by Lisa Kessler
He kissed my hair. “I love you.”
I raised my head, staring into his eyes. “I love you, too.”
The car slowed to a stop, and I squeaked like we’d just been caught making out by our parents. Sebastian tucked himself back into his pants and zipped up while I shimmied into my black panties. Laughter bubbled on my lips. “You’re sweating, and I tried not to mess up your hair, but…”
“You’re glowing.” He chuckled, taming his hair. “Forgive me for being proud instead of embarrassed.”
The driver opened the door, and Sebastian offered his hand. “Shall we go?”
I took it and grinned. “Definitely.”
I’d seen Romeo and Juliet before—hell, I’d been cast as Juliet once in high school—but seeing it on Broadway was a whole new experience. This production was performed on a raked stage, mimicking the tilted stages of Shakespeare’s time. The sets were minimalist, forcing the audience to focus on the actors and the tragedy playing out before them.
I slid my hand into Sebastian’s. He laced his fingers with mine, his thumb caressing my knuckles. We’d just had sex in a limo, but this tender touch was anything but lust. I glanced his way and found him staring at me, not the stage. Heat flushed my cheeks.
No man had ever made me blush, but Sebastian wasn’t like other men.
Not by a long shot.
And he was mine. My mate.
I sank back into the story, losing myself in the innocence of young, reckless love. And even though I knew what was coming, tears filled my eyes at the end. After all the curtain calls, we stood, our hands still joined. Outside, Sebastian led me down the street to a tiny Italian restaurant.
At a candlelit table for two in the back corner, he held out my chair. Two glasses of prosecco awaited us. He raised his. “A toast.”
I picked my glass up. “To what?”
“New beginnings.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
I tapped my glass to his, taking a sip. “Is that what tonight is?”
He lowered his glass. “I wasn’t sure you would come.”
“Why?”
He turned the flute in his fingers, his gaze on the liquid inside. “I sent you the files because I trust you, but I worried it might harden your heart if the Pack hadn’t already turned you against me.”
I reached across the table to rest my hand on his. When his eyes lifted to meet mine, I whispered, “Those sins are your father’s.”
He withdrew from my touch. “I’m not an innocent. I looked away when I shouldn’t have. I played the side of the board that benefited me most on any given day, rather than standing for what was right.” He swallowed, searching my face. “Your mother saw that you would be my redemption, but I’m not worthy of a clean slate. Adam took me into his Pack, but they will never accept me. How can he ask them to?”
I sat back in my chair, Shakespeare’s words passing from my lips. “Where be these enemies? Capulet, Montague. See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, that heaven finds means to kill your joys with love.”
He smiled and shook his head. “The wolves have good reason to hate me, Isabelle.”
“Oh my God.” I set my glass down. “Did you bring me out to Broadway tonight to entice me to run away to New York with you?”
He shrugged. “A new beginning might be easier in a place where I haven’t killed one of their own.”
“No. Don’t you see? It’s time to end the hate. Your father is dead.” I shook my head. “We both have sisters in that Wolf Pack. Our family, Sebastian. They’re worth fighting for, right? Sure, New York probably would be easier, but it would also be empty.” I rested my hands in my lap. “This is going to be messy and painful, but all families are sometimes. I shifted with them last night. They’re my Pack, and you’re my mate.”
I took a sip of the prosecco. “Some of them may not like it, but they’ll adjust. We all will. You have to be willing to face the past to put it behind you.”
…
After a week of stalling, I finally got Sebastian on a plane back to Reno, and not one of Nero’s private jets, either. In fact, the two Nero jets were already on the market. While General Sloan worked through the political angle of Antonio Severino’s death, Sebastian was liquidating assets and trying to locate his father’s satellite facilities. It seemed like every time he made forward progress toward dissolving Nero, he found more of his father’s fail-safes.
But I was quick to remind him he could conduct his business dealings from anywhere, and finally, we were home. The first one I’d really had since my father died.
