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It was funny how the place looked the same as it had all those years ago—a meadow, just outside the reach of both the Eislander and Black Mountain territories, where he had spent pretty much his whole childhood. Back in those days, he’d come out here, into the fields, alone. Sometimes with Sonia. And then with her…
Before everything changed.
The tiny, simple grave, marked only by a round headstone, looked just the same. Worse even, it stillsmelledthe same. Like the salty scent of the tears, he had shed for the first time in this very spot.
It was pathetic. But…if he tried hard enough, he could still smell her. That crisp, light scent of honey and rose—so different from Loren’s.
Heart heavy, Bill sank down on the wet earth inches from the tombstone.
“Hey, Em,” he called gruffly, reaching out to trail the worn name carved into the stone. “I… I’m sorry.”
The pain didn’t suddenly go away. He would always carry it.
But now, he could finally stop punishing himself for moving on. Emma was his past.
But the present?
It might hold just as much happiness for him.
No longer did he need to feel guilty. Just hopeful.
45
Just a few days ago, killing Fred Connors had been the most traumatic experience of her life—in many ways, it still was. Loren knew she would have to deal with the long-term aftermath of that trauma later.
This moment, however, was a close second, though in a very different way.
Meeting Fred Connors had been a stilted, unpleasant experience wrought with disappointment. She could still remember the resigned way she’d accepted his cruelty without question. Already accustomed to violence, she had considered dodging blows a normal part of everyday life.
Loreck Eislander, however, didn’t face her with a sneer or a brandished fist. He waited with his arms by his sides, on the other end of a small clearing on the outskirts of Black Mountain territory, far from any prying eyes.
Save for one—she could sense Bill nearby, lurking just out of sight—but she didn’t feel the need to rely on him. Yet.
This moment felt too fragile. Too…delicate to risk even the presence of a third party.
As the minutes ticked by, Loren had no idea what to do or say. All she seemed capable of was staring at the man before her. Physically, Loreck looked so much older than Fred Connors. His brown hair was speckled with gray, his hazel eyes shrouded in wrinkles. Even so, he carried himself with confidence much like Bill’s.
As if nothing in the world could defeat him.
Until they made eye contact. He swayed, his jaw tight, but Loren trembled with a similar unsteadiness. Bill had told her once that her father would recognize her on sight.
She didn’t understand what he meant until she saw Loreck sigh, as though an invisible weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
“You look like her,” he rasped, taking an unsteady step only to hesitate. One of his hands threatened to bridge the gap between them, his fingers trembling in the air.
Loren froze as tears prickled behind her eyes. Only recently had she been able to recall her mother more clearly, her round face, and gentle smile…
Whether they looked alike or not, she couldn’t be sure, but Loreck seemed pained by the realization.
“I….” He shook his head as if fighting to find the right words. “He told me, but a part of me still doubted… I didn’t know. I didn’t know.”
Her brain struggled to process his words. Was he relieved that it might have been true? Disappointed? Before she could fully comprehend, he moved.
And she followed. There wasn’t any conscious thought to approach. Much like her interactions with Bill, instinct took over, and she had no choice but to give in.
She was in his arms without warning. An old, instinctive fear rose up before a sudden calm replaced it.
He won’t hurt us,that inner voice murmured.Family.It was a new concept to her, but that primal instinct within her seemed to know exactly what it was supposed to feel like.
