* * *
With a roaring fire warming the cabin, Courtney snuggled against Milo. The only thing missing was Tad. She slid her hand under his shirt, exploring his chest, wanting him naked. Suddenly his body tensed under her touch.
“What is it?”
“Ty…” His words where cut off by a knock at the door. “Come in.”
A man with dark shoulder length hair stepped in and Milo stood, clearly surprised to see his Alpha. “What do we owe this to?”
“Tad asked me to meet him here.” Ty came around the sofa. “Welcome, Courtney.”
“Thank you.” Hesitantly, she took the hand that was offered. “I hope my mother isn’t causing too many problems for you.”
“I believe that’s what Tad has asked me here for. He was collecting Thorben, but should be here soon.”
As if summoned by the statement, the door opened and in stepped Tad, with Thorben on his heels. “Ahh, Ty, thank you for coming.” Tad shook Ty’s hand before coming to her, taking up her other side. “Let’s sit.”
“Is everything okay?” She was trying to figure out what her mother had done and how it was going to affect her, all the while trying to remind herself that in less than forty-eight hours they’d be on their way to Minnesota, far away from Lisa.
“I’m afraid there’s been an issue with your mother, and I’ve gathered us all here to make a decision.” Tad spent the next few minutes filling them in on what had happened. His voice held so much sympathy as he watched how Courtney was handling it.
Her stomach roiled, and her heart broke. Her mother would honestly rather see her dead than with the men she loved. “She’ll have to be asked to leave.” Courtney’s eyes brimmed with tears and she wrung her hands in her lap.
“I’m afraid it’s beyond that now.” Ty dragged his hand through his hair. “She’s a security threat.”
“What does that mean?” She met Ty’s gaze, hoping he didn’t mean they’d kill her. She might not be that close to her, but she didn’t want her to die either.
“She’ll tell the world our secret, it’s the reason we don’t normally tell humans. Lisa found out by accident, but it has to be fixed. It’s why I wanted you here for this discussion. Being that she’s your mother, I wanted you to have a say.” Tad took her hand in his.
“You don’t mean she has to die…” Courtney took a deep breath, biting her lip.
Ty shook his head. “Not if there are other options.”
“Maybe if Tabitha speaks with her? Explain what we’re trying to do. Where is she anyway?” Milo leaned forward, placing his hand on her leg.
“No, that wouldn’t work,” Ty said. “We can’t risk her knowing any other secrets. Tabitha and Bethany are cooking, or she’d be here. They’re making food to take to Kallie. Since she doesn’t cook and Taber is laid up, they offered.” Ty glanced at Thorben, raising an eyebrow. “Two bears eat a lot.”
“Hey, I could have cooked,” Thorben snapped.
“Umm, could we get back to my mother?” Courtney wanted to scream, but instead she clenched her fists in her lap. “You said other options, so what are they?”
“Three options.” Tad squeezed her hand. “Hazel could remove Lisa’s memory, or she could be kept here in complete isolation.”
“The third.” Her throat tightened, knowing what the last one was. She needed to hear it.
“Her death.”
“I don’t understand why I’m here,” Thorben said.
“Our family is deeply involved in this,” Tad explained. “If Lisa tells our secret, then the island is in grave danger. I’m emotionally and physically invested in Courtney, and depending on her decision we might need someone to think logically.”
She made a small sigh. “Then remove her memory of shifters. It’s the best option. Living in isolation isn’t a life and it’s worse than death.” She let out the breath she was holding.
“It’s not that easy.” Milo pushed off the sofa and stalked to the window. Waves of guilt poured off him and into his mates. “Removing her memory of shifters, our mating, and anything that has to do with Tad’s family means you can’t see her again. Seeing you again would trigger those memories, forcing us back to the position we’re in now. Hazel will have to replace the memories of you with something else.”
“Those aren’t options. No matter what is chosen, she loses.”
Ty nodded. “It’s the reason Tad said you had to be the one that makes the decision. She’s your mother. Are you willing to give her up so she can live the rest of her life?”
“What if I talked to her, maybe I can…oh hell, she’s never listened to me. This won’t be any different.” The tears she had been holding back fell. “What about Hazel and Tate? Won’t their presence as her neighbors trigger the memories?”
“Yes, which is why they will have to move. Tate’s mistake, and their choice to tell her what he is, is now affecting everyone. It’s trickling down to everyone who had contact with her since then. Lisa will lose a big portion of her life, and because of that she can’t be relocated so she doesn’t come into contact with them. Instead Hazel, Tate, you, the Browns, all of you have to stay away from her.” Ty leaned back against the sofa. “We’ll have to put someone else in Hazel’s home to watch over Lisa to make sure she isn’t remembering anything, if this is what you choose.”
“What about Kenneth?” Milo suggested.
“He’d be a good choice. He’s a former Special Forces solider, and would be able to keep tabs on her without seeming suspicious. Plus, he owes us.” Tad turned to her. “First, you must make your final decision.”
“You make it sound like I have a choice. No matter what I choose, I’m about to lose my mother. How can I make this decision?”
Milo stared outside. “I’m sorry, this is my fault.”
