While she paced outside the gates, she had nothing to do but think. To ponder her own actions, and her role in this disaster. She replayed her entire life story in her head, over and over.
She needed to talk to Victor. She had so many questions. But would he answer any of them honestly? She doubted it. But she’d known him for over a decade. Surely, she’d be able to tell if he was lying to her again.
You didn’t know before, she thought.
But she had been a child. Of course, there was always an excuse. But self-recrimination wasn’t helpful. Self-reflection was better, and to truly do that, she needed answers. She needed to know how she’d wound up in this place, and how she could do better in the future.
After Jameson visited, Tristan was next. He didn’t offer money but a pack that was willing to take her in. He was visibly less hostile this time.
“I know of a pack that would accept you. They’ve already agreed.”
“I’ve never lived in a pack before,” she muttered.
“This could be a chance to try it out,” he said. “They live in South Carolina, which is an unusual place for a wolf pack, but you’d be able to start fresh and have a new life.”
Those were the same words Jameson had used. They must have been coordinating on how to best get rid of her. But why didn’t they just make her leave? Yes, she was on public land, not pack land, but that didn’t really matter. They could still forcibly remove her. She’d have absolutely no recourse.
“I’m not interested but thank you for offering.” She peered up at him. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Because Derek told us to. It’s that simple.” He frowned. “But we wouldn’t kill you, even if he hadn’t told us what to do. We’d have just locked you up with the vampires until we figured out what to do.”
Were they truly that different than Roman’s father had been? How was that possible? “Why are you all so ethical? That’s not how this exact same pack operated twenty-five years ago.”
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “But our attitudes changed over time. Roman credits the younger generation. They wanted to be a part of the human world. We’re here in Anchorage because of them. Even Roman will admit that they had to drag him kicking and screaming, but of course, now he’s a big fan of Anchorage because he met his mate here.”
“Right,” she said. It was amazing how long-held attitudes could change in just one generation.
Tristan shrugged. “Everleigh being a bear shifter made us all more open-minded. And she’s always been a big fan of the human world. If a human wanted to join the pack as a mate, I have no doubt she’d advocate for that, and that Roman would listen.”
“Thank you for telling me.”
He gave a sharp nod, then thrust a package at her. “Here. I’m supposed to give you this. It’s a roast sandwich and bottle of water.”
“I can hunt,” she said.
“I know, but you haven’t. You’ve just been pacing.” He winced. “If you pass out from hunger or dehydration, Derek won’t be happy.”
She was overwhelmed. “That you again,” she murmured. “I appreciate it.” She licked her lips. “Is he awake yet?”
“No. Not yet,” Tristan said. Then he was gone.
She sat on the ground and ate her food, grateful. She’d been famished and hadn’t even noticed.
She sat there for another several hours, watching as the stars filled the sky. Then she felt yet another shifter approach. This time it was Everleigh.
Kyra stiffened. Everleigh would want to kill her. Would Kyra resist? She probably would because she wanted the chance to see Derek again. But Everleigh might prevail – she was a mother whose child had been in danger from Kyra’s bad decisions.
Kyra stood up. “Hello.” She exhaled. “I am so very sorry for what I intended to do. There is no excuse.” As nervous as she was, she still took in Everleigh’s clothing. They weren’t typical of what shifters normally wore. The others wore practical clothing, like humans who were frequently outdoors might wear. They wore things that could be easily shed and rolled up, and easily pulled back on after a shift. But not Everleigh. She wore suits to work and at home, she often wore flowing, elegant clothing from a boutique. And from what Kyra could tell, no one gave her shit about dressing so differently from the other shifters.
Everleigh nodded. “You’re right, there’s not.” She came closer, standing in front of Kyra. “But I appreciate the apology anyway.” Everleigh sat on the ground, and slowly, Kyra joined her. “We’ve all heard what you told Jameson. I’m sure you know that.”
She nodded again. She’d expected that.
“Do you know my story?”
Kyra shook her head. She only knew that Everleigh was a bear shifter, and that she and Roman had a rocky start to their relationship.
“My clan is very traditional, just like this pack used to be.” Everleigh picked up a stick and rolled it over in her hands. “I left my clan because my family is closed-minded. They tried to control my every move. And my brother is one of Roman’s best friends, but he was against our relationship.” She stuck the stick in the dirt, drawing little circles. “I chose to be alone and live in the human world over my own family because of their worldviews. They couldn’t accept me, and that meant they couldn’t accept my daughter, not in the way they should have. They only cared about her parentage. So I understand a little bit about what happened.”