The whole pack has been helping,” Lucas said.

“The whole pack?” My voice cracked.

Keene moved forward, his gaze going from me to the house. “Even Crispin helped.”

I couldn’t begin to describe how much it touched my heart. Even more so than Crispin and Luc’s family, I was in awe of the others in the pack who had assisted in this surprise. They still barely knew me, yet had spent weeks helping to give me a home. I’d never be able to repay them.

Tears filled my eyes and the world around me blurred.

“Oh shit.” Anson’s panicked voice filled the air. “Does that mean she hates it or loves it?”

“Loves it,” Lucas said quietly. “She loves it.”

“You gave me a home.”

42

IT WAS MORE than just a home the guys had given me. It was a sense of belonging. Comfort. In a time when my world was falling apart, they were my rock.

Holden’s hand slipped beneath my hair, tugging my head back. “Love you, Ro.” His mouth took mine in a slow kiss.

“I love you too.” I turned to the other guys. “All of you.” More tears sprung to my eyes. “So much.”

“Please stop crying,” Anson said, sounding pained. “I can’t tell if you’re happy or upset, and it’s making my wolf restless.”

I couldn’t hold in my laugh. “Sorry. I will do my best to keep the tears under control.”

Luc’s hand pressed into my lower back, guiding me forward. “Ready to see inside?”

I wasn’t sure if I could handle seeing the rest of this place without a few tears leaking out. I did my best to tamp down the well of emotion and nodded. “I’m ready.”

Keene hurried ahead, opening the door. As I walked up the steps, I counted six rockers on the porch. The number had my chest clenching. Vaughn. They had planned for Vaughn, even though he was nowhere to be found.

I shoved that thought away to a “deal with later” space in my brain and stepped inside. I let out a little gasp. The whole back of the house was windows, and it looked out over the lake below. The house was set far enough back on the bluff that you wouldn’t be able to see it from the water, but we had a perfect view of below.

Holden stepped up beside me. “We were already building here when you said you wanted to live on this bluff.”

“It was meant to be,” Lucas said.

I crossed to a massive sectional that looked like you could get lost in it for days. It was positioned so it faced the view and a large two-sided fireplace. “I’m never leaving this spot when we live here.”

Anson chuckled. “It’s one of my favorites too.”

I scanned the main floor. It was an open living and dining space. The fireplace separated the two slightly, but it still left you with an airy feeling. I wandered into the dining area. There was a huge dark wood table that sat twelve, yet it somehow managed to look cozy.

I moved to the kitchen that would be any chef’s dream. A walk-in pantry. Double ovens. Endless counter and cabinet space. “Does this mean I have to get better at cooking?”

Keene laughed. “We can all work on it together.”

We explored space after space. A cozy library. A large office with desk space for all of us. A basement with games and a screening room. A gym. The back deck and patio space with an outdoor kitchen and ridiculously sized hot tub.

Anson sent me a wink. “I’m ready to christen the hot tub first.”

I shook my head but grinned.

“Let’s go upstairs,” Luc said, tugging me back inside.

We headed up one of the staircases to the second story. The guys pointed out their own rooms. Each one seemed to fit them in a way. Keene’s was forest green, with a computer set up that looked like it could launch a rocket. Holden’s had a variety of blues and a minimalistic décor. Anson’s had vivid wallpaper on one wall, full of color. Luc’s was all grays and whites with the most calming aesthetic I could imagine. Another door was closed and I knew without asking that it was Vaughn’s space. A room that would likely never be used.

We came to a stop just outside another closed door at the end of the hall.

Keene’s hand hovered on the doorknob. “This one is yours.”

He pushed it open and I gasped. The space was huge. More of those massive windows and a breathtaking view of the lake, forests, and mountains.

In the center of the room was a bed unlike any I’d ever seen before. It had to have been custom-made. It looked like three king beds in one, with a headboard that was made out of Aspen branches woven together. The comforter was a purplish-gray with pale green leaves embroidered into it. I had the sudden urge to dive into it and never get up.

As I stepped further into the space, I saw floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on one wall, and a gorgeous painting on the other. The whole room was like heaven.

Anson pressed a button on a chest at the end of the bed, and a television rose out of it. “This way, we can have movie nights in bed if we want.”

“I love it. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

“There’s more,” Luc said, motioning me forward. He paused outside another doorway. “Don’t be mad.”

My eyes narrowed on him. “That is never a good way to start something.”

Anson moved up next to us. “I gave Cass my credit card to fill up your closet.”

My jaw went slack. “You did what?”

He shrugged. “You needed more clothes. You’ve been living out of that duffle bag for weeks.”

I just shook my head and stepped into the closet. The space could’ve fit a whole other bedroom. There were dressers and shoe racks. Hanging sections of all sizes. A vanity to do my hair and makeup. Every space was filled.

“This is too much,” I whispered.

Anson moved in behind me, wrapping his arms around me. “It’s just money. We all have more than enough of it. Let us spoil you a little.”

“I promise we get just as much, if not more, pleasure out of it,” Luc said.

I swallowed hard, looking around at everything. At least I wouldn’t have to go shopping again for a very long time. “Thank you.”

“I think the next part is going to be your favorite,” Keene said.

“What else is left?” I didn’t see how there could be anything they hadn’t already covered.

Holden’s eyes twinkled. “The bathroom.”

That twinkle almost had me a little scared. “If I pass out from luxury overload, one of you better catch me.”

Anson kissed the top of my head. “I’ve got you, baby.”

I strode out of the closet and down a small hallway. When I stepped into the tiled space, I froze. My mouth fell open. I kept blinking as though that would clear the image in front of me.

There was a shower so large I swore it could fit an entire football team. It was complete with benches and shelves to hold our products. A rain shower overhead and countless jets on the walls.

There were mirrors and sinks on the opposite wall. Six in total. Drawers and cabinet space for all of us.

But it was the bathtub that had me drooling. Again, the size was unlike anything I’d ever seen. It was big enough for all of us to use it at once, and it was positioned in front of a window. It would make you feel as if you were floating on air while taking a bath.

“Okay, everyone out. I’m taking a bath right freaking now.”

The guys burst out laughing.

Keene moved to me, wrapping me in his arms. His eyes blazed with that blue heat I was growing addicted to. “How about we all take a bath?”

Now that was an idea I could get behind.

43

I STARED at the brick building as Anson pulled into his parking spot.

“Do we really have to go in there?” I wasn’t even ashamed of the little whine in my voice.

Lucas nuzzled my neck. “Believe me, I wish we could’ve stayed home.”

Home. We had that now. One that we were building together in so many ways.

After a bath that had set my nerve endings on fire, we’d gone to Anson’s house to get his stuff, and so that he could loop in his housekeeper, Maxi, on where he’d be living. She’d gotten teary but said she understood, offering to come cook for us whenever we needed. Then we’d returned to the lodge to get the rest of our belongings.

The only place we hadn’t ventured was my house. Even though I had a key, I didn’t want to risk my dad calling the cops on me if the alarm went off. I checked my phone for the millionth time. Not a single word from him. Not even a happy birthday text.

“Still nothing?” Luc asked.

I shook my head.

“Your dad’s a real ass,” Anson muttered as he turned off his engine.

“He didn’t used to be.” That was what was so hard about all of this. He used to be amazing. Busy, yes, but he’d always made time for me and Lacey. The man might as well have been a stranger now.

“Grief can change people,” Keene said.

I leaned forward and squeezed his shoulder. “Any word from Vaughn?”

“Nothing. Even when I try to reach out. He’s got stone walls up.”

The tearing sensation in my chest seemed to punctuate the point. I hadn’t gone this long without at least a little contact from Vaughn in a while. My body had gotten used to the mind touches and sweeping brushes of his fingers. It was screaming for that right now.

