A flush stained Deanne’s cheeks. There was no shame or remorse in her expression, just anger. She didn’t deny her actions or defend herself, which was confusing as fuck. Could she genuinely not believe she’d done anything wrong? If so, that made her as chilling as it did warped.
“Just stay away from my son.” She marched off, head held high. Someone needed to kill that bitch. Hopefully karma had some interesting things in store for Deanne Deacon.
Hearing her phone chime, Makenna scooped it out of her pocket and swiped her thumb over the screen. “Hey, Madisyn.”
“Makenna, please tell me you’re on your way here. Something weird is going on.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Standing in Dawn’s office, Makenna looked at the feline in disbelief. “I’m going to need you to repeat that.”
Dawn rubbed her temple, shoulders curling forward. “Four of our biggest sponsors pulled out.” As news went, that was extremely bad. The shelter couldn’t afford to lose sponsors—big or small. The grants Dawn received were helpful, but they didn’t cover the full cost of the shelter’s upkeep or fund the other services Dawn provided, such as therapy, education, and substance abuse projects. Those services were important. They helped the residents have what they needed to move on and start afresh, thereby making room for other loners to stay at the shelter.
It wasn’t until Makenna felt her nails digging into her palms that she realized how tightly she’d clasped her hands. Forcing them to relax, she asked, “Did they say why?”
“One claimed to be unable to offer any further financial aid. The others gave no explanation at all.”
“Either Remy paid them off or intimidated them into withdrawing their help.”
“I should have seen it coming.” Dawn sighed, her gaze unfocused. “It’s such an obvious way to make it difficult for me to run the shelter.”
“That’s not all,” said Madisyn, sitting on the sofa, her expression hard. “Some of the residents were fired from their jobs.”
Makenna blinked. “Fired?”
“They were posing as humans,” Madisyn said. “Their superiors were ‘alerted’ that they were shifters, and apparently those particular humans don’t want our kind working for them.”
Restless with manic energy, Makenna began to pace. “Remy had to have exposed them.”
“But how would he know their names or where they work?” asked Dawn.
Madisyn bit her lower lip. “We know he has people watching the shelter. Maybe he also has people following the residents who leave each day for work, learning everyone’s patterns.”
“But why have them fired?” Dawn shook her head. “It seems such an indirect form of attack for someone so angry with us.”
“It is indirect,” agreed Makenna. “So much so that you’re thinking it probably has nothing to do with him. That makes this extremely smart. Think about it, Dawn. A huge way that you make a difference is by helping loners get a job so they can financially support themselves. Without that, they can’t afford to move into accommodations of their own. Ask yourself what would happen if a lot of the residents couldn’t afford to leave.”
Dawn swallowed. “The shelter would become too full at some point, and I’d have to turn people away—especially since I no longer have as much funding as I did before.”
“Exactly. That would mean the number of lone shifters living on the streets would build and build. The shelter wouldn’t seem to be making much of a difference anymore. Also, loners living on the streets tend to stay in their animal form so they can better defend themselves. The humans would notice wild animals roaming around, and they wouldn’t like it—particularly the people who started that petition not so long ago.”
“The council wants peace. If Remy can present himself as the answer to my problems and the end of any trouble, they may very well agree to give him what he wants.”
“And we could accuse him of being the one to cause the problems,” said Madisyn, “but he’s attacking the shelter in a way that doesn’t actually look like an attack. The council would ignore the claim.”
A knock at the door made Dawn’s head snap up. “Come in!”
Zac strolled into the room. As he took in their solemn expressions, he blanched and every muscle in his body tensed. “They’ve found me, haven’t they?”
“No, sweetie,” Makenna assured him. “This isn’t about you. Remy’s playing games.” She noticed he was carrying a small bag. “What you got there?”
He cleared his throat. “My stuff. Ryan will be here any minute. I told him on the phone that, um, I’ve decided to join his pack.”
Dawn brightened. “That’s fantastic news!”