“How?” She brushed away from Tad and went to him. “Milo.” She placed her hand on his back and still he didn’t look away from the window.
“This was brought on because of the rumors she heard of the tigers. She might have never shown this side of herself if you had only been mated to Tad.”
“That’s doubtful,” Ty interjected. “Tad has been working with us, and within time Lisa would have found out. She would have eventually made her hatred known. I’m just thankful it was before she was able to tell anyone our secret.”
“See, this isn’t your fault.”
Milo turned to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “You shouldn’t have to deal with this.”
“No one should have to deal with this.” She took comfort from Milo before glancing back to Ty. “Wipe her memories, with the condition that I’m allowed to see her before you do.”
“I’ll take you,” Tad offered.
“With that settled, I’ll make arrangements for Lisa to be transported back to Nome where Hazel can clear her memory. It’s best to have it done in her home since she’ll sleep for hours once the ritual takes place. I’ll have Kenneth and his family take over Hazel’s house.” Ty stood. There was a deep sadness in his eyes when he glanced at her. “Courtney, you have my sympathies. I know this isn’t an easy decision, but Lisa will be able to continue her life without a threat to any of us.”
“It must be done to keep the secret. I can’t risk losing Milo and Tad.” She pressed her face into Milo’s shirt, unable to hold back the sobs that shook her body.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry, don’t cry.” Milo smoothed his hand over her back.
The front door shut, and seconds later she felt another hand caress the small of her back.
“Darling, I’m sorry,” Tad whispered.
Chapter Fifteen
With her heart breaking, Courtney stood at the airstrip trying to make the goodbye with her mother end on a good note. Lisa believed she was only going to Minnesota and then would come back to her, but Courtney knew the truth. This would be the last time she would ever see her mother, feel her arms around her. The woman who had given birth to her, and had driven
her insane more often than not, would be out of her life for good. There was a freedom mixed in with the unending loss.
“You okay to do this?” Tad asked, placing a hand on her arm as Lisa approached with Styx directly behind her, acting as her guard.
“I have to.” She nodded and stepped toward Lisa. Keep it positive, let her know you love her, that’s it. Don’t fight with her. Instead, she wanted to scream about the injustice being done. Having to choose between the men she loved and the only family she had was impossible. “Mom…”
“Don’t take that tone with me, child. It’s out of the question for you to go with them. I won’t stand for it, now I want you to gather your things and come back with me.”
With a deep breath, she bit her tongue, refusing to scream at her mother. Instead she decided to stick with what she’d rehearsed. “Decisions and commitments have been made, and I’m going to Minnesota. I’ll think about what you said about Milo while I’m gone. When this is over, I’ll come to Nome and we can discuss it further. Please…I don’t want to fight with you.”
“What about while you’re there? He could kill you before you even have a chance to return.”
“Mom, Tad will be there. He’s not going to let anything happen to me.” Not denying that Milo might hurt her went against everything in her, but it was Milo’s idea in an effort to avoid an argument.
“Lisa, you asked me to protect Courtney before, this is no different. You realized I would lay my life down in order to protect her. Trust that I will keep her safe now and always.” Tad stood next to her, making it hard not to reach out and touch him.
The not touching part had been another of their ideas. If Lisa saw them embracing, it would only be a reminder that Courtney was also mated to Milo. She hadn’t realized how hard it was not to share in those little gestures.
“Everything is going to be fine, Mom. Tad needs me to go to Minnesota, but I’ll be back soon. In the meantime, I need you to go back home. I’ll come to you when I can.”
“You’ll come home?” Surprise was clear in Lisa’s voice.
Home? Yes, she’d come home, just not the home Lisa expected. She’d come back to the compound. It was her home now. There was nothing left for her in Texas, and even less in Nome. By the end of the day, Lisa wouldn’t even know Courtney. The plan was to leave her with a memory of her daughter passing months after the graduation ceremony. Kenneth, his sister, and his niece had already taken over Hazel’s house and would be there as her friends. Everything was in place, but none of it made parting any easier. Not bothering to clear up the confusion, she nodded.
“I have to go. I love you.”
“I love you too, and I just want what’s right for you.” Lisa stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Courtney.
Blinking away the tears that filled her eyes, she returned the embrace. The last embrace.
She had no idea how long they stood there before Tad cleared his throat, but it didn’t seem long enough. All the frustration she held for her mother, the anger over being controlled, never being able to do the right thing, none of it seemed to matter anymore. For the first time since she was a little child, there was peace between them.
“I have to go.”
Lisa nodded. “Stay safe.”
She turned to the plane before the tears began to fall. Making her way across the tarmac, she knew when she broke down and grieved, her men would be there for her.
“Keep her safe, Tad.” Lisa called out to them as Courtney hurried up the plane steps.
“She’s in good hands.” There was a hint in his words that Lisa missed, letting Courtney know he wasn’t just talking about himself but also about Milo. He pulled the steps up, giving them privacy, and in that moment she couldn’t hold the tears back any longer.
“Oh, sweetie.” Milo rushed down the aisle to her, wrapping his arms around her.