“I’m sorry, Keene. I wish I could fix this for you. For him too, even though he’s on my shit list right now.”

Keene closed the distance, brushing his lips against mine. “It’s not on you. How about you? Are you hanging in there okay?”

“Fine,” I said quickly.

The expression on Luc’s face told me he knew exactly how much that wasn’t true.

I hurried to fill the quiet before he could call me out. “We should go. Don’t want to be late for class.”

Holden eyed me carefully but pushed his door open and held out a hand to me. I took it and we all started for the front doors. Students milled around, but I didn’t see any hint of Sadie and her crew, or even Jaz.

Luc opened the door and held it for us. The halls were oddly quiet, most groups whispering amongst themselves, but when they saw us, the whispering intensified.

“What now?” I grumbled.

Holden’s grip on my hand tightened. “I don’t know.”

We moved down the hallway until I caught sight of Principal Andrews. He was standing with the receptionist and a couple of students. Sadie and Chris, to be exact. And they were right in front of my locker. My open locker.

I let go of Holden’s hand, striding forward. “What’s going on?”

Principal Andrews turned at the sound of my voice. “Ms. Caldwell.”

I took in the cut lock on the floor and my papers and books strewn about. “Who broke into my locker?”

His eyes narrowed on me. “There was a report about you having a weapon on school grounds.”

My gaze immediately moved to Chris, who looked smug. But Sadie appeared downright gleeful.

“I don’t,” I gritted out.

Principal Andrews held up a small device. “Care to explain this Taser then?”

My mouth fell open.

“That’s not hers,” Anson growled from behind me.

Principal Andrews raised a brow in Anson’s direction. “Care to explain how it and a fifth of vodka got into her locker then?”

“Sadie and Chris planted it,” Luc said. “They’ve been messing with Rowan since she got here.” Anyone else would’ve only heard the calm tone in Luc’s voice, but I could hear the barely restrained rage beneath it.

“I’m sure the police will investigate. They can run fingerprints,” Andrews said. “But for now, you’ll have to come with me, Ms. Caldwell. Officers are already on their way, and I’ve called your father.”

“You’re having me arrested?” I asked, panic leaking into my tone.

“I don’t have any other choice. You’re a student on school premises.”

“This is ridiculous,” Holden barked.

Andrews sent him a quelling look. “You should know the rules better than anyone, Mr. Pierce.” He motioned me forward. “Come with me.”

“We’re going too,” Keene demanded.

Red crept up Principal Andrews’ neck. “You do not make the rules around here. You are not permitted to leave school premises.”

Don’t, I said through the mind link. Don’t get in trouble because of me.

Holden let out a growl in my mind. I talked to my Dad. He’ll meet you at the station. They’ll release you after he talks to the chief.

I nodded.

Vaughn’s on his way too, Keene added.

Great. Even though I wasn’t Vaughn’s favorite person, he’d still tear down the station when he got there. Was that really necessary?

Sorry, Keene said sheepishly. Your panic slipped out through the pack link.

I had to get better at guarding my emotions. I glared at Sadie. This was all because she couldn’t stand the fact that someone wanted me more than her. I used one of Cass’ lines. “Your jealousy is showing, Sadie.”

Her face reddened. “I just don’t think it’s safe for violent alcoholics to attend our school. That’s perfectly reasonable.”

“You’re going to pay for this,” Anson growled.

That had Sadie paling and Chris taking a step back.

“Enough,” Andrews clipped. He took my arm, guiding me through the front doors and outside. I only looked back once, but the rage and worry on the guys’ faces had me whipping back around.

As we stepped out into the morning sun, a squad car pulled up to the school. Two officers piled out of the vehicles.

“Thank you for coming so quickly,” Principal Andrews said. “The locker is just inside in the main hall. This is Rowan Caldwell.”

An officer in his mid-forties stepped forward, his face a blank mask. “I’ll take her to the station. My partner can collect the evidence.”

“Sure you don’t need me to ride with?” his female partner asked.

The man scoffed. “I think I can handle a delinquent teen.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from saying anything in response, instead letting him take my arm and guide me towards the squad car. He pulled the back door open and shoved me inside. Then he grabbed my backpack, wrenching it off my arms. “Wouldn’t want you to have access to any weapons.”

“Or booze,” I muttered under my breath.

The officer slammed the door and rounded the vehicle. Tossing my backpack to the passenger seat, he started the engine.

I was silent as he drove out of the school parking lot and towards town. Nausea swept through me at the thought of having to face my dad at the station. Could I really get arrested if my fingerprints weren’t on the items in question? How long did it take to get something fingerprinted?

A million different questions whirled through my mind. I was so distracted, it took me a minute to realize we’d driven past the Cloverdale police station. “Hey, I thought you were taking me to the station?” Maybe he was taking me directly home.

The officer was silent.

“Where are you taking me? I have a right to know.”

He pulled onto a dirt road that led into the woods.

Panic lit through me. I instantly linked with my bond. Something’s wrong. He’s not taking me to the station.

Where are you? Holden demanded.

Some dirt road not too far from my house. It doesn’t have a name.

My heart hammered in my chest as the officer pulled to the side of the road behind a blacked-out SUV.

He turned off the engine and climbed out, opening the back door as three large men appeared. “Get out.”

“No.” I shook my head, pressing myself against the opposite door.

The officer grabbed my ankle and pulled. “I said, get out.”

He hauled me to my feet just as one of the other men strode forward.

“I’m sorry about this,” the hulking guy said.

“What—?”

My words were cut off as something sharp jabbed my neck.

Guys! Help…

I couldn’t finish. The world around me seemed to melt, all the colors blending together and then turning to black. Then there was nothing at all.

44

I CAME AWAKE IN WAVES. The first thing I became aware of was the pounding in my head. As if my heart had taken up residency there and was beating against my skull.

I shifted positions, trying to escape the pain.

A voice I didn’t recognize cut through the silence. “She’s moving. Is she waking up?”

Someone else chuckled. “We gave her enough sedative to keep an elephant under.”

I froze, scenting the air. Nothing about the smells was familiar, and they were all human. I cracked an eye open the barest amount.

Everything came back as I took in the three figures. The incident at school, the police officer, these assholes jabbing me with a needle. I tried to glance at my surroundings without moving again. We were on some unfamiliar dirt road, heading through the forest.

I reached out to the guys with my mind, only it wouldn’t connect. When I tried, my brain felt like it would explode. I winced.

“She’s fucking awake,” the guy next to me barked, giving me a shake.

I scrambled back, pushing myself against the door. “Don’t touch me.”

“Get me another injection,” he said to one of the others in the front.

Hell no. They weren’t drugging me again.

“We don’t have anything else,” the guy from the front passenger seat said. He turned towards me. “Don’t panic. I know you’re scared, but we’re getting you help. Your father sent us.”

“What?” I croaked. None of this made sense.

“We’re going to get you the help you need.”

“Help for what?”

Two of the guys shared a look, but the one in the front tried to give me a reassuring smile. “Cults are a real thing. Deprogramming can be painful, but it’ll be worth it. I promise.”

The guy next to me snickered. “The solitary confinement for a few weeks should help.”

My breaths started coming faster as the panic set in.

The guy in the front cursed. “Don’t say that shit.”

“What? It’s true. What do we care? She can’t do anything now.” He held up a Taser and pointed at me. “You even think of moving and you’ll regret it.”

They were trying to take me to some fucked up center, away from my pack, my guys, my home. The fury inside me lit like a match, and I could feel the energy crackle over my fingers.

“Let. Me. Go,” I growled.

He laughed. “Sorry, little girl, you don’t scare me.”

But I should’ve. I punched out with my hand and connected with his chest. The asshole started to convulse before he passed out altogether.

“What the hell?” the guy from the front shouted. “How did she get a Taser?”

