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about him often. Trista wasn t sure who he was to her mom, but she loved him a lot.
What was her reason for staying in town? Trista s father wouldn t let her go. The law said&
George, Dad, knew about that law.
Dad gently eased the notepad from beneath her fingertips and nudged it toward Ty. Take a picture
of her and then get on the phone with him.
Ty dug into his pocket and grimaced at his father, obviously not liking the order. Dad&
You re the Itan, his father growled.
You re his friend. Ty was equally as annoyed. He won t kill you if you re wrong.
George pushed to his feet, rising to his full six-plus feet, and she watched as his body expanded,
pushing his clothes almost to the point of snapping. I gave you this clan because I thought you were
ready to lead. Do I need to take it back?
A tense silence swirled around them, ghosting each occupant until the room was buzzing with the
tension. Finally, Mia shattered the thickness with a low grunt.
She levered herself out of her chair, glaring at both George and Ty in equal measure. I swear,
you two are like big babies. He s hundreds of miles away. What s he gonna do, growl you to death?
She reached out and plucked Ty s cell phone from his hand while also snatching up the writing-
covered pad. Gimme that. I ll call the fire trucking man. She waddled away from the table,
grumbling about stupid males and cursing and massive amounts of money in the swear jar because
she d been keeping track. It wasn t until she was standing on the opposite side of the kitchen near the
secondary door that she stopped and whirled on them. I m calling him. What am I telling him?
Quiet. Nothing but the hum of the fridge and the gentle swoosh of the dishwashing cycle filling the
air.
It took a moment, but George finally spoke. Tell him we might, stress might, have found his
niece and she needs his help.
Niece? Which meant she was part werebear? And her mother& No, she would have known.
Wouldn t she?
Instead of following the line of questions, she echoed the men. Trista uttered the first words that
came to mind. Oh, fuck.
* * *
Keen held Trista s hand as they walked the edge of the lake. Neither of them said a word, simply
allowing nature to welcome them. The quiet was comfortable and easy, as if they d been together
years instead of mere days.
The turmoil and anxiety still tainted the air, the emotions pushing a sharp tang into the wind, but
there wasn t much to be done about the burning stench.
He allowed Trista to lead, to gently choose their path. Every once in a while she d bend and
snatch up a stone, tossing it into the water and watching as the delicate ripples marred the surface. It
was like their short relationship, smooth one moment and trembling the next.
Minutes sped past and darkness eased closer, the sun casting a multi-hued glow over the lake.
Trista? he murmured, not wanting his voice to destroy the calming peace they d established.
Talk to me.
She drew to a stop and turned to face the fading sun, drawing him closer until he wrapped his
arms around her. He molded himself to her back, taking a bit of her weight when she leaned into him.
I don t want him to be my uncle.
Keen leaned down and pressed his cheek to hers, enjoying the touch while hoping his nearness
calmed her. Why not?
Because it changes who I am. Because it means he didn t care enough then so why should he
care now? It means that my mom and I scraped and fought and got our shit together without him when
he could have made our lives easier. She turned her head slightly and nuzzled him. Do you know
what it s like to be hungry? To not have a place to live because you can t hold a job because you re
forced by what seems like everyone to stay in this god-forsaken area?
No. His heart broke for the pain in her voice now and the agony she d faced over the years
without him. No, I don t. He took a deep breath and released it slowly. And I wish you could have
had an easier life, Tris. But the fact is, I wouldn t want yours, or mine, to have been any different. If
it d been easy, if we d sailed through our childhoods without rage, violence, and hunger, we wouldn t
be here today. And I love where I m at right now.
He loved her. After five days of stress and happiness, he refused to entertain the idea of not
spending the rest of his life with her at his side.
Trista sighed and turned in his arms, cuddling close to him and rubbing her cheek across his chest;
over his heart. I love it, too.
He heard so much more in those few words and realized she felt the same as him. Or at least,
close enough. Now wasn t the time, not with violence and the threats hanging above them, but as soon
as they ended the dangers, they d explore those feelings further. Hopefully naked.
So we won t have regrets and we won t think of what-ifs. I don t care if you re a quarter
werebear and you can hate him for abandoning your mother his sister and you. You don t have to
ever speak to him again, if you d like. But right now, if it s true, we need him to save you. God, they
needed Terrence.
I know.
The squeak of the back door opening and then the thud of it slamming closed broke their sweet
peace and Keen focused on the clan house in the distance. It was the clan house, not his house, or his
childhood home. He had a new place, a place he d fill with love and cubs once this nightmare was at
an end.
His enhanced eyesight allowed him to identify the interloper with ease. Van. What the hell did his
brother want now?
Keen stepped away from Trista and nudged her behind him, creating a barrier between his mate
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