Chey.”
My chest tightened. “I—I…”
My family…
“You’ve got to stop.” Daniel gripped my shoulders. “ You can’t live with all this anger inside you. You have to let it go!” He drew me in closer, his arms wrapping around me tightly, and I didn’t fight him.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured, “I’m so sorry.” His hold grew tighter. I couldn’t live like this. I’d eventually break apart everything that I held dear—my family.
“Colt wouldn’t have wanted you to be this way,” Koda said. “I know you don’t want to hurt anyone.” He moved closer, kneeling beside us. “Even with the small glimpse I caught of you, I could see the love and compassion you hold. You don’t need to draw power from your anger. Instead draw it from your love, the love of your family.”
He was right, but I was so far gone now. I needed to be strong , and I didn’t know how to do it without the rage driving me.
“We’ll help you,” Koda said , as if he was reading my mind. “But you’re going to have to do your part as well. It can’t be one-sided.”
“I love you, Chey,” Daniel whispered. “I’d never let anyone take you away from us. You’re the reason our family came together again after so many years apart. You’re one of us, now, my sister.”
He drew back, smiled down on me, and eventually moved over. Koda sat on my opposite side , and we stared at the fire. It was the calmest I’d felt in a long time. Maybe it was because Koda reminded me so much of Colt, or maybe it was because I felt I had a piece of Colt still with me. Or maybe it was because I was finally realizing what I’d been doing.
Koda began fiddling with his stick. “ What do you call a boomerang that doesn't work?”
I raised a brow. Where had this come from?
“A stick!” He began chuckling.
I stared, dumbfounded.
“What do you get from a pampered cow?” he asked.
I shrugged.
“Spoiled milk!”
Daniel began laughing, and I couldn’t stop my lips from twitching into a smile.
“What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?”
“Uh, I don’t know,” I replied.
“A nervous wreck!”
I couldn’t help myself. A snort came forth, which caused Daniel to laugh harder and drove Koda on.
“ One day a blond was driving on the highway and got pulled over by a cop. The cop said, ‘Why do you keep swerving?’ The blond replied, ‘I turn one way and there's a tree, I turn again there's a tree, and then there's a whole bunch more trees popping out of nowhere.’ The cop replied, ‘You dork, that’s your air freshener!’” Koda began chortling loudly, and I started to giggle.
“Those are the stupidest jokes I’ve ever heard!” I exclaimed.
“I know!” Koda bellowed.
We continued laughing for some time before I rolled to my back and stared up at the stars.
“You’re gonna be just fine,” Koda said quietly.
I didn’t reply, but held on to his hope that I would be.
Eventually we made our way back to the estate. I saw the crowd in the sitting room as we stepped onto the terrace. I stopped in my tracks. I’d been acting like a spoiled child since these clan members had arrived. I’d snapped at them and acted rudely. Yet another mistake to add to the growing list.
Daniel leaned in closer. “It’s going to be okay, Chey . They’re more understanding than you think.”
Maybe I didn’t want understanding, maybe…
I took a step back. Then there was Callon and what I’d done to him this morning.
“Colt would have wanted you to move forward, Cheyenne,” Koda said as I bumped into his chest.
I was completely surrounded; they weren’t going to let me turn back.
Daniel opened the terrace door , and Koda gently nudged me in. Silence fell over the room. Lilly rose and hesitated. Dex moved beside her, his hand on her shoulder.
“Cheyenne,” Lilly called out softly. “Are you— ”
“It’s about damn time!” Maes snarled as he barreled into the dimly lit room. “Have fun with your
My chest tightened. “I—I…”
My family…
“You’ve got to stop.” Daniel gripped my shoulders. “ You can’t live with all this anger inside you. You have to let it go!” He drew me in closer, his arms wrapping around me tightly, and I didn’t fight him.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured, “I’m so sorry.” His hold grew tighter. I couldn’t live like this. I’d eventually break apart everything that I held dear—my family.
“Colt wouldn’t have wanted you to be this way,” Koda said. “I know you don’t want to hurt anyone.” He moved closer, kneeling beside us. “Even with the small glimpse I caught of you, I could see the love and compassion you hold. You don’t need to draw power from your anger. Instead draw it from your love, the love of your family.”
He was right, but I was so far gone now. I needed to be strong , and I didn’t know how to do it without the rage driving me.
“We’ll help you,” Koda said , as if he was reading my mind. “But you’re going to have to do your part as well. It can’t be one-sided.”
“I love you, Chey,” Daniel whispered. “I’d never let anyone take you away from us. You’re the reason our family came together again after so many years apart. You’re one of us, now, my sister.”
He drew back, smiled down on me, and eventually moved over. Koda sat on my opposite side , and we stared at the fire. It was the calmest I’d felt in a long time. Maybe it was because Koda reminded me so much of Colt, or maybe it was because I felt I had a piece of Colt still with me. Or maybe it was because I was finally realizing what I’d been doing.
Koda began fiddling with his stick. “ What do you call a boomerang that doesn't work?”
I raised a brow. Where had this come from?
“A stick!” He began chuckling.
I stared, dumbfounded.
“What do you get from a pampered cow?” he asked.
I shrugged.
“Spoiled milk!”
Daniel began laughing, and I couldn’t stop my lips from twitching into a smile.
“What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?”
“Uh, I don’t know,” I replied.
“A nervous wreck!”
I couldn’t help myself. A snort came forth, which caused Daniel to laugh harder and drove Koda on.
“ One day a blond was driving on the highway and got pulled over by a cop. The cop said, ‘Why do you keep swerving?’ The blond replied, ‘I turn one way and there's a tree, I turn again there's a tree, and then there's a whole bunch more trees popping out of nowhere.’ The cop replied, ‘You dork, that’s your air freshener!’” Koda began chortling loudly, and I started to giggle.
“Those are the stupidest jokes I’ve ever heard!” I exclaimed.
“I know!” Koda bellowed.
We continued laughing for some time before I rolled to my back and stared up at the stars.
“You’re gonna be just fine,” Koda said quietly.
I didn’t reply, but held on to his hope that I would be.
Eventually we made our way back to the estate. I saw the crowd in the sitting room as we stepped onto the terrace. I stopped in my tracks. I’d been acting like a spoiled child since these clan members had arrived. I’d snapped at them and acted rudely. Yet another mistake to add to the growing list.
Daniel leaned in closer. “It’s going to be okay, Chey . They’re more understanding than you think.”
Maybe I didn’t want understanding, maybe…
I took a step back. Then there was Callon and what I’d done to him this morning.
“Colt would have wanted you to move forward, Cheyenne,” Koda said as I bumped into his chest.
I was completely surrounded; they weren’t going to let me turn back.
Daniel opened the terrace door , and Koda gently nudged me in. Silence fell over the room. Lilly rose and hesitated. Dex moved beside her, his hand on her shoulder.
“Cheyenne,” Lilly called out softly. “Are you— ”
“It’s about damn time!” Maes snarled as he barreled into the dimly lit room. “Have fun with your
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