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He fell silent—thank fuck. Not that I had anything to tell him anyway. Instead, I focused on the pack as we approached the pack house. A quiet anticipation filled the air—uncomfortable and vibrating against my skin. Three years of nothing was a big fucking gap, especially considering my responsibilities to the pack. The looks combined with that silence did nothing to ease my nerves. A deep growl built involuntarily in my chest as my wolf reflected my stress.
We were nearly to the house when Connor Harvey stepped in front of me.
“Killian,” Connor greeted with a big grin. I took his hand, smiling. Connor was a good kid. And I was fucking grateful for that. A handshake was a start. “Welcome home.”
“Thanks, kid. You look good,” I said. He did. The last I remembered of him, Connor was this scrawny thing with an awkward tan and hair too long to look good. He’d filled out with wide shoulders and muscles I knew came from working hard. Dusty blond hair scattered across his forehead and fell into his denim blue eyes. “How’s the ranch treating you?”
“Busy as always,” he replied as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He rocked on his feet, completely at ease while we talked—a fact I was immensely grateful for. “We’ve almost doubled our cows at this point and added a few rescues in the mix as well—horses and cows alike.”
Fuck, that was a lot of animals.
“And your dad? How’s he holding up?”
“Stubborn as ever.” He laughed. “I keep trying to get him to retire, but he ain’t having it.”
“Sounds about right.” It did. Beck Harvey was probably the most stubborn fucking man alive. How Connor grew up to be so fucking relaxed and go-with-the-flow was beyond me. Clapping a hand to Connor’s shoulder, I said, “We’ll catch up later, okay? I’d love to hear how things are going.”
“Sounds good to me.” His smile grew wider as he backed away.
“See?” Sam said. “Not so bad.”
“Yeah, but Connor’s always liked me,” I retorted. Okay, Connor liked everyone.
“Maybe,” Declan replied. “But it looks good in front of others. Mom’s inside with Uncle Cil. Let’s go say hi before everyone else gets here.”
“Are you fuckers planning to flank me all fucking night?” I demanded, taking the steps two at a time.
“Consider us your very own puppy squad,” Finn told me happily. Fan-fucking-tastic.
“Killian Byrne!” My name in that voice fucking froze me on the top step. Phillip Goodwin. My spine went rigid, and my chest constricted with the onslaught of emotions.
“Keep walking,” Declan ordered.
“Killian Byrne, don’t you ignore me, son!” Phillip yelled. He had no fucking right to call me that.
“Don’t,” Declan warned.
“I have to,” I snapped. I was down the short flight of stairs before anyone could stop me. “What do you want, Mr. Goodwin?”
Hold my temper. That was the goal. Hold my fucking temper. I didn’t want to do something stupid—at least, not that stupid.
Phillip looked old, and it wasn’t just the way his hair was grayer. No, he just looked worn the fuck down despite how angry he was—weathered and frail. Genevieve stood behind him, those pretty eyes wide as if she couldn’t believe her father was yelling for the whole pack to hear.
“How dare you show up here,” he began, his voice rising. I knew he was doing it to make sure everyone heard him. “How dare you show up here after what you did—”
“John, chapter eight, verse seven,” I interrupted. I didn’t bother to match his volume. I didn’t give a fuck who heard me or not. It wasn’t about them. It was about me and him. “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.”
He faltered. Yeah, I knew my fucking Bible.
“I have every right to be here,” I told him.
“After what you did, you don’t belong here! You don’t belong in Cedar Harbor,” he snapped. “We all remember what you did. What you put her through! No one trusts you. No one wants you here.”
“Leviticus, chapter nineteen, verse eighteen: do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.” I planted myself in front of him, crossing my arms to keep from hitting him. Rage rolled through me in waves, painful and violent. The fucking things I wanted to do to him. I was probably the one that needed reminding about loving my neighbor. I was so fucking livid—hot and vibrating all over. I genuinely hated very few people, but he was at the top of that list.
“So you know how to recite a few verses,” Phillip shot back. “That doesn’t change a damn thing, boy. You don’t know the meaning behind the words you speak.”
“Daddy—”
