I bit my lower lip to keep from saying something that might divert the conversation in a dangerous direction. I didn’t like being blamed for this over and over. No one asked me if I wanted to be a damned Barghest.
Dad put a hand on my shoulder. “I told everyone that they could come here. It’s not the same, but the pack seems happier now.”
That was nice, but I realized that Dad hadn’t fully forgiven me for what I couldn’t control. I pulled away from his touch and wrapped my arms around my middle. Before he could question what was wrong, Mom called from the kitchen.
I gave Dad a tight smile and backed away so I could answer Mom. The kitchen had emptied, everyone else heading to separate corners of the house. I was grateful for the alone time with her. Tugging a chair away from the table, I sank into it and sighed.
Mom wrinkled her nose as she brought a mug over to me. While I caught the smell of chocolate and hazelnut, Mom must have smelled the dead creature on me. She waved her hand in front of her nose in the universal signal forstinky.
“Thanks, Mom.”
She laughed. “Maybe you should take a shower before your boyfriend gets back.”
I sputtered into my coffee. “Boyfriend?”
“Yeah. The dragon shifter. Ryder. I assumed that the two of you were seeing each other. The way he looks at you, I can tell that he’s more than interested. He could be waiting for the right time. If that’s the case, then I’ll tell you now that there’s no such thing as the right time. You should lock that down before something happens.”
“Mom!” I set my coffee down because there was no way I’d be able to sip it without spitting it out.
Mom shrugged. “I’m just saying. If you want a future with the new Alpha, then you should make sure he knows that. Playing hard to get won’t do you any favors, darling.”
“He’s already mated to someone else. Even if I wanted him—which I don’t—then it would never work.”
Mom gave me a smug look filled with obvious disbelief as she bent to open the oven. She pulled out a tray of cookies and set them on the stovetop to cool before she moved them to the cookie rack.
“All right,” Mom said while she worked. “If he’s mated to Bri, then why aren’t they together right now? Why is she back in Colorado while he’s here? I mean, I know the two of you have been sleeping in the same bed. Why would he do that if he’s mated to Brigid?”
“I don’t know! None of this makes any sense to me, either.” I shook my head. “Besides, now isn’t the right time.”
Mom threw her hands in the air. When she spun to face me, she threateningly pointed her spatula at me. “I already told you. There’s no such thing as the right time. You’re going to wait, and then it will be too late. Mates are hard to come by. Don’t wait for that mate bond to click into place. Tell him how you feel now.”
My cheeks warmed. I lifted my coffee mug up to cover half of my face. Mom smiled, smug as ever, before turning back to her cookies.
Before long, the kitchen filled with people again. Janessa swept in and came to a shuddering halt when she saw me. I lowered my gaze to the coffee mug in my hand. The creamy surface of my beverage didn’t reveal any secrets, but I also wasn’t a witch.
Janessa didn’t hesitate long, though. She whispered a soft thanks and gave me a quick nod before she snatched a spatula from Mom and ran for the exit again. I gave Mom a questioning glance.
“What…what did she just thank me for?” I asked.
Mom rolled her eyes again. “You sure are thick. You get that from your father.”
“Mom,” I groaned.
“You helped Janessa the other day! She knows you traded yourself so she could get away from Alvin. Don’t act surprised just because she showed a bit of gratitude.”
I swallowed. No one had thanked me before. If anything, I’d always felt the weight of blame, as if I’d been the one to start every conflict. I didn’t expect to hear gratitude, least of all from Janessa who’d publicly blamed me before.
The pack was changing. Here, in my parents’ home, the pack was healing. There would be scars, obviously, but things were getting better every day. I could see how much happier my packmates were.
Connor appeared in the doorway. He leaned against the frame and crossed his arms over his chest. He wore a cocky smile that I immediately wanted to wipe off his face. What was he so happy about?
Then I realized he was proud of the pack, too. My feelings towards Connor had become tangled, bringing up a knee-jerk reaction whenever he was around. Ever since he’d handed me over to Alvin, I’d been wary of my old friend.
He wanted to prove his loyalty to me again, but I wasn’t sure if I could ever trust him again. I mean, what he did could have gotten me killed again. With what I knew now, I realized that Alvin wouldn’t have killed me—he already knew that was a futile task. While I’d been safe from the threat of death, I’d still suffered.
“So, you and Ryder aren’t a thing?” Connor asked, probably thinking he was smooth.
Man, how long had he been eavesdropping outside the door?