Drawing himself up straight, Aidan licked his lips. “I have places to be.”
“That’s good. Bracken will walk you to your car.”
Aidan’s brow furrowed. “Who?”
“That would be me,” said Bracken, standing directly behind him. Aidan whirled with a sound of alarm, and Bracken gave him a shark’s grin. “Jumpy little thing, aren’t you? I’ve been here for a while. You didn’t know I was there? Hmm. Well, lead the way to your car.” Before Aidan could object, Bracken shepherded him to the Audi by the scruff of his neck. “Here, let me get your door for you.” He sharply yanked it open, making it smack Aidan right in the face. “Shit, sorry about that. Sometimes, I forget my own strength.”
Hand covering his face, Aidan slid into his car. “I’m fine.”
“You have a good day now.” Bracken slammed the door shut, waving with a smile as the therapist drove off.
“Huh,” said Marlon, eyeing the wolves. “Looks like you two might be useful to have around, after all. I have to admit, I wasn’t so sure. I want to be as convinced as Yvonne that you’ll see this through to the end.”
“We’ll be here until the entire issue has been fully resolved,” Zander firmly stated. “Our Alphas won’t call us home, if for no other reason than that a fellow shifter was assaulted and deserves justice.” Nick might wish he could summon them back to pack territory, but Shaya would fight him on it. Her soft heart wouldn’t allow her to ignore Gwen or Andie’s plight.
After a long moment, Marlon nodded. “Fair enough.”
Releasing a heavy sigh, Gwen turned to the wolves. “Let’s take the groceries inside. Then I think it’s time for you both to meet Andie.”
Zander stayed beside Gwen as she expertly navigated the boat along the murky river, avoiding shrubs, logs, tall stalks, and old beaver dams. It was obvious that she’d done it dozens of times.
Despite the sun beating at his skin, Zander found himself lulled by the sounds of the boat motor, the flapping of wings as birds dove at the water, and the various wildlife scurrying through the high grass.
The marsh might not be what anyone would term colorful, but it was still scenic and peaceful. It was also thriving with wildlife. When he’d explored the marsh, his wolf had picked up the scents of many animals—foxes, otters, beavers, raccoons, mink, and deer, to name a few. His wolf had enjoyed playfully chasing some of them.
As a bird swooped down and caught a fish, a light spray of water hit Zander. “I’ve never seen so many types of birds in one place.” Ducks, geese, herons, kingfishers, hawks—the list went on.
“Well, there’s a whole lot of insects and fish for them to feed on,” she said. “You don’t like birds?”
“I like them just fine.” It was the insects that he didn’t like, especially the dragonflies flitting through the reeds. They looked like they’d been taking steroids or something.
Hearing Bracken chuckle from the other end of the boat, Zander looked to see that his attention was on his cell phone. He guessed that Bracken was texting Shiloh again only to receive yet more insults. Zander wondered if the female knew she wasn’t discouraging the male whatsoever.
Taking advantage of the alone time that gave him with Gwen, Zander quietly asked, “What did that fucker Aidan mean when he said this must be like reliving your childhood?”
“How did I know you’d bring that up?” she muttered drily. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Baby, I just heard you had one shitty childhood. Going by the things that asshole said, I’m guessing that one or both of your parents were violent and that you were forced to keep your mouth shut about it. I’m fucking pissed that that happened to you.” It would surely leave any child feeling helpless, terrified, and unsafe. “And I can’t help but wonder just how bad it was—my imagination is coming up with all kinds of shit. Give me something.”
Startled that he’d actually care one way or the other, Gwen threw him a sideways glance. “I had a shitty start to life, yes, but so did lots of people—it doesn’t make me anything special. It’s over now; it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It matters to me.”
Gwen doubted that. Shifters liked casual sex; they liked to keep it simple. It was more likely that his natural curiosity was bugging him, she decided. In any case . . . “Zander, as someone with extensive boundaries, you should be able to accept when another person doesn’t want to share their personal business.”
