Now, it’s my turn.
“Are you contemplating how to make her father disappear?”
Lawson joins me on the porch, and I sigh. We haven’t had time to talk since the fight. We barely finished cleaning up the mess the fight caused before Rylee messaged the group, and we rushed here. Frank is dead, as is Tawney. Several of the pack decided to attack, and we had no choice but to defend our family. The rest of them pleaded leniency, and since they didn’t join the fight, and Lawson didn’t have any recollection of them, Ryker agreed to escort them out of town. With his power, he can assess the truth of their willingness to leave the pack in their past.
“I couldn’t tell you,” I say softly.
“I know.” He leans against the rail across from my chair.
“You needed to concentrate on getting what you needed from the interaction. If you knew about the children, your goal would be tainted.” I lean forward, my elbows on my knees, and clasp my hands.
“Are you trying to convince yourself? Or me?” He grins.
“Both?” I frown.
He laughs, shaking his head. “Who's getting them?”
“The panthers and wolves. Harmony runs a foster home for shifters. She promised to take them there and find them a family.” Harmony started the family here. She's mated to an Alpha and his two brothers. She knows what it's like to be infoster care and will do what’s best for the children. Ava is a wolf shifter mated to an Alpha and his brother, and they have adopted a shifter child. They were the perfect group to ask to do it.
“Good.” Lawson looks toward the trees. “It makes it worth it. Knowing there was a bigger reason to find Frank. If we didn’t, those kids would have gone through what I did.” He looks at me. “You always do what’s best for us. You made the right call. I fought the demon who tormented me, and the kids won’t have to.”
“Do you feel better?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he sighs.
“So, it was worth it.”
“I’m glad we did it, yet pissed we weren’t here when Haven needed us the most,” he grumbles.
“Rylee was,” I whisper, looking toward the house. “Sally was right. We couldn’t know.” Haven couldn’t wait any longer, so she's with Sally, waiting for Rylee to wake. “The woman is dead. Rylee will recover.” I glance at him. “And you can move on.”
“I think I already had,” he mumbles, gripping the rail. “Once she walked into our lives, nothing else mattered. Yes, I still needed to see him, but I would have been alright if I hadn’t. She makes it all better.”
“I’m glad you're happy, Brother.” I sit back. “When Rylee is healed, we can all move on.”
“With Haven,” he says softly.
“Yes, with Haven.” We lock eyes.
“Are you happy?” he asks.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I frown.
“Do you get tired of taking care of us?” He tilts his head.
“I don’t do much,” I mumble.
“Bullshit,” he grins. “All of us depend on you to be the level head.”
“Bane is the one who helps you,” I say, and I’m not hurt by it.
“He does.” He nods lightly. “But you give us safety so we can be ourselves. You explained everything to Haven. It’s difficult for Bane to express himself. Remy appears in control, yet we all know the chaos he holds inside. You have to be everything, and it must be hard.”
“Hard?” I rub my jaw and look away. “I missed how many years with you and Remy? I wish I could have been there to protect you then; it’s an honor to do so now. I’m far from perfect. You weren’t here all the times I lost it, and Bane had to reel me in. Heath grounded me when we had numerous false leads on your location. There were many days I wanted to fuck it all and give up. The worst part of it all was not knowing.” I look at him. “I didn’t know if you were safe, loved, fed, or happy. My focus was on keeping Bane and me together, yet there were missing pieces. I still feel guilty in my heart for not spending every day trying to find you.”
“Hunter, you have to let it go,” he says.
“That’s easy to say, isn’t it?” I laugh lightly. “I’m hoping that with a bit more time, I can. It hasn’t been that long since you weren’t here. I should be grateful we are together now, family again, and living the life I wanted for us.”