He pulled one from his belt and shoved the prongs into my shoulder. The first jolt sent fiery pain through me, but then something changed. It was as if my gift knew exactly what to do. It pulled all the energy from the electrical current into me, filling that golden pool in my belly.

The guy’s eyes widened. “Why isn’t it working?”

The driver glanced over quickly. “Turn it up.”

“It’s on full juice.”

I punched out, a palm strike to his nose. There was a satisfying crunch and then he was convulsing. He moaned in the front seat.

I hovered my fingers over the driver’s shoulder. “Pull over or I will fry you.”

He let a slew of curses fly but pulled to the side of the road.

“Give me your phone.”

He hesitated for a moment, and I gave him a short zap. He jerked. “Fuck! Okay, okay.” He handed me the device and I jumped out of the vehicle. I started running down the road as I was dialing.

A shot cracked through the air and pain bloomed in my shoulder. A white-hot burning that almost brought me to my knees.

“Don’t fucking move, you little bitch.” The driver’s voice had a coldness that told me he wouldn’t hesitate to take a head shot.

I froze, slowly turning around. I gripped my shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding, but every time I pressed down, white dots danced across my vision.

“What the hell are you?”

My heart hammered in my chest, but I didn’t say a word. I could hear Holden’s voice on the other end of the line even though the phone was by my side.

“Ro, is that you? Where are you?”

“What the hell are you?” I parroted back to the driver. “You get your jollies out of kidnapping young girls?”

I heard Holden curse.

The driver’s eyes narrowed. “I’m going to like breaking you. I’ll—”

His words cut off when a black wolf exploded out of the trees. There was no struggle or fight. Vaughn sank his teeth into the driver’s neck and whipped him around with a sickening snap.

The driver’s body dropped to the road, his eyes wide and unblinking.

The guy from the passenger seat stumbled out of the SUV. “That’s a fucking wolf.” He held up a gun, taking aim.

I shouted, but I shouldn’t have worried. Vaughn was faster than any human could ever be. His claws raked across the man’s chest as the man screamed. Vaughn’s teeth sunk into the man’s jugular, and he shook him like a rag doll. He tossed him in the air and then ran after the body to do it again.

“Vaughn,” I called. But it was as if he couldn’t hear me.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I muttered under my breath. I moved closer to them, but Vaughn growled low at me. I froze. Had he gone feral? What was I supposed to do?

I waved on my feet, the corners of my vision darkening. “Vaughn?”

Something in my voice must’ve broken through because he released the guy’s throat and moved towards me. The pain overcame the shock. My shoulder was on fire.

Vaughn’s head tilted from one side to the other as he studied me.

My eyes closed for just a moment as I tried to grip my shoulder harder. The brutal blast of pain had them flying open.

Vaughn growled again. But this time, I knew it wasn’t at me. It was because I was hurt.

He pressed his body against me, taking my weight. My fingers tightened in his fur. “I’ll be okay.”

But it was a lie, because a second later, I was falling and everything went dark.

45

VOICES SOUNDED FROM FAR AWAY. Shouts. A low growl.

“You have to let us near her,” Anson barked.

“Yelling at him isn’t going to help,” Lucas said. “He thinks he’s protecting her.”

“Vaughn,” Keene said in a soft voice. “We’re trying to help Rowan. She needs medical attention.”

I blinked a few times. Everything hurt. Even the sun streaming through the trees burned my eyes.

“Hey, she’s waking up,” Holden called.

I tried to move, to sit up, but could only cry out.

Luc moved in a little closer. “Don’t move. It could make things worse.”

I struggled through labored breaths as sweat broke out on my brow.

“Ro,” he pushed. “Talk to us.”

“Hi.” It was all I could get out.

“What happened?” Anson demanded.

“Shot,” I wheezed. “My dad. He paid them to take me.”

Mason moved next to Luc. “We need to get the bullet out. If we don’t, her body won’t be able to heal the injury. She’ll bleed out.”

“Dammit, Vaughn. Move!” Anson shouted.

Vaughn growled.

I sunk the hand of my uninjured arm into his fur. “Vaughn. They need to help me.”

He licked my face, letting out a whine.

“They won’t hurt me. Shift back and you can stay close.”

He let out a little huff of air but didn’t move.

“Please. It hurts.”

Vaughn’s whine was louder this time, but he prowled into the trees.

“Did that just happen?” Luc whispered.

Keene shook his head. “No one’s ever been able to reach him when he’s like this.”

“No one move,” Mason ordered. “Not until he’s in human form again.”

Vaughn strode out of the woods, not caring in the least that he was nude. Holden chucked a gym bag at him. “Put something on.” As he got dressed, Mason and Luc rushed forward.

Vaughn’s jaw tightened, but he put on a pair of shorts.

“Holden, get my medical bag,” Mason called.

Luc took my hand, and immediately, the pain lessened.

I looked up into those swirling hazel eyes. “Don’t take too much.”

He bent, his head pressing against mine. “I’m so sorry, Ro.”

“I’ll be okay.” I glanced at Mason. “Right?”

His mouth was a hard line, but he nodded. “You will. Getting there won’t be the most pleasant though.”

Holden dropped a bag next to Mason. “What can we do?”

“I need you guys to hold Rowan down. Even with Lucas taking the majority of the pain, it’ll be impossible for her not to move. I don’t want to damage her shoulder while I’m removing the bullet.”

Vaughn filled my vision. He was in basketball shorts now, but still no shirt. I met his stare. “Thank you.”

His gaze bored into my shoulder, my shirt that was covered in blood. “I should’ve made it sooner.”

“You made it just in time.”

He looked away, towards the woods.

Mason pulled on a pair of medical gloves and took out what looked like tongs. “Anson and Keene, on either hip. Vaughn, you take her head. Holden, her uninjured shoulder. Lucas, pull as much of the pain as you can.” He looked at me. “You ready, Rowan?”

The guys’ hands covered me, pressing me into the ground. I gripped Luc’s hand harder. “Do it.”

The tongs dug into my shoulder and I screamed. There was so much pain, even with Luc pulling it as fast as it erupted, it was too much. It overloaded my system. My ears rang and body twitched.

“Hold her still,” Mason yelled.

The guys’ collective weight bared down on me and tears streamed from my eyes.

Mason gritted his teeth. “I’ve got it. One more pull, Rowan.”

I couldn’t hold in the cry of pain as he pulled the bullet out, but it faded quickly as Luc took the brunt of it. I felt as if I were floating. Everything around me was just a little hazy.

Something wet splashed on my cheek. Not my own tears, but one of Vaughn’s. I blinked a few times. There was so much emotion there. Grief, fear, pain. He touched his forehead to mine, leaving it there and not saying a word.

Mason pulled a bottle of something from his medical bag. “I need to clean out the wound. Even though shifters don’t get regular human illnesses, we can get infections. Hold on.”

Liquid poured into my wound and my tears flooded back, sliding down my face and neck.

“We’re here,” Holden whispered gruffly.

“You’re not alone,” Anson echoed.

Mason pressed gauze to the wound with one hand and riffled through his medical bag with the other. “I’ll need to stitch you up. Your body’s been through too much to ask it to heal all of this on its own.”

“Dad, she could go into shock.”

“Your bond will keep her grounded,” he said.

“I can take it,” I whispered.

I bit the inside of my cheek as the needle pierced my skin. It seemed to take forever. The pull of the thread had me fighting waves of nausea. But the guys never left. They stayed with me through it all, their hands pouring waves of reassurance into me.

Mason made some sort of tie at the end of the stitches. “We’re done.”

That was when my body began to tremble. As if the knowledge that it was done finally sent me crashing.

“Get a blanket,” Anson said through clenched teeth.

Holden released his grip on my shoulder and jogged off. A second later, I was being covered with a thick, plaid blanket that spoke more of picnics than shootings and trauma care.

