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“Yeah, I guess so. I neverknew Chris and no one talked about him. My brother is named afterhim, but otherwise? He’s just a family member who passed away. Ifeel bad, because my dad is still so clearly torn up about whatwent down between them, but I also feel disconnected to it.” Shetoyed with the fork. “It’s like when my brother Chris was fightingfor dominance in his generation with another male. I hate that guy,you know? I wanted to claw his eyes out. But my dad’s anger withJason? It doesn’t feel like that to me, and I kind of feel like itshould. Like I should hate Jason on behalf of my dead uncle, butinstead I just feel like my dad’s grudge doesn’t have anything todo with me. I probably sound like an ass.”
“I don’t think you do,” hesaid. “I agree with you. Our parents’ beefs aren’t necessarilyours. Maybe if you’d grown up in a house where your uncle wastalked about all the time and he was a real person to you, not astory that you weren’t allowed to talk about, you’d feeldifferently. Your dad was clearly very hurt by what happened andcarries those scars still, it’s probably why he reacted the way hedid to you coming here and finding a truemate from thispack.”
She thought that Kash was on point.She’d always felt bad that her uncle had died and their pack had toleave their home and start over, but since everyone refused to talkabout what happened, it didn’t have the same impact onher.
She pulled her phone from her pocketand opened the messages.
She’d sent a handful of messages toher mom and dad, separately and in a group chat. She’d also reachedout to her brother by phone and text.
“No messages?” he askedsoftly.
She shook her head. “Not aone.”
“I’m sorry.”
She pressed the button and turned offthe screen and put it back in her pocket. “You know, since Kinleywants to hang out tomorrow, I think we need to spend more timetogether tonight. To, you know, make up for the lost time tomorrowin advance.”
His brows raised and he stood swiftly,knocking the table in his rush. “Promise, we need a box,bro.”
“Ew, don’t call me bro,”she said from where she was restocking the bacon-wrapped sirloin.“I’m on it.”
Bella grinned as shestood. Promise appeared a moment later with a box and set the cakeinside. “Here you go. Have a great night.”
“Thanks,” Bella said. Shetook the box with one hand and Kash’s arm with the other, and theysaid goodbye to Karly and left.
“You could hurry home,”Bella said as she set the box on her lap and buckled up.
“Oh, I’m hurrying, trustme,” he said. He put the truck in gear and grinned at herraucously. “And I love that you called it home.”
“It feels that way,” shesaid. “You feel like home.”
“You do for metoo.”
Chapter Twelve
Sunday afternoon, Kash dropped Bellaoff at Kinley’s promising to pick her up in time to get to hisparents’ for dinner. He was excited for her to meet his parents,but he was still wildly bummed that her own family hadn’t reachedout.
He watched from the streetuntil the front door opened and she walked inside, turning to blowhim a kiss before shutting the door. Now that she was safelyinside, he headed to the retirement community for a four-hourshift, filling in for Ryan, one of the guards who normally workedweekends. He’d already taken the week ahead off in the hope offinding his truemate, but with Bella spending time with Kinley, hehadn’t minded picking up a half-shift, and had agreed to covershifts on Monday and Tuesday while his sweetheart was hanging withhis sister for a couple days. Then they were heading into the FaeRealm to get away for a few days.
He parked near the guardstation at the entrance to the large community of small,ranch-style two-bedroom homes that housed most of the oldergeneration of wolves. His parents would eventually move into theretirement community, but they weren’t in any hurry. Within thewalled space was a community center with daily activities, aduck-filled pond amongst a flower-filled park, and a 9-hole golfcourse.
It was a low-stress job, but animportant one, and he enjoyed it.
He walked to the guardstation, which was large enough for a few people, and had a deskwith monitors that showed the security feed around the community.Inside the station was Drake, Kinley’s dad.
“Hey, kid,” Drake said fromwhere he sat at the desk. “Did you drop your mate off?”
“Yep. She said they weregoing to give each other manicures and watch some 80s rom-com I’dnever heard of.”
“McKenna’s so happy thatBella found you. She always felt so bad for what she endured in herpack.” He mused for a moment and then said, “Any word from herparents?”
“Nope.”
“I heard that I might knowher dad?”
“Yeah, his name is BrettSullivan. His dad used to own Jake’s.”
Drake’s eyebrows rose sohigh they almost disappeared into his hairline. “Jake?Seriously?”
