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And finally, she watched Gunner struggle and limp over to the log Kru sat on, and he sat on the opposite end of it.
It broke her heart open. Was this the power that made Kru so special?
Cadence lifted her phone and took a picture of them, both sitting on opposite ends of a large log staring at the hillside below, the dark clouds roiling overhead.
It struck her as beautiful. Two shifters with something in common—animals that had a mind of their own. She would hopefully never know what that felt like. Her tiger was in tight control. Always had been.
She pushed the door open and came to the front of the truck, leaned on the front end of it and strained her ears to listen.
“You can’t set it. Lucas will punish you,” Gunner growled.
“Is your bone sticking out?”
Gunner shrugged. “I set it as good as I could. It’s okay. I earned it.”
“Yes, you did.” Kru peeled his shirt off his torso and looked over at Gunner. It was a patchwork of scars now. He looked over at the horror in Gunner’s eyes. “You’ll suffer for the things you’ve done until you learn to stop doing them, just as I deserved to suffer for the things I’ve done. No one can punish you as much as you are punishing you.” Kru rolled his head back and looked up at the sky. “Do you remember when you and Lucas fought at Damon’s house?”
“Kind of. I don’t remember much when I’m the bear.”
“I don’t remember much when I’m the animal either. I do remember that day though. It was the first time I was present and trying to get the animal to stop. I knew I was hurting the people I had grown to care about. Are you there yet?”
Gunner shrugged. “I don’t know if I care about anyone.” Truth.
“Do you care about yourself?”
Gunner didn’t answer.
Kru grew quiet after this. He sat there with an arm propped up on his thigh, staring straight ahead in the silence.
After awhile, Gunner said, “I don’t want to care.” The truth in his voice dredged up empathy from Cadence. They were all a mess in one way or another.
Inhaling deeply, Cadence pushed off the truck and came to sit in the middle of the boys. Gunner didn’t look over at her or seem surprised that she was there, but then his bear knew everything that was happening around him.
After a few peaceful minutes, she said, “Landon Fuller tried to flirt with Lucia.”
Gunner snorted. “Did she cut his dick off?”
Cadence’s chin fell to her chest with her laugh, and on her other side, Kru laughed too.
“You can ask her at the Crew meeting tonight,” Kru teased. “I’ve signed you up to bring the chicken wings.”
“It’s a potluck or something?” Gunner asked.
“No, I just think you owe me chicken wings on account of almost getting me killed.”
Gunner let off a sigh that tapered to a growl. “What flavor?”
“Lemon pepper, Atomic, Buffalo mild, maybe twenty or so just plain, with ten or twelve sides of ranch. No, scratch that, just get a whole family-sized bottle of ranch—”
“Dude, how many wings do you think I’m going to buy you?”
“Four hundred,” he answered without missing a beat.
“Hell no—”
“I can’t hear you over the sound of my stomach growling as my body tries to heal itself from—”
“Okay! God, shut up.”