Zander couldn’t deny that she was right. He should back off, give her the emotional space she was asking for, but instead, he found himself saying, “My mother abused my father. Not physically, but emotionally. She was much more dominant than he was, and she used that strength to subdue and control him. She did it right up until the day she died—or so I heard, anyway. I hadn’t spoken to them in years.” He raised an expectant brow. “Now it’s your turn.”
The determined look on his face told her he wasn’t going to drop this. Gwen inwardly cursed. If she told him about her biological father, she was pretty sure he’d look at her differently. No, she’d keep that part to herself, but she could at least tell him a little something. “My stepfather liked to drink, but that wasn’t why he hit my mother. Drunk, sober—it didn’t matter. Hanna didn’t cower when he yelled. She stood up to him, argued with him. But the moment he hit her, she just crumbled. I often wondered if she wanted him to hit her.” Why else would she have provoked him? “Over time, the beatings got worse. A lot worse. But even then, she forced me not to tell. She told me she’d lie to protect him if I did.”
And then Zander got it. He understood exactly why she was so set on speaking up for Andie. As a child, she’d been unable to stand up for her mother—most likely also forced to lie and make excuses to anyone who asked about it. Now, as an adult, she wasn’t backing down while someone needed help she could provide. “How did you end up in foster care?”
“That’s as much as you’re getting out of me today.” She jerked her head back a little as a mosquito came too close. “Why don’t you tell me why you and Bracken came all the way to Oregon? I doubt it was to test if the house is haunted. But if it’s personal, just say so.”
“I told you, my uncle died recently.” A slight breeze brushed over Zander, giving him a reprieve from the harsh glare of the sun. “He wanted the beneficiaries to meet at his attorney’s office for the reading of the will. That’s where Bracken and I went yesterday.”
Zander wasn’t entirely surprised when she didn’t ask how it went. She’d successfully changed the subject, which was clearly all she’d hoped to do. “You’re an expert at dodging personal topics, aren’t you, Gwen?”
“Yep. Believe me, Zander, my story isn’t interesting.”
“I’m not asking because I think I’ll find it interesting; I’m asking because it’s you.”
She flicked him a confused look, noticing he was purely focused on her in a way that only a shifter could center their attention on someone. “Is this because you marked me? You feel the need to know everything about a person you mark?”
She didn’t get why he’d care. He didn’t know her. He’d claimed to respect her, sure, but she respected plenty of people—that didn’t mean she had an urge to learn their personal business. In any case, she couldn’t tell him more about her background. There were too many things that it was best he didn’t know. It wasn’t like they were in a relationship where they needed to get to know each other anyway, was it? He’d go back to his pack after the hearing.
Zander closed the gap between them and gently fisted her braid, but she didn’t look at him. There was tension in every line of her body. “Baby, why is it so hard to believe I simply want to know you? Why does there have to be some sort of technical reason behind it? I told you in the grocery store, I like what I know about you. I want to know more.”
She kept her gaze firmly ahead. “You don’t need to know more.”
“Never said I needed to. I said I wanted to. But maybe your mother trained you so wel
l to keep secrets that you instinctively shy away from people who try to get close.” She inhaled sharply. “Not trying to hurt you, Gwen. Just want you to ask yourself if you’re so highly private for the wrong reasons.” Noticing they were nearing a dock, Zander whistled at Bracken. “Almost there.”
Tucking his cell in his pocket, Bracken sidled up to Zander. He must have sensed Gwen’s tension, because he frowned. “Everything okay here?”
“Fine.” She slowed the boat and steered it toward the dock, wincing at the grating sounds of reeds scraping along the side of the boat. Once she’d parked and anchored it, she said, “Let’s go.”
Nobody spoke as she led them across the marshland, but they didn’t move in silence, thanks to the sucking sounds of their boots traipsing through the mud.
She hadn’t introduced the wolves to Andie before now for two reasons. One, she’d needed to see that they were trustworthy. Two, she’d wanted to be sure they’d stick around—and that they’d be truly helpful if they did. If the way they’d dealt with Aidan was anything to go by, they would be . . . even if Zander was a nosy bastard.