Madisyn did a little clap, but her smile was strained. “Zac, that’s great! And totally the right decision.”
Doubt crossed his face. “Yeah.”
Makenna put an arm around his shoulders. “Don’t second-guess yourself. I know you think it’s selfish because it could bring your old pack to their doorstep, but it’s not. Being there for each other is a pack thing. The Phoenix wolves consider you one of theirs. Ryan won’t let anything happen to you.”
Zac nodded. “I know. I trust him.”
She smiled. “I’m proud of you. It’s not easy to trust another person when you’ve been betrayed by those who are meant to look out for you.” Trusting Dawn and Madisyn had been hard for her in the beginning, but they had earned that trust with their kindness and patience. The truth was that she also trusted Ryan. She just didn’t trust the situation. She didn’t trust that smashing the barriers between them would reveal anything other than that Ryan was not her mate. Then what? He’d leave her life, and she’d likely never see him again.
Her chest tightened at just the thought. But if it turned out that they weren’t mates, it was exactly what would happen. Her wolf didn’t worry about that; she saw him as a permanent fixture. But Makenna knew how loyal Ryan was. He could view choosing another female over his mate as betrayal . . . and there was a chance that Makenna simply wasn’t his mate.
It would be fair to say that that didn’t mean Ryan would leave her. There was the whole imprinting option. But she knew from her research into his family that his extremely unhappy parents had imprinted on each other, that they’d always had a turbulent relationship. Such a thing could make a person determined to wait for their true mate, couldn’t it? And she just couldn’t shake the feeling that his true mate simply wasn’t her.
Ryan entered the shelter with Jaime and Dominic close behind, and his eyes immediately found Makenna near the reception desk, talking with Dawn and Colton. His wolf bared his teeth at the male, and Ryan struggled not to do the same. He crossed to Makenna, sliding into her personal space and dropping a kiss onto her mouth. Yes, he was marking his territory, but so fucking what. He didn’t spare Colton a glance. The guy was insignificant, and he needed to know it.
Makenna smiled, recognizing the possessive gesture for what it was. “My day is improving.” She gave Jaime and Dominic a quick greeting. “Zac told me he’s accepted his place in your pack. You must be thrilled.”
Ryan narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean, your day is improving? What happened?”
She sighed. “Remy, the bastard, is . . . well, being a bastard.”
Dawn briefly explained the situation before adding, “The residents who were fired are upset. If more sponsors pull out, we’ll have a real problem on our hands.”
Ryan seriously wanted to gut Remy. “He wants you to feel unsafe and vulnerable so that you’ll fall in line and seek his protection.” Colton nodded his agreement, but Ryan ignored him.
“Well, it’s working,” said Dawn. “And it has the residents fretting. Don’t forget that some are in hiding. They worry that if Remy discovers their identities, he could contact the people they’re hiding from.”
Makenna pursed her lips. “I don’t think we’d have to worry about that. For one thing, they don’t leave the shelter. For another, he’s clearly trying to be subtle.
If he exposed those seeking sanctuary, several shifters would come knocking. A load of trouble hitting the shelter—a place that’s never had any real trouble before—all at one time wouldn’t be subtle. It would look suspicious.”
Taking a steadying breath, Dawn nodded. “That’s true. But I think some still want to leave.”
“If they decide to leave, where will they go?” Jaime asked.
“The foxes will probably agree to join the relatives they’ve been gradually getting to know,” said Makenna. “The bear cub might do the same with his godparents. As for the other three . . . I know an Alpha who might willingly take them in on a temporary basis.”
“If at any point they choose to leave, they can stay with us until the Remy situation has been resolved,” said Ryan.
Makenna’s brows flew up. “Seriously?”
“Do I ever joke?”
“Not on purpose.”
“You’d really be prepared to do that, Ryan?” asked Dawn. “Why? They’re not your problem.”
“It would be the right thing to do. And it would help Makenna. I don’t like it when she’s stressed.”
