dreaded the photos. The book ended with a shot of her in a party dress. The night before I left, the last straw. No had asked her to the dance, and she’d half-considered skipping it. Justin was in town on business for his alpha, and he’d been making waves. They’d struck up a conversation at the coffee shop once. . Every day after school, he’d found her for more.
Good looking. Tall. Athletic. The wolf had known exactly how to charm an ego, especially one made more fragile by the knowledge no one wanted to take her to the dance. He offered to take her out dancing anywhere she’d wanted to go. Her parents wouldn’t have approved, so she’d dressed up and told them she was going to the school dance—without Ty, since he’d gone camping with his brothers.
Justin secreted her away three towns over, just across the line of Willow Bend territory. They’d danced until she’d been dizzy. For the first time in years, she’d been able to breathe and just have fun.
Why? Knowing what she knew of Justin in retrospect, she couldn’t figure out why he’d been so attractive to her then. Or, can’t I? Ty had been all about what she couldn’t do or what he wouldn’t allow her to do.
With Justin? He’d been a yes man. Empowered her. Told her everything her fragile young heart wanted to hear, stroked her ego, and encouraged her to break free of the expectations game. She could be so much more, and he was prepared to help her accomplish it.
Three days later, she’d left Willow Bend with stars in her eyes, chasing butterflies. Slapping the book closed on her stupid, innocent face, she scrubbed away the tears. What an idiot. All the way to Sutter Butte territory, he’d regaled her with tales of what real freedom felt like, how she could be anything, do what she wanted…
“Well, he didn’t lie.” She stacked the photo albums. These she would keep. A lesson on believing in fool’s gold and getting something for nothing. Pretty faces tell pretty lies. Ty may have been a jerk at times, but he never set me up to fail.
A footstep on the porch alerted her to a new arrival, so she left the closet and took a position at the railing overlooking the stairs. She could leap on any potential intruders, but a knock sounded on the door.
Testing the scent, she frowned. Not Ty.
Opening the front door, she stared at A.J. and blew out a breath. Since his order to go and not come back, she didn’t give him much thought. He had a right to send her away from his parents’ home, especially after the fight between Ty and Linc.
Prison had left its mark on A.J. Despite being an identical triplet to Ty and Linc, his face had more grooves and showed a greater weariness. The time in a cell had whittled away some of the youthful vigor his brothers still held and made him stronger.
“Hello.”
“Afternoon.” A.J. nodded to his car. “Mason said you needed to shop.”
Disbelief flooded her. “He sent you?” Of all the people he could send, he’d sent Ty’s brother? The second of the pack? Her wolf crouched, braced for possible attack. Why else send the pack’s second in command?
“I volunteered,” he said with a hint of a sardonic smile. “I have no axe to grind with you.”
Swallowing a growl, she couldn’t quite bury her irritation. “You don’t want to protect your brother?”
“I didn’t say that,” A.J. said, his grin startling her. “But I’m glad you seem to want to. Shall we? I promised my mate I wouldn’t be late for dinner.”
Not quite sure what to make of him, she retrieved her purse and wallet then followed him to his car. He drove with a casual kind of patience and offered her very little. The town hadn’t changed much. In truth, it hadn’t changed at all. From the sprawling suburbs full of houses with their families of wolves and humans to the small town charm of main street. They didn’t have a lot of big box stores or national chains. If they wanted those, they could leave Willow Bend proper.
Good looking. Tall. Athletic. The wolf had known exactly how to charm an ego, especially one made more fragile by the knowledge no one wanted to take her to the dance. He offered to take her out dancing anywhere she’d wanted to go. Her parents wouldn’t have approved, so she’d dressed up and told them she was going to the school dance—without Ty, since he’d gone camping with his brothers.
Justin secreted her away three towns over, just across the line of Willow Bend territory. They’d danced until she’d been dizzy. For the first time in years, she’d been able to breathe and just have fun.
Why? Knowing what she knew of Justin in retrospect, she couldn’t figure out why he’d been so attractive to her then. Or, can’t I? Ty had been all about what she couldn’t do or what he wouldn’t allow her to do.
With Justin? He’d been a yes man. Empowered her. Told her everything her fragile young heart wanted to hear, stroked her ego, and encouraged her to break free of the expectations game. She could be so much more, and he was prepared to help her accomplish it.
Three days later, she’d left Willow Bend with stars in her eyes, chasing butterflies. Slapping the book closed on her stupid, innocent face, she scrubbed away the tears. What an idiot. All the way to Sutter Butte territory, he’d regaled her with tales of what real freedom felt like, how she could be anything, do what she wanted…
“Well, he didn’t lie.” She stacked the photo albums. These she would keep. A lesson on believing in fool’s gold and getting something for nothing. Pretty faces tell pretty lies. Ty may have been a jerk at times, but he never set me up to fail.
A footstep on the porch alerted her to a new arrival, so she left the closet and took a position at the railing overlooking the stairs. She could leap on any potential intruders, but a knock sounded on the door.
Testing the scent, she frowned. Not Ty.
Opening the front door, she stared at A.J. and blew out a breath. Since his order to go and not come back, she didn’t give him much thought. He had a right to send her away from his parents’ home, especially after the fight between Ty and Linc.
Prison had left its mark on A.J. Despite being an identical triplet to Ty and Linc, his face had more grooves and showed a greater weariness. The time in a cell had whittled away some of the youthful vigor his brothers still held and made him stronger.
“Hello.”
“Afternoon.” A.J. nodded to his car. “Mason said you needed to shop.”
Disbelief flooded her. “He sent you?” Of all the people he could send, he’d sent Ty’s brother? The second of the pack? Her wolf crouched, braced for possible attack. Why else send the pack’s second in command?
“I volunteered,” he said with a hint of a sardonic smile. “I have no axe to grind with you.”
Swallowing a growl, she couldn’t quite bury her irritation. “You don’t want to protect your brother?”
“I didn’t say that,” A.J. said, his grin startling her. “But I’m glad you seem to want to. Shall we? I promised my mate I wouldn’t be late for dinner.”
Not quite sure what to make of him, she retrieved her purse and wallet then followed him to his car. He drove with a casual kind of patience and offered her very little. The town hadn’t changed much. In truth, it hadn’t changed at all. From the sprawling suburbs full of houses with their families of wolves and humans to the small town charm of main street. They didn’t have a lot of big box stores or national chains. If they wanted those, they could leave Willow Bend proper.
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