Reaching the trees bordering their land, she led the wolves through the woods. Finally, a simple cabin came into view. Donnie had used it as a decoy to fool the mysterious they into thinking it was his home. Since Gwen doubted there was anyone actually searching for Donnie, she figured Andie was safe enough there.
As they neared the cabin, Bracken broke the silence. “The cougar’s been staying here?”
“It was her choice,” said Gwen. “She didn’t want to stay at the house.” Urging them to halt, she asked, “Is she inside?” As shifters, their hearing would be advanced enough to sense any movement.
“No,” replied Zander. “But she’s close. I can scent her.”
“Then we wait,” said Gwen.
It was mere moments before a cougar appeared—golden, graceful, with big, intelligent brown eyes. She gave them a snarl of warning before entering the cabin. Soon enough, Andie hesitantly came out in her human form, wearing jeans and a tee.
“Hey,” said Gwen, “how much do you know of what’s been going on lately?” Because Gwen was pretty sure that Andie would have kept a close watch, especially since she didn’t look startled to see either Zander or Bracken. She did appear slightly nervous, though. That might have been why the wolves seemed to be making a conscious effort to appear relaxed and nonconfrontational—their stances open, their hands hanging loosely at their sides.
“I heard plenty,” Andie replied, scratching her arm in a fidgety movement. She looked at Zander. “I saw you chase off Ezra. You and your pack mate want to help.”
“Did you hear me tell Gwen about the shelter?” Bracken asked, his tone calm and easy. She shook her head, and he then asked, “You ever heard of the Phoenix Pack?”
“No.”
“They’re good people,” Zander told her. “One of their wolves, Makenna, used to be a lone wolf and helps run a shelter for lone shifters. They’re given protection, food, a roof over their heads, counseling, and any education they might need. Then, when they’re ready, Makenna rehomes them. You could stay there rather than hiding out here. You’d even be welcome to stay there once this shit is over.”
Andie squinted. “Surely if such shelters existed, I’d have heard of them.”
“From what I understand, there aren’t many,” Zander told her. “That’s probably why I hadn’t heard of them either.”
“You’d be in a place filled with people just like you, and you’d be safe,” said Bracken. “The place is secure, and the Moores wouldn’t think to look for you there anyway. I don’t mean to scare you, but it’s only a matter of time before they come searching the marsh, hoping you’re here. You could run, sure. But where?”
Andie scraped a hand through her short red hair. “Look, I’m not stupid. I know I can’t keep living like this. But I don’t know how to be part of a pride. I was raised by humans—they adopted me without knowing I was a shifter, but they kept me.”
Bracken shrugged. “A lot of loners at the shelter want to live among humans. Makenna helps them find a residence of their own, along with a job.”
She looked from Zander to Bracken. “I’m nobody to you. Why care?”
“We learned that not all lone shifters are bad,” said Bracken. “In fact, our pack adopted a little girl from the shelter.”
Andie blinked. “You . . . adopted a loner?”
Bracken nodded. “The Phoenix Alphas gave Makenna and four other loners a place in their pack.”
Her eyes widened. “Four?”
“Only one of them was related to a Phoenix wolf. The other three were strangers, and each had a shitty story of their own, but they were offered a place there.” Bracken tilted his head. “The shifter who runs the shelter is a cougar, if that makes you feel more comfortable.”
Andie bit her lip, still uneasy.
“I get that you have no reason to trust us,” began Zander, “but what do you have to lose at this point? If you want the truth, my main reason for proposing you go there is that I’m hoping that, with time and space, you’ll find the strength to go before the council and speak up for yourself. You should. You deserve justice. And I don’t want Gwen doing it alone.”
Andie’s hands balled up. “I told her she should just back down.”
“I won’t let Brandt get away with what he did,” Gwen declared. “I couldn’t live with myself if I did.”
Sighing, Andie rubbed her temple. “I need some time to think about it.”