And now that Sebastian was standing outside the apartment door, I was suddenly nervous. The place was too small, too bare, and too mundane for him.
Before I could stall, he took my hand, the confident tone in his voice calming the lame-ass voices in my head. “I’ve never shared a roof with anyone before. The place doesn’t matter as long as I have you with me.”
I squeezed his hand, a smile curving my lips. “Sorry. This was the best I could afford on my own, and I figured when you got here, we could shop for a better place.”
“It’s already the best place I’ve ever lived.”
I rose up on my toes and brushed my lips to his. “No one in the world would believe how sweet you are.”
He ran his finger along my jaw. “That should stay between us.”
“I’ll just tuck it into my vault along with your ticklish feet.” I opened the door to my nothing-special apartment, and Sebastian followed me inside.
His gaze wandered around the room and finally came back to me. “Thank you, Isabelle.”
I chuckled, rolling my eyes. “I know it’s not much.”
“I don’t give a damn where we live.” He slid his arms around my waist, his eyes locked on mine. “I was thanking you for loving me and convincing me to come back here and face the Pack.”
“They’re our family. Yours and mine, and somehow we’ll figure it all out.”
He bent to kiss me, his lips caressing mine, coaxing my mouth open until his tongue swirled with mine. Oh, yeah, I could get used to this.
He broke the kiss and whispered, “Do they know I’m here yet?”
I shook my head. “Only Lana and Adam know. He wants us to come to the ranch tomorrow. He called a Pack meeting to tell everyone we’re Pack now.”
Sebastian sobered. “Why so soon? We’re not even settled in yet.”
I stared up into his eyes, wishing I could take away the regret, but only time would heal those scars. “We can’t wait. Someone is bound to catch your scent around Reno, and Adam doesn’t want them to find out after they’ve attacked you.”
He raised a brow. “I suppose that’s sound reasoning.”
“’Course it is.” I took his hand. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” He lifted our joined hands, pressing a kiss to mine. “When do I get to see the rest of our apartment?”
God, I loved hearing him call it “our apartment.” Damn.
I grinned, leading him down the hallway. “The bedroom is right over here.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Sebastian
“Uncle ‘Bastian!” Madeleine wrapped her arms around my knees. She peered up at me with her mother’s eyes. “You came back!”
I’d never dared imagine I’d ever be inside Adam Sloan’s home, greeting my half sister’s children. Yet here I was.
Because of Isabelle.
Lana came into the living room with Malcolm on her hip. He looked so much like his namesake, Adam’s father.
Lana looked at her boy and up to me. “Sebastian, this is Malcolm.”
I offered him my hand. “Nice to meet you, Malcolm.”
The toddler reached right past my hand to grip my forearm as best he could. His hand seemed tiny on my arm, and my hand easily wrapped around his. His eyes were such a light green, they were almost silver. His gaze was intense, gauging my intentions.
He glanced at his mother. “Is he really
my uncle, like Uncle Aren?”
“Yep.” Lana smiled and met my eyes. “He’s my brother.”
My heart pounded, but words wouldn’t come. Lana and I had had a rocky first meeting. I’d had no idea she was my sister the night I tried to abduct her. I’d hoped one day I would earn the title of her brother.
Malcolm turned to me again. “Are you going to be part of my Pack, Uncle ‘Bastian?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I plan to.”
He nodded slowly and released my arm.
Adam came around the corner. “Thanks for coming over early. The rest of the Pack will be here in an hour. I want you and Gareth to talk first.”
“All right.” My shoulders tensed. I wasn’t eager for this meeting. The last time I’d spoken to Gareth Takoda, he’d nearly killed me. That particular night, after discovering my father had had Grace killed, I’d almost welcomed it.
Isabelle came back into the room with her younger sister, Raven, and Raven’s mate, Luke. I raised a brow. “I thought the Pack wasn’t here yet.”
Raven smiled. “Luke and I came early for moral support.”