Makenna’s breath caught at his matter-of-fact words. He put so much time and energy into helping her . . . and she might not even be his mate. Could anyone blame her for not wanting to lose him, for not being in any rush to crash through barriers that might just lead to him disappearing from her life?
Dominic turned to him with a grin. “Aw, dude, I didn’t know you had a romantic streak.”
Romantic? Ryan scowled. “I’m being honest, not romantic.”
Jaime patted his upper arm. “But admitting something so sweet is romantic.”
Ryan grunted. Turning back to Dawn, he said bluntly, “Do you want the help or not?”
“Now that’s the Ryan we know and love.” Dominic chuckled.
“There are other ways we can help,” said Jaime. “We can find you more sponsors. Have you set up an online sponsor form?”
Dawn blinked. “No. Is that possible?”
“Sure,” said Jaime. “We can get Rhett to set it up for you. We will not let Remy win.”
Makenna tilted her head. “I wonder if he knows about his mother’s decision to visit me earlier.”
Ryan growled, “What?”
“She came to my apartment to warn me away from her boy. I’m telling you, after the way she spoke and the jealousy that was rancid in her words, the rumors about her are definitely true. My wolf wanted to kill her. And I wasn’t at all opposed to the idea.”
Ryan folded his arms across his chest. “Tell me exactly what happened.” By the time she was done, he was ready to throttle her. “You thought it necessary to antagonize the woman?” A female sick enough to abuse her child was a dangerous thing.
“Necessary? No. Entertaining? Yes. I could have told her the truth, but it wouldn’t have made any difference to that paranoid bitch. Her twisted mind was all made up. She would have just thought I was lying to placate her.”
“Remy won’t like that you toyed with her,” said Jaime. “That thought makes me smile.”
Makenna chuckled. “I can’t go and confront him over what he’s done because none of it can be traced back to him. So I’ll settle for causing some ill will between him and Norma Bates.”
Ryan opened his mouth, ready to lecture her on antagonizing dangerous shifters and not calling him when shit went down. But he resisted, supposing he should resign himself to the fact that his mate was always going to make him crazy, one way or the other.
“Oh, here comes Zac,” said Dawn.
Dominic fist bumped him. “Hey, Zac, ready to come home or what?”
Zac smiled. “Sure.”
“Is that lipstick on your cheek?” asked Makenna.
He scrubbed at it, flushing. “It’s Madisyn’s.”
“Give me a hug.” Dawn held out her arms. “I’m going to miss you.”
Grumbling under his breath, Zac accepted the hug. “I’ll, um, I guess I’ll miss you too. Maybe.”
Chuckling, Dawn gently shoved him toward Makenna, who draped an arm over his shoulders.
Zac frowned up at her. “Why are you saying good-bye? I’ll see you all the time, since . . .” He looked from her to Ryan. “Wait, have you guys broken up?”
“No, we haven’t,” said Ryan. It was the first time he’d verbally acknowledged their relationship to others. It would ensure that Colton understood the way of things.
“I was just going to say that I’m happy for you,” Makenna told Zac. “That’s all.”
Zac’s shoulders relaxed. “Okay. Sweet.”
Makenna and Dawn walked Zac to the Chevy. Makenna didn’t fail to notice Remy’s guard dogs in their usual parking spot, but she chose to ignore them. Dawn gave Zac one last hug before he hopped inside with Jaime and Dominic.
Ryan cupped Makenna’s chin and dropped a kiss on her mouth. “Call me when you’re done here.” She nodded, gave Zac a final wave, and returned to the shelter.
As Dawn went to follow, Ryan spoke. “Can we talk a minute?”
Dawn raised her brows. “Of course. Is everything all right?”
“Do you know anything about Makenna’s old pack? She told me that she was banished as a toddler and has no memories of it.”
Dawn looked at him with a probing gaze. “It’s true, she remembers nothing.”
“I never asked if it was true. I asked if you knew anything.”
“Why should I tell you?”