Mason taped a gauze pad over the stitches. “Let’s get her up. Nice and easy.”

Before the guys could coordinate, Vaughn swept me into his arms. “I’ve got her.”

My body shook harder as I burrowed into his chest. The warmth came off him in waves, and I let myself sink into it. For once, I didn’t worry about when he might disappear again. I simply lost myself in all that was Vaughn’s comfort.

46

SUNLIGHT TEASED MY EYELIDS, but I didn’t want to open my eyes. I was too comfortable. Warmth spread across my back, cocooning me.

Slowly, I became aware of the throbbing in my shoulder. My eyes flew open at the reminder of everything that had happened. A hand squeezed my hip. “You’re safe.”

It was the last voice I expected to hear. I adjusted so that I was on my back, looking into those ice-blue eyes, tracing the little scar next to his cupid’s bow with my gaze. “You’re here.”

Vaughn brushed the hair out of my face. “How do you feel?”

“A little sore but not too bad.” I looked around my new bedroom. “Where is everyone?”

“Downstairs. Mason and Coby are here.”

I stiffened at the beta’s name, my shoulder muscles crying out in protest.

“Don’t do that,” Vaughn growled.

I scowled at him. “Don’t boss me around.”

He sighed, flopping to his back.

“Why are you here?” I asked softly. Just saying the words made my heart ache. This back and forth was too hard.

Vaughn turned his head towards me. “I don’t know.”

“Not good enough.”

He leaned up on his elbow, looking down at me. “I needed to be near you.”

Needed not wanted. He had a compulsion to be close to me because of the bond, but it didn’t seem as if he especially liked me.

Vaughn let out a low chuff, more animal than human. “I miss you when I stay away.”

I stared at him, searching his face for any hint of an explanation, for the truth. “Then why do you do it? You know we’d always welcome you.”

“I’m no good at any of this. It’s more than the fear of hurting you, hurting the rest of the bond. I’ve spent more time as a wolf than as a human these past years. I’m not good with other people, I don’t do relationships.”

Even though there was a part of me that screamed not to, I reached out, linking my fingers with Vaughn’s. “No one expects you to be perfect. I’m not. I’m still struggling to figure this out. All we’re asking is for you to be present. Stumble through it with the rest of us.”

I could see the battle in Vaughn’s eyes. He lowered his forehead to mine, leaving it there. “I can try.”

“That’s all I need.” I ached to close the distance between us, to touch my lips to his for the first time. I wanted to know all of him.

The door opened and we jumped apart. Luc froze in the entryway. “Did I, uh, interrupt something?”

He sounded adorably hopeful. I shook my head. “Sometimes this bond thing is too weird.”

Lucas grinned and Vaughn chuckled. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “It’s just going to take time, right?”

I blew out a breath. “Right.”

Luc crossed to us and handed me a Diet Coke. “You feel up to a talk with Mason and Coby?”

I took a sip of the soda, letting the bubbles dance on my tongue. “If I say no, can I ignore that any of this is happening?”

Luc lowered himself to the bed. “I wish you could.”

I wanted to burrow under the covers and refuse to come out.

Luc seemed to sense as much. He plucked the can out of my hand and set it on the nightstand. Kicking off his shoes, he laid back on the bed and pulled me to him.

I laid my head on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart. Of all of the guys, Luc had been steadfast from the beginning. I always knew where I stood with him. If the world spun out of control around me, he never faltered.

He stroked his fingers through my hair. “We take it one step at a time.”

“Right now, I feel too tired for even one step.”

Vaughn moved in behind me, his lips ghosting over my injured shoulder. “Then you stay right here.”

The contact sent a shiver through me. Vaughn’s lips were smoother than I would’ve expected. The pressure of them heartbreakingly gentle.

“Vaughn’s right. We can stay here as long as you want.”

I let out a little sigh. “Just give me a few minutes to mentally prepare.”

Luc continued his ministrations on my scalp. His gaze tracked over where Vaughn’s body connected with mine. He must’ve seen something in Vaughn’s expression because he shifted me so that I was more evenly distributed between them. “You won’t hurt her.”

Vaughn’s eyes narrowed on Luc. “Get out of my head.”

“I wasn’t in your head. I was looking at your face. You want to kiss her so badly, it’s killing you.”

I looked from Vaughn to Luc and back again. Vaughn’s jaw worked back and forth. “I could do it without meaning to.”

Luc’s eyes glowed as he let his gift flare to life. “You won’t. Trust me that I would tell you if you were in a risky headspace.”

“I don’t know—”

I cut off Vaughn’s words by stretching up and closing the distance between us. As my lips met his, Vaughn didn’t move for a moment, frozen in shock. I was about to pull away when his lips melded into mine.

It was a slow, smoky heat. It seeped into me, sweeping through all of my muscle and sinew. Vaughn’s tongue stroked mine, pulling a little moan out of my lips.

His hand slipped under the hem of my tank top, stroking the skin there. I fought the urge to roll on top of him. To reach for more. But he was already giving me so much. A connection I’d lost all hope for.

“Luc, what’s taking so long?” Anson called as the door to the bedroom opened. “Holy hell…”

Vaughn snarled as he released my lips. “We need a lock on that door.”

I couldn’t hold in my giggle as my fingers came to my lips. They tingled with the glow of the contact. Vaughn had kissed me. For the first time in days, I had real hope. It might be dangerous for my heart to lean into that, but I didn’t care. I was holding on with all I had.

47

“STOP LAUGHING,” I grumbled at Anson as we headed down the stairs.

He leaned over and pressed a kiss to my temple. “I just wasn’t expecting you and the king of all things dark and broody to be making out when I came in.”

“Shhhh,” I hissed at him.

Luc chuckled. “It’s not a secret. We want you making out with all of us.”

“Is this really what I have to look forward to, being around you all?” Vaughn asked.

Anson glanced at Luc. “I guess not even a good make-out sesh cures the broody.”

I smacked him upside the head with my good hand. “Stop it.”

Voices filtered in from the living area and the flickers of humor fled. I wanted to hold onto it for a little while longer. The guys giving each other a hard time, the buzz of Vaughn’s kisses, all of it. Instead, we walked into a room full of tension.

Mason pushed to his feet as we entered. “How are you feeling, Rowan?”

“I think she’s feeling just dandy,” Anson said with a smirk.

I elbowed him in the stomach. “I’m feeling a lot better. I think my shoulder is mostly healed.”

“Let me take a peek.” He crossed to me, pulling back the dressing.

I stared down at the wound. It looked as if it had been healing for two weeks, not less than a day.

Mason let out a low whistle. “It’s impressive. I think I should take the stitches out now.”

I grimaced but nodded.

He patted my good shoulder. “I know it isn’t fun, but we don’t want those staying in too long and causing problems.”

Holden patted the seat next to him on the couch. “We can do it right here.”

Mason lifted his chin in assent, and I moved to Holden, lowering myself to the couch. He surveyed my face. “You sure you’re okay? You were sleeping pretty hard.”

“I think that helped.”

Keene made a humming noise in the back of his throat. “I wonder if that’s a part of her self-healing. It was after she slept that the cuts on her face went away too.”

“It’s possible,” Mason said as he took a seat on my other side.

Coby simply sat quietly in a chair, not saying a word.

Luc took a seat on the coffee table opposite me, resting a hand on my knee.

“No, Luc. You’ve done enough for me today.” I could see the hint of dark circles under his eyes from the strain of all the pain he’d taken from me earlier.

“I can do a little more.”

I pulled my knee out of his grasp but held his gaze with my own. “I’ve got this. If I trip over a rock and break my ankle tomorrow, you can help then.”

Anson groaned. “Please don’t even speak of that as a possibility.”

I chuckled. “I’ll try to stay on both feet.”