Seeing Isabelle with her sister eased some of the dread roiling in my stomach. This was family. They were here for her, even though today would be tough. This was what made them Pack. This family.
And it scared me how much I wanted to be a part of it.
A Harley roared outside, and we all turned toward the front door. Gareth was here.
Adam glanced my way. “Give me a sec.”
I nodded, and he disappeared out front. Isabelle came over and took my hand, looking up at me. “It’ll all work out somehow. You’ll see.”
I wasn’t so sure. Through the door came a deep rumble. “You have got to be fucking kidding me. Goddamn it, Adam! This is too much. What happened to Pack first? Gabe was Pack! How can you give his killer the same honor?”
My hand slid free of Isabelle’s as I went to the door.
This was my battle, not Adam’s.
As soon as I got outside, Gareth ground his teeth. He was my height, with broader shoulders and dark eyes that were shooting daggers in my direction. Behind him, his mate, Nadya, was hanging her helmet from the saddlebag on the back of the bike.
Gareth came at me like a freight train, pinning me to the door. “You murdering asshole. Give me one reason I shouldn’t kill you right now.” He pressed his forearm against my throat, his breath hot on my face.
From this position, I could easily grab my gun and bury a bullet in his gut, but I didn’t move.
Nadya came up and laid her hand on his arm, concern lining her face. His mate had been a student at Brightwood as a child. She was a strong empath, reading the emotions of others around her.
She squeezed his arm. “This isn’t going to bring Gabe back.”
Adam added, “Nadya might be dead now if Sebastian hadn’t given you that information about Nero, and I’d definitely be gone if he hadn’t put himself between me and those jaguars at Nero during the last new moon. He laid his life on the line so Madeleine could make it home to Lana. He’s a different guy than he was.”
I kept my gaze locked on Gareth’s. What could I say? I killed his twin brother. He had every right to want me dead.
He jerked back from me, his chest heaving. “I need to talk to Sebastian. Alone.”
Adam stared at each of us and finally nodded. “All right.” He glanced at Nadya. “Let’s give them a minute.” They went to the door, but the Alpha turned back. “Any blood gets spilled on my property and I’ll end you both myself. Understood?”
Once they were inside, Gareth shook his head, focused on his Harley. “I don’t know who I’m more pissed at, Adam or you.”
“I deserve your anger.” I rubbed my throat. “I took your brother from you, not Adam.”
He pivoted, facing me. “And Adam made you part of our Pack. Fuck!” He stalked over to his bike, his hands in tight fists. “Gabe was one of his best friends. How could he betray him like this?”
“If I could bring your brother back, I would.” I sat on the steps. “Last time I saw you in Virginia City, I tried to justify my actions, but I never apologized.” I lifted my head to look at him. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry.”
“Bullshit.” He narrowed his eyes. “You’re a killer. My brother got in your way. You didn’t even have the decency to make it quick. You left him to suffer.”
All true.
I cleared my throat, searching for words. “I was sent to Reno for one reason—to bring back my father’s experiment. That was all I knew when I got here.”
I paused, waiting to see if he wanted these details.
When he didn’t respond, I went on. “I arrived on the new moon and shifted. While Adam was watching over Lana, your brother found me trespassing in your territory. I quickly realized it would end with one of us dead. I needed your Pack to know it was a jaguar who attacked him. If you believed it was Lana, she would be cast out and I could take her back. That’s why I left him clinging to life at the lake. I wanted them to find him so he could tell them about the jaguar.”
“Why are you telling me this?” His dark eyes met mine.
“Because you deserve to know.” I bent forward, resting my arms on my knees. “I discovered later that my father had been hiding information and lying to me. I had no idea he was Lana’s father, too. I would have handled things differently if I had known she was my sister. That’s probably why he didn’t tell me. He knew I’d never bring her to him.”
I stared at my hands. “There is so much I wish I could go back and change, but I can’t.”