“I’m okay.” She spoke through her tears and buried her face against his hard chest. Tad came up behind her, folding his warm body around her back.
* * *
The plane glided through the air smoothly, making good time even with the delay. In no time they’d be in Minnesota giving Milo a chance to appease Calvin’s demands. After making sure the blanket was snuggly around Courtney’s sleeping form, he made his way to the cockpit. Tad would want an update on their mate; he’d been reluctant to leave her when she was in distress, but someone had to fly them to Minnesota. Arriving late wouldn’t make their job any easier, especially not with Calvin who would use any excuse to get out of Tabitha having a say in his clan.
“How is she?”
“She wore herself out and is finally sleeping peacefully.”
“You know this isn’t your fault.” Knowing just what Milo was feeling, Tad tried to reassure him. “If Tate hadn’t told her of the secret, she’d have never known. He didn’t just give away his secret, but my family’s, which wasn’t his to tell.”
“Tate has some blame in this, but we have to deal with the consequences. Courtney lost the only biological member of her family. Even us, the sleuth, and the clan won’t replace that.”
“Nothing can replace the bond between a mother and child, but this was the best option we had. Would you have risked your whole clan, my family, all of the shifters to keep Courtney and Lisa in contact when they already had a very strained relationship that might not have survived Courtney’s search for her own freedom?” Tad glanced over his instruments before looking over at him again.
“When you put it that way…” He glanced out the window, not that there was anything to see but blue sky and large, fluffy clouds. “It doesn’t change the guilt.”
Milo turned to find Courtney standing in the doorway, her face still stained with tears and the blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
“There’s nothing to be guilty about,” she said, her voice soft. “My mother made her own decisions. No words can take away what I know you’re feeling, but I don’t blame you. Like my mother, I also made my own decisions. I chose you, both of you.”
Milo leaned against the co-pilot’s chair and held out his hand to her. When she took it, he pulled her tight against his body and whispered, “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“What about me?” Tad teased.
Still locked in Milo’s embrace, she reached back and touched Tad’s shoulder, his head tilted enough to lay a kiss on the back of her hand. “I love you too, my very own Taddybear.”
“Tonight I plan to show you how much I love you, but we’re approaching our decent. Milo, you have just enough time to make your phone call if you’re quick. So sit down and buckle up.”
“Can I stay up here? I always wanted to see a landing from the cockpit.” She pushed away from Milo enough to look out the window.
“Sure. Take the co-pilot’s seat. That means you’re alone in the back, Milo.”
“No problem. I need to call Calvin and let him know. We’ll stop at the hotel first, check in, and change before meeting with him.” He leaned in and kissed a very excited Courtney before she could slip into the co-pilot’s seat. “Have fun.”
“Oh, I will. I always wanted to do this. Could you teach me to fly? I think it would be so amazing.” There was an exhilaration in her that he’d never seen, and it made him smile.
“When we get back, I’ll teach you anything you want.” Tad winked at them both before Milo left.
Making his way to one of the seats, Milo let go of the tension he had been holding when it came to Courtney, only for it to be replaced by the stress of dealing with Calvin. The Minnesota Alpha could be an ass, and at that moment Milo didn’t have the patience to deal with games. He wanted the Minnesota clan committed to Tabitha so he could return to his mates.
Taking his seat, he pulled out his cell phone and called Calvin.
“Hello?” A deep voice answered.
“Calvin, it’s Milo. We’re coming in for our landing now. We’ll check into our hotel, freshen up, and should be there
…” He glanced at his watch, quickly doing the math for the time change. “By seven.”
“No.” Calvin growled. “You’ll be here by twenty minutes after six or don’t bother coming. We will be having drinks at six-thirty.”
“That will be cutting it close.” He should have known Calvin would try to worm his way out of meeting with them that night.
“Be here or we’ll try to meet tomorrow. Your choice, but make the right one or your Queen might be upset you failed.” Calvin hung up.
He squeezed the phone, wanting to shatter it in his hand. Calvin would test all of Milo’s patience and then some. It would take everything in him not to ruin this. With the Elders depending on him, he had to find a way to make it work. Hopefully, Courtney and Tad would be the strength he needed to get through it.
Chapter Sixteen
They had been at the hotel only ten minutes, but their time was up. If they were going to make it to the meeting, they had to leave right away. Courtney fluffed her hair and strolled out of the bathroom.
“Let’s get this show on the road, because I was expecting some time with you two before we had to rush off to meet this Calvin.”
“As was I,” Milo admitted, chagrined. “When we made the reservation, the meeting with Calvin wasn’t until the next day. Since then he kept changing it, and this last time he demanded we be there now or not bother coming. If you want to stay here…”
“I’m not letting you deal with this alone. I might have no experience with shifter business, but Tad said we’re stronger if we’re together. So let’s go, but you’ll be making it up to me later.” She grabbed her leather coat off the chair where she’d tossed it.
“Will I?” Milo raised an eyebrow at her before glancing at Tad. “Seems our mate is becoming demanding.”
“I knew she’d fit into our world just fine. She’s not going to take shit from anyone.” Tad shrugged on his jacket before opening the door.
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