He moved behind the couch, perching on the back and dropping a kiss to my head. “Thank you.”

Vaughn merely prowled behind us, walking back and forth.

“Would you sit down?” Coby barked. “You’re making my wolf twitchy.”

My eyes narrowed on her. “Don’t speak to him that way. This is our home.”

“This is my pack,” she shot back.

Mason stiffened. “I think you forget your place.”

Coby’s head instantly dipped. “Apologies, Alpha.”

Even as new as I was to pack dynamics, I could tell trouble was brewing. As Holden grew in power with our bond strengthening, Coby was feeling the need to defend her position. She should’ve been doing all she could to help support Holden as the second-in-line, but instead she was fighting against it.

Anson had told me once that dominance battles were rare but did happen. They were typically only to first blood, but occasionally, they got out of hand. My stomach pitched at the thought of her trying to take Holden down.

My hand slipped into his, squeezing hard. He leaned into me, his lips ghosting over the shell of my ear. “It’ll be okay.”

I hoped he was right.

Mason pulled his medical gloves into place and set a pair of scissors and tweezers on a towel. “Ready?”

I looked at Lucas opposite me. “Go to town.”

There were the occasional sparks of pain, but mostly the sensation of Mason pulling out the stitches made me sick to my stomach. I didn’t want to think about how torn apart my flesh had been and why.

“Distract me,” I said.

Luc looked panicked for a moment. “With what?”

“How about with the fact that I found Ro and Vaughn making out when I went up to her room,” Anson chimed in.

“Anson,” I growled.

“What? I think that’s a good distraction.”

“I could rip Anson limb from limb,” Vaughn offered in a casual tone. “That would be a distraction.”

“The last thing we need is more bodily harm,” I gritted out.

“What if I promise to clean up the blood afterward?” Vaughn asked almost cheerily.

Holden began laughing. “What the hell is happening?”

Keene stared at his brother. “I have no idea, but I think it’s good.”

“You know, it hurts that you see threats against my life as a good thing,” Anson said.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

Keene shrugged. “Whatever brings us all together.”

Mason wiped my shoulder with an alcohol swab. “You are good to go.”

I looked down at the wound. There were a couple of specks of blood, but that was it. “Thank you for doing all of this.”

Mason patted my knee. “I’m sorry I had to, but you’re an A-plus patient. Much better than the rest of these wimps.”

“Hey,” Holden complained.

Mason snapped off his gloves. “The truth hurts.”

I leaned back into the couch cushions, pressing myself against Holden’s side. I nibbled on the inside of my lip before I could get up the courage to ask what I wanted. “Have you heard anything from my dad?”

It hurt more than I wanted to admit that he had been willing to send me to some center, willing to let someone use torturous methods to scrub my brain. If they’d succeeded, I would’ve died. The bond would have shredded my insides apart.

Mason shared a look with his son. “He’s gone, Rowan.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your house was completely packed up and there’s a for sale sign out front.”

My heart lurched. He’d left. With no concern for where I was or if I was safe, he’d simply disappeared.

48

“I’M SORRY, RO,” Holden said as he pressed his face against mine.

I swallowed against the burn. “No, it’s for the better. Maybe this means he’s giving up. He probably won’t even check to see if I’m at the awful place he was sending me to.”

Vaughn let out a low growl.

I lifted a hand, reaching out for him. This time he took it, weaving our fingers together.

“I sent an enforcer to find him in Seattle,” Mason said.

My eyes flared. “What did he say?”

Mason scrubbed a hand over his face. “At first, he denied any involvement.”

“Then?” I pushed.

“He said he was trying to help you, but from what Mac recounted, he didn’t seem all that worried about you.”

I gripped Vaughn’s hand harder. “More about how I could affect his reputation?”

Mason nodded. “I had Mac make it clear to him that if any further attempts were made against you, we would go public with his and your mother’s actions. He wasn’t too happy about that idea and told Mac that he’d stay away as long as you kept a low profile.”

My family had all but ceased to exist already. This was just the final nail in the coffin. Yet it hurt like a fresh wound.

Luc wrapped his hands around my calves. There was a light buzz of energy from him to me, as if he couldn’t help himself. “He’s a selfish prick.”

“Understatement,” Anson grunted.

I looked at Mason. “Do you really think he’ll abide by that?”

Mason hesitated for a moment and then nodded. “Humans can sense a predatory power in shifters. It intimidates them. Your father tried this move because he didn’t have to be directly involved. Now that he understands that we know what he’s been up to, I think he’ll back off.”

A muscle in his cheek ticked. “I’d hoped he’d still want to be in your life. I thought I’d gotten through to him that day you were so sick. Thought he was going to make some positive changes for all of you.”

“Maybe it’s for the best,” I said quietly, releasing Vaughn’s hand. “I don’t know how I’d be able to keep him in my life and have this secret. He wouldn’t understand.”

Anson shifted behind me, his fingers tightening on the couch cushion. “He should still try.”

I laid my hand over his. “He gave me a home for a lot of years. I’m going to do my best to hold onto the memory of that. I won’t lie and say this isn’t painful, but I won’t let myself hate him.”

Luc’s hold on my calves tightened. “You’re a better person than I am. I’m feeling some pretty strong hate right now.”

“I just keep thinking about Lacey, and what her reaction would be to all of this. It would break her heart on every level. Whenever the anger takes hold, thinking about her takes the wind right out of my sails.”

Anson’s thumb traced the column of my neck. “Letting the anger bleed out of you is probably a much healthier way to be.”

“I have to let him go. If I try to hold on, it’ll only hurt me more.”

“We need to know what happened with the men in the car,” Coby cut in.

The guys all glared at her.

“Give her a minute,” Keene said through gritted teeth.

I waved him off. “No, it’s okay.” I picked at a seam in the couch. I walked them through the hand off with the officer and then the drugging.

Mason made a low scoffing sound. “Shifters can burn off human drugs much faster.”

“They weren’t exactly expecting that.”

“What happened when you woke up?” Holden asked.

“The guy in the back wanted to drug me again, but they didn’t have any more sedatives.”

Vaughn began pacing behind me again.

“One of the guys in the front tried to talk me down, tell me that they were here to help. But the guy in the back told me they’d lock me up in solitary when we got there.”

A low growl emanated from everyone in the room.

Luc swallowed hard. “Shifters don’t do well in confined spaces.”

No wonder my wolf had freaked out at that. “I started to panic and I could feel my power flare. The back seat guy was threatening me with a Taser and I just reacted.”

“You zapped him,” Keene surmised.

I nodded. “But then something weird happened.”

Anson’s fingers stilled their stroking on my neck. “What?”

“The guy in the front tried to Taser me, but it was like it gave me more power. It hurt at first, but then it filled up that well inside me.”

Everyone around me was silent for a minute.

Mason cleared his throat. “You didn’t convulse or anything?”

“No. There was pain but only at first. Then I could feel that pool of energy in me getting bigger.”

His eyes cut to Coby.

She shook her head. “There’s no way.”

That familiar panic started to rise in me. “What?”

Mason studied me as he chose his words carefully. “In the older generations, there were shifters who were called energy benders. It was more than having an offensive or passive gift—they could manipulate the power that runs through all things. From electricity to our very life force.”

“That’s what I read about in one of the journals,” Holden said quietly. “I didn’t think it was possible. They don’t exist anymore.”

Which was exactly what Abigail had said when she’d sensed my power.

I gripped the couch cushion. “So I can pull energy out of things and push it into things?”

“It’s more than that,” Mason explained. “You can transform it. You could’ve used that electrical impulse and turned it into energy to heal someone.”

That sounded amazing. But if it was that incredible of a gift, why did everyone around me look worried?

“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked.

“Energy benders were hunted to extinction,” Coby said with zero emotion. “They no longer exist because they were all captured and forced into servitude by powerful alphas. But if pushed too far they combust. Over time they simply ceased to exist. People will come for you the same way.”