He came a little closer. “Telling me that scientist was pumping Nadya with adrenaline instead of a cure saved her life. She might not have survived another injection. And I’m sure Adam’s not lying when he says you saved his life, too. Maybe you have changed. But none of that fucking matters.” Pain lined his eyes as he tapped his chest. “I don’t know how to forgive this. I can’t just let it go. Gabe was my brother.”
“I’m not asking for your forgiveness.” I crossed my arms. “I don’t deserve it.”
“Then what do you want from me?”
“I took your brother, and your Pack took mine.” I stood, my gaze locked on his. “Someday I will save your life, even if it costs me mine. Give me the chance to make things right.”
He stared at me for a long time. “How do I know you won’t put a knife in my back?”
I pointed to the door. “Because there is a woman inside that house who made me believe I could start a new life, and I want that more than I’ve ever wanted anything. My father is dead, Nero is gone, and I will do the best I can to protect you like your brother would.”
His gaze slid to the house and back to me, and gradually the tightness in his jaw eased. His hands were no longer fists. “Isabelle is your mate?”
I nodded slowly. “We asked the wolves who knew not to say anything until I was here so she wouldn’t get the wrath meant for me.”
He crossed his arms, a spark in his eyes. “After all these years of calling us dogs, fate really fucked with you to tie your soul to a wolf.”
“Imagine my surprise when I realized the joke was on me.” I shook my head. “It turns out there is much more to you wolves than I ever realized.”
Gareth sobered and stood in front of me. “What will you do now that Nero is gone?”
“Isabelle has offered me a spot in her business. I’m going to get my license to be a private investigator, and I’ll help her with bail jumpers, too.” A smile tugged at my lips. “The only killing I’ll be doing will be in self-defense.”
His shoulders tightened, his voice dropping an octave. “If you betray this Pack, I won’t hesitate to rip your heart out of your chest.”
I opened my hands. “My loyalty has always been to my family. Your Alpha and his mate and their children, they’re my family. Isabelle is also my family now, which makes Raven and Luke part of it, too. And if you can accept me into your
Pack, I will guard you as well. I can’t make the past right, but I can be sure that the future will be.”
His gaze locked on mine. “We’ve both lost brothers and fathers and mothers. Hate won’t bring any of them back.”
I gave a slow nod of my head. “Hate was my father’s fuel. I’m no longer my father’s son.”
“Give me time. I’ll be watching you.”
I nodded. “Take all the time you need.”
Gareth tipped his head toward the house. “We better get inside before they come out looking for us.”
After the rest of the Pack arrived at Adam’s ranch, the Alpha scanned the group from the center of the living room. “I’m sure most of you have heard that Madeleine and I made it out of Nero because of Sebastian and Isabelle’s efforts. Antonio Severino is dead, and the Nero compound was destroyed.” He glanced over at the last wolves from his father’s generation. “The days of experimenting on shifters are over.”
Cheers broke out, but I didn’t relax. Not yet.
Adam continued, “I have one other announcement.”
Lana came up beside him and squeezed his hand. “I’d like to make this one.”
He deferred to her and stepped back with his children while my mouth went dry.
Lana glanced around the room until her gaze landed on me. “After spending my entire life in foster care, wondering what happened to my family, Adam and I found each other and started our own. When I finally learned my father’s identity, there was a hole in my heart, because the Severinos meant us harm.”
She held out her hand to me. I stepped forward on uncharacteristically weak legs and took her hand.
“But Sebastian has finally chosen a side in this battle. He risked his life to give me my family back, and now I claim him as my own. Adam has, with my blessing, brought Isabelle and Sebastian into our Pack. You have all become my family, and now I hope that my family can also be yours.”
Silence settled over the room, and my heart sank. I stared at Isabelle. She deserved so much better than me.
Movement in the corner caught my eye. Gareth stood, his deep voice cutting through the void. “He’s not my family.” He paused. “But if Adam trusts him, I’m willing to try.”
