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“Yeah, you rememberhim?”
“Hell yes. He was cool ashell. Brett was an okay guy, but his other son Chris was awell-known asshole. He went after Cades when he knew that Jason hadmarked her when they were kids.”
“Wait, hold up. Jasonmarked her when they were kids?”
Drake grinned and leanedback in the chair. “Have a seat my boy, and I’ll tell you thehistory of the Tressel Pack, starting with a couple of wide-eyedkids, an alpha who put too much authority into his order, and thefight that split the town in half.”
* * *
“So,” Kinley said as she shook abottle of lavender nail polish and peered studiously at Bella’snails, “why aren’t you marked yet?”
Bella’s hands flexed ever so slightly.She knew her friend would immediately notice the lack of a matingmark on her neck, especially with her hair in a highponytail.
She sighed. “I wanted to wait for mydad.”
“What about yourdad?”
With a twist, Kinley tookoff the polish lid and set the glass jar on the kitchentable.
“Well, before I met Kash, Ialways pictured meeting my truemate and him asking my dad forpermission.”
“The way humans do?” sheasked, her brow arching.
“Yeah. But I mean my dadexpected it too, because he’s alpha. You don’t just mark and matehis only daughter, you know? So when Kash and I met on the fullmoon, I said I wanted to wait and get to know him better. And thenmy dad had an utter cow about this pack because of the history.”Bella shook her head. Her dad was so angry. He’d been pushing forher to take a mate, and when she found her actual truemate, hewanted her to walk away.
“My parents told me aboutthe history with the packs.”
Bella blinked. “They did?”
“Well, yeah, they both grewup in the Tressel Pack, so they know what happened. Do youknow?”
“I only knew what my dadhad told me before I came here. Alpha Jason and Alpha Cades told metheir side of things, which didn’t jive at all with what my dadsaid. My dad seems to have rose-colored-glasses on about my uncleand his behavior.”
Kinley hummed. “Everyone’sperceptions are different. Like me and Dalton. He’s got a verydifferent relationship with our dad, his thoughts on our childhoodsare different. Things that were devasting to me didn’t evenregister for him, and vice versa.” She shrugged. “It’s entirelypossible that your dad feels the way he does because of how youruncle’s death affected him. It’s also possible that in order tokeep his sanity, Alpha Jason had to determine that saving Cades wasworth any cost and he couldn’t dwell on the past.”
Bella hummed in agreement. Shecouldn’t imagine taking a life, even in defense of someone. But onthe other hand, if Kash were in danger and she could save him?She’d freaking do whatever she needed to keep him safe. And sheknew he felt the same.
Her phone buzzed. She turned it overwhere it was resting on the table facing down, and saw it was herbrother.
“Speak of the devil.” Sheswiped her thumb across the screen to answer. “Hi,Chris.”
No pleasantries. No hello. “You needto come home, Bella.”
“It seems I’m not reallywelcome,” she said. “Dad hasn’t reached out, and neither has Mom.Did they tell you to contact me?”
A little bit of hope, that her familymight be willing to meet her and Kash and come to some kind ofagreement about her mating bloomed within her chest.
“No.”
Hope…dashed.
“I’m not coming homewithout my mate, Chris.”
“You’re not mated withoutDad’s approval. How could you be so dense?”
She rose from the tableand paced away with the phone, her wolf prickling in defense ofKash. “Excuse me, Kash is my truemate. I couldn’t care less wherehe lives or who’s part of his pack, the only thing I care about isthat he’s mine. I did explain all that to Dad, and it’s not myfault that he’s not happy.”
Chris growled softly. “You’re tearingthe family apart, Bella.”
