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“You’re not sick?”
“No.”
She didn’t know what to think. “Why, Gerard?” She didn’t mean for the question to slip out. It came of its own accord.
“He needs me.”
“You mean Declan?”
“I wanted to be alone—with you. I didn’t seek to heal.”
She understood where he was going. Declan’s heart healed with the touch of his mate. And because it healed, he was able to fly again. While Gerard could always fly, he kept away from all of his people even as he still loved them and wanted to protect them. His way of protecting his own heart was to remain separated.
“You can’t avoid them anymore,” she said. “You’re going to live here?”
“Yes.” He rolled tight shoulders and cracked his neck. She imagined tension and stress had already settled.
“Maybe Declan can help you to figure out what it is that will make staying here a happy thing.” Why the heck was she offering him hope when she had none?
“Happy.” He repeated the word like he had no idea what it meant.
She would have touched him again but Kelly appeared at his side and snaked an arm around his waist. Her triumphant grin balled Lachelle’s fist. Biting her tongue was the only way she didn’t act on the rapid-fire suggestions rolling through her head.
“Don’t worry about us shifters,” Kelly said. “You should go back to your own people, Lachelle. From now on, we should all live separately. Gerard and I will work to bring our people together as one, and we’ll be stronger than ever.”
“You’re trying to kick me out of the homestead?” Lachelle put a hand on her hip.
“No,” Gerard growled.
Kelly laughed and patted a comforting hand on Gerard’s chest. “She’s welcome to visit, but don’t you think it would be better if she didn’t live here? I mean it wouldn’t be easy to watch us marry and even have a bunch of little ones.”
Gerard tensed.
“And—I’m just being honest here—it’s risky having humans around. Security and all that. Who knows when the humans will find out about this place and try to invade. The fewer nonhumans who know of our location, the better.”
“Now you’re trying to throw my parents out,” Lachelle snapped.
“They don’t want to stay.” Kelly sounded matter-of-fact, pointing out the obvious. “Shifters scare them. After everything that’s been in the news, who could blame them? They were only moved back here because it was an emergency. No, I’m making an executive decision. They have to be found a place to live among their own kind.”
“You don’t decide anything about my family, lady!” Lachelle shouted. “I don’t care who you think you are. You’re not my queen—or my family’s.”
Kelly remained unruffled in the face of Lachelle’s anger. She turned to Gerard. “Tell her, Gerry. It’s for the best.”
Lachelle could have told the stupid woman Gerard hated nicknames, especially any for him.
“She stays,” he said, and Kelly reddened.
Lachelle left them both standing there. Gerard was just as bad as Kelly, demanding she stay when his mate demanded she leave. They could order the entire shifter population around, but she wasn’t the one.
Back at the cabin she stood before her meager things, wondering what to do. After a few moments, it came to her. She would power through until Janessa was stronger. Then she would go back to the city. When they knew if the authorities intended to drag out Declan’s case, she would decide again her next steps.
“I’m a strong woman. I can face anything, even Kelly married to Gerard. I’ve been hurt before, and I got over it. I’ll get over this. Period.”
Declaration made, she sat on the side of the bed and cried her eyes out for the last time.
Somehow the day passed without her noticing. Early evening rolled around. One of Declan’s men came to inform her that they were having a goodbye-for-now dinner at the main hall for Declan. Lachelle wasn’t hungry, but she made herself go. This was the first opportunity to exercise her new resolve.
Shadows stretched all around her as she strolled over to the main hall. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves high in the trees. The rain that threatened earlier had come and gone. Now everything smelled fresh and renewed.