Zander inclined his head. “Take a few days to consider our offer. Come by the house when you’ve decided.”
At Andie’s nod, Gwen threw her a supportive smile. “You know where I am if you need anything.” With that, they returned to the boat.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lounging in the rocker on the B&B’s porch later that day with a cold beer in hand, Zander gave Makenna a call and relayed the cougar’s situation. He was glad when she confirmed there would be room at the shelter for Andie if she needed it. He was just ending the call when a small van came toward the B&B. Instantly alert, he slowly rose to his feet. As the van pulled up outside the house, Zander noticed it was a delivery van.
Soon, a young male wearing a baseball cap came jogging up the steps and onto the porch with a bag in hand that carried the scents of spicy food. He froze at the sight of Zander, but then the front door opened and a smiling Yvonne stepped out, holding a wad of cash.
“Keep the change,” she told the human, who hurried away.
Zander followed Yvonne inside, down the hallway, and into the kitchen. Gwen, Marlon, and Bracken looked at the bag with covetous eyes as Yvonne placed it on the table at the center of the kitchen and pulled out several takeout boxes.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Chinese,” said Marlon, sliding a pile of plates on the table. “Grab whatever you want.”
After they’d all plated some food and settled on the stools at the table, Zander turned to Gwen. “I spoke to Makenna. She said there’s room for Andie at the shelter.” Gwen nodded but didn’t appear relieved. “Not totally sold on the idea of the place, are you?”
She shrugged. “I just want to be sure she’s somewhere safe.”
Yvonne swallowed a chunk of curried chicken. “Aidan called me. Said he came by earlier and was chased away.” She gestured at Zander and Bracken with her fork, adding, “He’s concerned that you two aren’t what Gwen needs right now.”
Little bastard. “Is he?” Zander said evenly.
“What did you say?” Bracken asked her.
“I told him you’re exactly what Gwen needs and that he shouldn’t worry.” Yvonne looked at Gwen. “He wants me to convince you to resume therapy.”
Zander, Bracken, and Marlon all cursed.
Yvonne jerked back. “Am I missing something?”
Gwen didn’t answer, not wanting to bother Yvonne with it.
Marlon scooped more food onto his plate.
“Gwen ended the sessions because he declared that he loved her.”
Yvonne gawked. “What?”
Gwen shot her foster brother a hard smile. “Thanks, Marlon.”
Yvonne dropped her fork. “Why didn’t you tell me, Gwen?”
“She was embarrassed,” said Marlon.
Gwen widened her eyes at him. “Seriously, Marlon, you can shut up now.”
Yvonne looked at her in disbelief. “Why would you be embarrassed?”
“Because she didn’t see it coming, and she’s totally weird,” Marlon explained.
Gwen threw a handful of white rice at him. “I’ll destroy your new shirt, I really will. Right now, I’m seeing red.”
“You are? What’s it like?”
She growled. “You are not color-blind.”
“And you can know this how?”
Yvonne rubbed at her arms. “You should have told me, Gwen. Aidan is the one who should be embarrassed, not you. You need to tell Julie.”
Gwen had seen this coming. “No. He really does seem to help her. She never spoke of her childhood until she started her sessions with Aidan. Now she talks about it all freely, and Chase says she rarely has nightmares these days.”
“She should still know,” Yvonne insisted.
Zander leaned slightly toward Gwen. “He might have done to her what he did to you.”
Gwen shook her head. “If he’d told Julie he loved her, she’d have freaked out and told Chase.”
“I don’t mean that.” Zander took a swig of his beer. “I mean he might be trying to make her dependent on him, like he tried with you.”
“I thought of that, which was why I asked her a few questions to get a feel for how he treated her. I never got the impression that he was anything but professional with her.” Or Gwen would definitely have told her. “If anything, he’s made her feel like she can lean on Chase and confide in him.”
“I’m still telling Julie,” Yvonne announced. “She needs to know.”
Gwen rubbed her temples. “She’ll be pissed at me.”