49

A KNOCK SOUNDED on the door, but none of us moved to answer it. We hadn’t shifted from the oversized sectional since Mason and Coby had left hours before, the bomb they’d dropped still hanging in the air.

Instead of the second knock I was expecting, the door swung open to reveal Cass, her arms laden with pizza boxes. She strode inside like she owned the place, Cooper, Jack, and Ridge on her heels. She set the boxes down on the coffee table. “So, I hear you’re some badass energy vampire.”

“Cass,” Jack said, an edge of warning in his tone.

“What? Tiptoeing around it isn’t going to help.”

Holden grimaced. “I take it the gossip mill is already at work.”

Cass plopped down on the sofa. “Your dad gave an order that this news isn’t to leave the pack, but you know people are always going to talk amongst themselves.”

“Great,” I muttered.

She sent me a sympathetic smile. “It’s better this way. Let them get all their gossiping out now.”

Luc toyed with my hair. “Cass has a point. They might be all talked out in a few days.”

Anson leaned forward, flipping open a pizza box. “Here’s hoping.”

Cooper pulled sodas and cups out of a bag, setting them on the table. “How are you feeling, Rowan?”

“Other than knowing people could be out to use me until I combust if they find out about my gift? Just dandy.”

Ridge chuckled, sitting down next to Cass. “Nothing life-changing or anything.”

I snorted. “Nothing at all.”

Jack set down a tin of brownies and a stack of plates. “Help yourself, guys.”

Keene put a couple of slices of cheese pizza on a plate and handed it to me. “Eat.”

“You sound like Vaughn,” I muttered.

Vaughn arched a brow. “And what’s that like?”

“Bossy.”

Ridge barked out a laugh. “From day one, I knew I liked you.”

Cass scowled at him. “Sure, her, you know you like. Me, you threaten to kill.”

My eyes bulged. “Threaten to kill?”

Ridge leaned back, his fingers tangling in Cass’ blonde locks. “She exaggerates.”

“I think the exact wording was something about gutting me…”

Ridge shrugged. “We didn’t get off on the best foot.”

I glanced at Vaughn. “He’s making you look like a saint.”

The guys snickered, but I swore I saw a hint of pink on Vaughn’s cheeks. He clapped Ridge on the shoulder. “Thanks for being an asshole.”

Ridge grinned. “No problem.”

Cooper pulled a slice of pepperoni pizza onto a plate. “The house looks awesome.”

I looked from my pizza to him and the rest of his bond. “Did you guys help?” I made a face at Cass. “I know you helped with the closet. We’re going to have words about that later.”

Cass let out a laugh that had her guys looking at her with adoration. “That was the most fun I’ve had in months.”

Jack smiled at me. “We worked on it when we could, but it’s awesome to see it with all the finishing touches. It’ll be a good home for you guys.”

Keene swept his thumb back and forth across my thigh. “I think so too.”

“I convinced Coop to put one of those epic showers in at our place. That’s going to be fun,” Cass said.

Cooper sent her a heated look. “Should be done next week.”

I picked at my pizza, still not quite used to how open pack members were about their sex lives.

Vaughn moved behind me and massaged my shoulders. “Eat.”

I took a bite of the pizza, chewing and swallowing. “Happy?”

“When it’s all gone, I will be.”

“Bossy,” I huffed.

“Stubborn,” he returned and then dropped a kiss to the top of my head.

The room had gone quiet around us, and when I looked up, everyone’s focus was on me and Vaughn. “What?”

Jack cleared his throat. “We just haven’t seen Vaughn like this…ever. It’s good.” He smiled at Vaughn. “Happy for you, man.”

“Thanks,” Vaughn replied, his voice rough.

“I think it’s awesome,” Cass said, as she leaned forward and plopped a veggie slice onto her plate. As she was leaning back in her seat, she froze. Her eyes went a milky white and she dropped her plate.

“Shit,” Ridge muttered, his arm curving around her shoulders and holding Cass to him as Jack picked up the plate and pizza.

“What’s going on? Is she okay?” I started to stand, but Holden motioned me back down.

“She’s okay. It’s her gift.”

“What is?”

“She’s a seer,” Luc said. “She can have visions of the future.”

The white in Cass’ eyes slowly began to clear, and she blinked a few times.

Cooper handed her a cup of soda. “Drink some of this.”

She took a few sips as her eyebrows pulled together in a furrow.

“What is it?” Ridge asked.

“It was weird. Like the vision was trying to reveal itself to me but couldn’t.”

Jack moved to her other side. “Has that ever happened before?”

“Only once.” Cass looked around the room. “When there was a powerful shield hiding something from me.”

I glanced at Keene. “Like the psychic shield you told me about?”

He nodded.

“They can prevent mental gifts from accessing themselves and the people around them,” Cass explained.

“What could you see?” Anson pushed.

Cass seemed to be searching through her mind, looking for any kernel of information. She finally shook her head. “Everything’s too blurry. The only thing I got was the flicker of a feeling.”

“What kind of feeling?” Holden asked.

“Greed,” Cass said softly.

A shiver passed through me, and Luc wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close.

A knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” Holden called. “It’s my dad.”

Mason strode into the living room. “We have a problem. The Quad is back.”

50

“WHAT? WHY?” Holden was on his feet in a flash.

“I don’t know, but unless you want them in your home, we need to get to the lodge now. They’re on their way up. Coby will do her best to delay them, but you know patience isn’t one of their virtues,” Mason said.

“Go,” Cass urged. “We’ll clean everything up here and leave your leftovers in the fridge.”

I stood, pulling her into a quick hug. “Thanks. Think this is what your vision was trying to tell you?”

“It’s likely. I’m sure all the members of the Quad have shields in their inner circles.”

I grimaced as I released her. “Hopefully none of them try to murder me or drain me dry while they’re here.”

Vaughn let out a snarl as he moved in behind me.

Cass winced. “Maybe don’t say stuff like that around the growly one.”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed. I patted Vaughn’s chest. “He is growly, isn’t he?”

“We need to go,” Holden said.

I swallowed, not wanting to leave the place that had already managed to become my safe space.

Cass squeezed my arm. “You’ve got this.”

I headed for the door. Anson was already behind the wheel of his Range Rover. Even though Mason had his SUV as well, all of us piled into Anson’s vehicle. I had to sit on Vaughn’s lap. His arms locked around me like a seat belt.

I faced Lucas, his hand looping around my thigh. “Tell me it’s going to be okay,” I said softly.

His fingers tightened on my thigh. “It’s going to be okay. There isn’t any other option.”

Keene pulled the hair away from my neck and placed a kiss there. “We’ve got your back.”

Holden turned in his seat. “Keep toeing the same line you did before. Be respectful, but don’t let them push you into anything you don’t want to do.”

I twisted the cord of my bracelets around my finger as I mentally checked my power levels. They were fairly low given all I’d been through in the past twenty-four hours. At least I had that going for me.

In a matter of minutes, we were pulling up behind a fleet of luxury vehicles, and we piled out of the SUV. Anson strode towards me, tugging me into him and hugging me tightly.

I rubbed a hand up and down his muscled back. “Hey, I’m going to be fine.”

“I know.” He still didn’t let go.

I stretched up on my tiptoes and pressed my mouth to his. I poured everything I had into the kiss. My reassurance, my trust, my love. When I pulled away, I’d gone just a little bit breathless.

He nuzzled the side of my neck. “Thank you.”

“Always.”

Mason cleared his throat. “We need to move inside.”

I started up the stairs, the guys surrounding me, pulling that Secret Service thing again. This time I didn’t mind it in the slightest. I needed to feel them, their strength. I needed to know I wasn’t facing this alone.