“Makenna says it doesn’t bother her that she has no idea where she comes from. You and I both know that isn’t true.” Apparently that wasn’t enough to convince Dawn to talk. “It hurts her that she doesn’t even know her mother’s real name. I don’t want her to hurt. But I don’t want to push her to look for answers if the truth is something she’s better not knowing.”
“You really do care about Makenna, don’t you?”
He grunted. He would have thought that was obvious. People said that actions spoke louder than words, but they didn’t seem to take clues from the behavior of those around them.
Dawn let out a long breath. “I don’t know much about Fiona. She was found dead in a park. When the police went to her apartment, they found Makenna; she’d been alone for two days. Fiona had several fake IDs. There were no personal or sentimental items that might hint at her roots. But there was one thing . . . I don’t know if it will help uncover her history, but it’s strange.”
Ryan took a step closer. “What?”
“The image of a salamander had been burned into the flesh of her back. Like someone had branded her with a hot iron.”
The image tickled his memory. He’d heard of such a thing before, but where? The answer slipped away the second he reached for it.
Dawn sighed. “Deep down, she wants to find them, and she wants to understand what happened. Most of all, she wants to confront the people who ordered the banishment because Makenna hates injustice—or maybe that’s why she hates injustice. But I think she convinces herself they don’t matter, because then she doesn’t have to be hurt by what they did and they have no power over her.”
Ryan could understand that. Makenna had a soft, compassionate, bruised heart. Facing her past would mean potentially facing more pain, so she chose to live in denial instead. It was a primitive defense mechanism that most people used to some degree in their lives, and sometimes it was the only thing that helped a person function. What Makenna wasn’t seeing was that closure could go a long way to helping her heal.
Giving Dawn a nod of thanks for her honesty, Ryan slid into the Chevy and drove to Phoenix Pack territory. Once Zac was settled, Ryan retreated to his room and dialed a familiar number. “Garrett, I have a question.”
“Well, hello to you too, son.”
Ryan inwardly sighed. Garrett was the Head Enforcer of his old pack and had taught him how to track. He’d also been more of a father to Ryan than his true father had. “You know I don’t like pleasantries.”
“Ye
s, I do.” Garrett chuckled. “What’s your question?”
“You ever heard of any wolves having a salamander branded into their skin?” Ryan didn’t intend to track Makenna’s roots until after the Remy situation was over. But it bugged him that he was sure he’d heard of the salamander brand before.
“I once heard of an Alpha who likes to brand his wolves. He apparently thinks of it as an honor. A symbol of his favor. But to brand a shifter the way they brand their mates is the ultimate exertion of dominance, nothing more.”
“What’s the Alpha’s name? What pack does he run?”
“It was a long time ago that I heard about it. I don’t remember any of the specifics.”
Disappointment welled up in him.
“Why the interest?”
Ryan’s lips tightened. “I can’t say. It’s not my secret to tell.”
“Fair enough. You should visit us sometime soon.”
Be in the general vicinity of his parents? Not an appealing idea. “I’ll think about it.”
Garrett snorted. “No, you won’t. But I understand why. Take care, son.” The line went dead.
Returning his cell to his pocket, Ryan wondered if he should feel guilty for going against Makenna’s wishes. She’d shared her secrets, only asking that he’d let them alone. But how could he? How could he ignore something that hurt her? The answer was . . . he couldn’t. When she hurt, he hurt—an amazing phenomenon, given that he wasn’t particularly empathetic. Apparently, she was rubbing off on him.
That night, Ryan lay on his bed with Makenna snuggled into his side, her head on his chest. Both were naked and thoroughly sated. As he played his fingers through her hair, he sensed she was on the verge of sleep. He should have let her rest, should have simply said good night. Instead, Ryan found himself blurting out what he’d wanted to say all day. “We should tell people we’re mates.”
Makenna exhaled heavily. “I told you, I don’t want to say anything until we know for sure.”
His hand clenched in her hair. “We’re mates, Kenna. I know it. You know it.”
She peered up at him. “And if you’re wrong?”