Two enforcers stood at the entryway. As we approached, Mason gave them a nod and they opened the doors. We moved through to find the entry full of people.

Coby was doing her best to calm the Quad down, while their entourages waited in the wings. “See, they’re here now.”

Gregor whirled around, his eyes going to me and narrowing. “I thought you were shot.”

“We told you she has a healing gift,” Mason said calmly.

Gregor scoffed. “Healing a cut is one thing. A bullet wound is something else entirely.”

I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze. “As you can see, I’m perfectly fine. There was no need for you to come all this way.”

Kaleb turned a laugh into a choking cough as Ivan smacked him on the back a few times.

Gregor straightened his shoulders. “You do not tell me what to do, little girl.”

Cinna sighed, looking bored. “The girl’s right. We didn’t need to waste the time coming back here.” She said ‘here’ as if the word tasted bad.

Ivan scanned my face and body. “Any lingering injuries?”

“No, I’m almost completely healed.”

“Who shot you?” Kaleb asked. There was a ferocity in his words that had a little warmth growing in me for the Quad member.

I glanced at Mason, who nodded. I chose my words carefully. The last thing I wanted was an angry Quad going after my father, no matter how much he’d hurt me. “My father thinks the pack is a cult. He doesn’t know about shifters, and what he does know about this life, he doesn’t understand.”

Ivan gaped at me. “Your father shot you?”

I quickly shook my head. “No! He hired people to ‘de-program’ me. Things got out of hand.”

A muscle in Kaleb’s cheek ticked. “This is inexcusable.”

“He’s right,” Gregor said, turning his attention to Mason. “You’ve proven that you are unable to protect the girl. She should be removed from your care.”

“I have a name,” I growled. “It’s Rowan. And you don’t control where I go. I’m eighteen now. You lost your window.”

Redness crept up his throat. “Your insolence is worthy of censure.”

Kaleb held up a hand, stepping between us. “Let’s all dial it back a notch. We all want the same thing. Perhaps we can establish a guard for Rowan. An enforcer from each of our packs who will remain with her.”

“Absolutely not,” Holden barked.

“And why not?” Ivan demanded. “What are you hiding?”

“We aren’t hiding anything,” Anson gritted out. “But our bond is new. I think you all understand that having unfamiliar wolves around our mate would be a bad idea.”

“It would end in death,” Vaughn warned.

“The only option is to move her to a secure location,” Gregor said. “My pack is best equipped for this. We have the strongest boundaries and the largest enforcer army.”

“Excuse me?” Cinna asked, arching a perfect brow. “Everyone knows that my warriors are fiercest. I can take her to my high-rise in Manhattan. No one will get close to her.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Kaleb began.

“Stop!” I shouted. “All of you, just stop. I’m not going anywhere other than home. Nothing has changed since the last time you were here.”

Something flashed in Gregor’s eyes. “Everything has changed. We know what you are, little energy bender.”

51

THE ROOM WENT silent around me, as the guys moved in even closer to my sides. Mason must’ve sent out an order through the mind link because enforcers flooded the lodge. Some moved to surround me, while others took up positions at the end of the room. In response, each of the Quad’s guard moved to flank them.

“Now, this isn’t necessary,” Ivan said.

“Isn’t it?” Mason asked. “You come onto my lands with plans to take one of my wolves.”

Cinna flicked a hand in my direction. “She wasn’t one of yours until very recently.”

“Her mother was one of mine and is still under my protection.”

Gregor’s eyes flared. “You know where she is.”

Mason’s shoulders straightened. “She’s getting the medical care she desperately needs.”

“She needs to be questioned,” Gregor pushed.

“She’s not in any state to be questioned.” I couldn’t help but want to protect the woman whose mind was clearly so broken. Even if she had given me away, she’d done it in an effort to protect me.

Kaleb studied me. “You’ve spoken with her?”

I nodded. “It wasn’t a very fruitful conversation. Her mind isn’t altogether there.”

Ivan shuffled forward, his single guard at his side. “Did she tell you who your father was?”

“She refused to tell me anything about him other than to warn me that he would try to bleed my gift dry.”

Kaleb frowned as he seemed to search through his memories. Maybe it was what everyone in the room was doing, coming up with a list of potential candidates for my daddy dearest. I’d finally come to the realization that I didn’t want to know. Even if Abigail was wrong about him, having him in the picture now would only complicate things. The only thing I wanted was to be left alone. To have time with my bond and to build this new family.

Luc moved in even closer, his hand coming to the small of my back. His soothing energy flowed into me and his voice filled my mind. No one is going to take this family from us.

They can’t take you with this many witnesses, Holden assured. They don’t have a strong enough case.

Just have that handy little freeze technique ready, Vaughn ordered.

Holden gave a barely discernable nod of assent.

I took Holden’s hand in one of mine, and with the other, reached back for Vaughn. I poured all the energy I could into them. They had the gifts we’d need the most if this went sideways. When I could feel them brimming with power, I let go of their hands and reached for Keene and Anson.

Keene had only ever shielded himself and Vaughn, but I had a feeling with enough juice, he could cover us all. I glanced up at him. Think you can stretch it a little farther?

I can try.

“She’s communicating with them,” Gregor spat. “Stop it, right now.”

I smiled sweetly at him. “Is talking to my bond against the rules now too?”

He glared at me. “It’s incredibly rude.” His lip curled in a sneer. “They’re just using you. They want what you can give them. Nothing more.”

Vaughn released a low growl.

Gregor’s head snapped in his direction. “That could be seen as an unprovoked attack.”

I arched a brow. “Are you so scared of him that you’d accuse him of attack for letting his feelings be known? You’re that much of a coward?”

He moved in a flash, launching himself at me, hand raised. But my bond was faster. Holden froze him in place as Vaughn circled around me. Vaughn gave a palm strike to Gregor’s chest, sending him to the floor, writhing in pain.

Gregor’s guard flew into action. Some remained in their human form, preparing to launch whatever gifts they had. Others shifted into their wolf forms. The Ridgewood enforcers shifted instantly, while my bond stayed human.

One of Gregor’s guards pulled a fireball seemingly from the palm of his hand. A second later, it was flying towards us. Keene let out a curse as his eyes glowed. The fireball bounced off what looked like an invisible forcefield.

Mason let out what could only be considered a roar. “The next person to show any aggression towards my wolves will lose their head.” He stalked towards the fire wielder. “Collect your alpha and leave. Now.”

The man glanced at the rest of the Quad, but they did nothing to back him up. He ducked his head and hurried forward to lift the groaning Gregor to his feet. Mason motioned to a few Ridgewood enforcers. “Please escort our guests to the border and see that they don’t return.”

“Yes, Alpha,” one replied.

We all watched as Gregor and his guard were herded from the room. I still couldn’t take a full breath. I turned to Keene. “Are you okay?”

He nodded, a little smile on his lips. “Apparently, you do have an effect on my gift.”

I reached out, squeezing his hand and pouring more energy into him just in case.

Cinna buffed her nails against her dress. “Well, that was unnecessarily dramatic.”

Kaleb huffed. “Gregor is becoming more and more unstable.”

Ivan stepped forward, clamping a hand on Kaleb’s shoulder. “Now isn’t the time to discuss Quad business.”

Kaleb dipped his head in agreement.

Ivan turned to Mason. “You have my apologies for Gregor’s actions.”

“Thank you. I think it’s best if the Quad leaves for now. My wolves are understandably on edge. I don’t want any bloodshed.”

Ivan’s mouth thinned into a hard line. “We’ll get rooms in town and return tomorrow when tempers have cooled.”

A muscle in Mason’s jaw ticked. “Return with what purpose?”

Ivan looked at me. “We must know what Rowan is capable of.”

52

I BURROWED BACK against the pillows, wedging myself deeper between Holden and Keene. I should’ve been happy. For the first time, we were all together in a home that was made to be ours. Instead, worry was running circles around my brain.

“This is never going to end, is it?” My words were barely audible.

Holden moved closer to my back, his arm looping around me. “The discovery is new. We just—”

“Need time,” I finished for him.

Anson’s hand landed on my hip, stroking. “It’s gonna be hell for a while, but we’ll get through it.”

Vaughn leaned back on the overstuffed couch by the windows, taking us in. He hadn’t come to bed with us, but he was here. He wasn’t running. “What did you sense, Luc?”

Luc propped himself up on the pillows on the other side of Keene. “They had to have shields as a part of their guards because I didn’t get much. There weren’t warm and fuzzy feelings, but I wasn’t expecting that.”

I looked up at Keene. “Do you think there’s any way to break those shields? To see what they might be planning?”

His fingers linked with mine, his thumb sweeping back and forth on my hand. “I honestly don’t know. I’ll need to do some research tomorrow and see what I can find. There might be someone with that type of gift that could teach Luc.”

I glanced at Luc, who nodded. “I’ll learn from whoever I need to. It would be a good tool to have in our arsenal.”

Because people would keep coming for me. That was what he didn’t say. Now that the Quad knew I was an energy bender, it wouldn’t be long before the entire shifter community knew.

Holden’s hand dipped beneath my tank top, teasing the skin there. “Try turning it off. Just for tonight. You need sleep.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

His lips ghosted over the shell of my ear. “Let me help?” His fingers moved from below my tank to under the band of my sleep shorts and stayed there, not moving any further, seeking silent permission.

I moved my hips, asking for more. Those fingers slipped between my legs, stroking. My lips parted, sucking in air.

Keene didn’t hesitate, leaning forward and taking my mouth. His tongue dueled with mine while Holden’s lips trailed along my neck and his fingers explored every dip and curve.

A moment later, the comforter was tugged down and Anson’s hands were on my shorts. He slid them down my legs and tossed them to the floor. His hands moved up my thighs, parting them. He stared intently, watching Holden’s fingers move, parting my flesh. One finger circled my clit and I shuddered.

“Hell,” Anson muttered. He glanced at Vaughn. “Join us.”

It was an olive branch. An inclusion.

A battle warred across Vaughn’s face. “I can’t. I don’t trust myself. Not yet.” His eyes became hooded. “But I can watch.” His hand dipped below the waistband of his sweats and he began to stroke himself.

Something about the action drove me higher. I tried to squeeze my legs closed, to relieve some of the pressure, but Anson stopped me. He sent a wicked grin in my direction. “Uh, uh, uh.”

His head bent, his tongue flicking my bundle of nerves.

I let out a moan.

Luc moved then, joining Anson at the end of the bed.

Holden’s fingers moved from my core to my tank top, pulling it down. His lips found one breast, while Keene moved to the other. They worked at different rhythms and the unpredictability sent a riot of sensations through me.

As Anson’s tongue worked my clit, Luc’s fingers drove inside me. They arched and twisted, stroking me higher and higher. Turning that invisible cord in me even tighter.

“More,” I begged. “I need more.”

“Take her,” Anson growled to Luc.

In a flash, his fingers were gone and he tugged me towards the end of the bed. A second later, his tip was bumping up against me. Luc slid inside on a groan. “You’re heaven.”

Anson hummed around my clit as Luc began to move. It was too much. The pleasure was arcing around me and through me. My eyes met Vaughn’s across the room. His cock was out now and he stroked it, base to tip, moving faster and faster.

The knowledge that he was with us sent me spiraling over the edge as Luc thrust impossibly deeper. The world around me shattered, but I wasn’t afraid. I’d never felt more whole than I was then. Me and my bond, losing ourselves together.

I STARED up at the ceiling. The first hints of light were gracing the horizon. I’d slept blissfully for hours, but now, I couldn’t turn off my brain.

The guys around me were still dead to the world. I didn’t want to wake them, but I was going to go crazy if I didn’t move. I carefully slid towards the bottom of the bed.

I crossed to the closet, grabbing a robe to pull over my pajamas and a pair of slippers. I moved through the door, shutting it with a soft snick behind me. The house was quiet, but I knew there were enforcers running our borders on regular intervals. The number had increased, thanks to the scene last night.

I wouldn’t let that knowledge steal my peace. I pulled open the door to the back patio. The air was cold, but the cold no longer touched me with my internal shifter heat. I lowered myself onto one of the chairs that overlooked the lake. It glowed in the early morning light.

I sat there, soaking up the beauty as the sun rose. I should’ve known the peace wouldn’t last. I scented Jasmine before she announced her arrival with a clearing of her throat.

I plastered on a blank expression as I looked up, not saying a word.

Jaz stood there holding a basket, shuffling her feet and looking remarkably uncomfortable. “Hey.”

“Morning.”

She looked towards the lake. “It’s a pretty view.”

“It is.” I was quiet for a moment, studying her. “What are you doing here, Jaz?”

Pink hit her cheeks. “I brought you guys breakfast.”

“Is it poisoned?”

She let out a huffing laugh and set the basket down. “I guess I earned that.”

I arched a brow in her direction.

Jaz lowered herself into the chair next to mine. “I’ve never seen Holden like he was when you were taken. I thought he was going to tear the school down.” A tear slipped out, but Jasmine quickly wiped it away. “I guess I needed that wakeup call. He loves you, Rowan.”

“I know.” I didn’t want to feel sympathy for a girl who had made my life hell. But in that moment, I did.

“I want him to be happy.”

“I believe that.”

She looked up from her hands. “I’m sorry. I’ll leave it alone now. I promise.”

“Thank you.”

Jaz bent and lifted two Diet Cokes from the basket. “I heard you’re partial to them too.”

She offered both to me and I took one, twisting off the top. “The best way to start the day.”

She laughed, taking a sip of her own. “One thing we can finally agree on.”

I took a pull from my bottle. I was going to need about six of these if I was going to make it through today. I started to say as much, but my tongue wouldn’t cooperate. It felt thick and heavy in my mouth.

My gaze flew to Jasmine. She grinned. “What’s the matter? Feeling a little off?”

I tried to call out with the mind link, but I couldn’t get it to work. I tried to scream, but everything around me went black.

I didn’t know how long the sea of black had me when the voices broke through. The sound hurt my ears, as if I’d been under for years.

“I think she’s waking up,” someone said.

We were moving. In a vehicle? It jostled as we went over a bump. I let out a little moan.

“You know what they say, daughter. If you want something done right, you better do it yourself.”

It wasn’t the father I’d known for most of my life, but that voice. I knew that voice. I reached into my brain, trying to place it, but the black was taking me under again. I was gone.

THE END… FOR NOW…

Want to know what happens next with Rowan and her mates? Find out in the conclusion of the Shifting Fate series, Bond of Destiny. Available for purchase HERE.

Want to know more about Cass and her guys? You can get their novella for FREE by tapping HERE.

ALSO BY TESSA HALE

The Shifting Fate Series

Fated Visions: A Shifting Fate Prequel Novella

Spark of Fate

Mark of Stars

Bond of Destiny

For up-to-date information on all Tessa Hale titles please visit tessahale.com.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you so much for coming along on Rowan’s journey with me. It has been a true joy to create this world and given me an escape a desperately needed during the pandemic.

So many people have walked with me in creating this story. A huge thank you to my editorial team, proofers, and cover designers. To the couple of early readers of this book who gave me such enthusiastic encouragement. And to my amazing writer friends who have cheered me on every step of the way.

But most of all, thank YOU! Yes, you, the reader of these pages. I’m so grateful you picked up this book.

ABOUT TESSA HALE

Author of love stories with magic, usually with more than one love interest. Constant daydreamer.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Also By Tessa Hale

Connect With Tessa

Acknowledgments

About Tessa Hale