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“I remember hearing my parents and other adults talking about how great it was to find your mate, that it made your life whole and everything better. They don’t talk about all the complications that can come with it, though. It’s been even tougher for us, and I think we’ve been too hard on ourselves by trying to force it,” Max said quietly.
Tears threatened, but she held them back. They could come later when she had time to let them all out. “Hunter and Ava are almost grown, but they still need us. We can take some time to be apart, though. Ava and I will stay here for a little while, but when we’re sure it’s safe, we’ll get our own place. I’ll find a job, and I’ll get her enrolled in school. She can go to your place to see you and Hunter, and she can come here to visit with the rest of the pack. I’m sure she’ll want to continue her magic training with Joan and Dawn.” It was practical. It was right. It would save them all a lot of heartache, and it would provide a more stable environment for the kids. So why did it hurt so much?
“Thank you.” Max took a step back, but he still lingered. “There’s always a chance we might work it out in the future, right?”
Her tongue longed to tell him yes, that they just needed some time and space. Her heart wasn’t entirely sure. “I think I’m still trying to figure out who I am, Max. I’ve been living my life for other people for almost my entire adulthood. I don’t really have a clue what I like or what I want. I don’t even know what I like to read or watch on television. The world has changed without me, and I have a lot of catching up to do.”
“It’ll be—” Max’s spine had stiffened, and his eyes peered out into the trees. “Do you see that?”
The wind was a little heavier now as the storm crept closer. Sarah scanned the yard, her lupine defenses immediately on alert. There was too much movement, and her eyes were trying to take it in. “What?”
“I swore I just saw someone down there, near the cedar tree.”
Her heart was out of her stomach now, but she could feel it throbbing in the back of her throat. Her wolf pushed up toward the surface, ready to emerge. She’d been trying all day to search for the practical answers and the calm way of doing things, but it wasn’t easy right now. “Could it just be Conner or someone else?”
“Possibly.” His voice was full of doubt, and she felt it inside her. “There.”
Sarah looked where Max pointed. A man stepped out of the woods. He was far enough away that he couldn’t be seen all too easily, but she recognized his stance. “I know him. That’s Carter, one of Edward’s guards.”
“What about that one?” Max’s gaze shifted to another part of the tree line near a cottonwood.
“Frank.” He was slightly closer, and she could see the scar. “And Emory is just over there. Even Gina is here.” The Greystones were appearing out of the woods, surrounding the house. Sarah could only see from this vantage point, but she knew how they operated. “They must be all around us by now.”
“Find the kids and make sure they’re safe. I’m getting Rex. Sarah. Sarah!”
She heard him talking, but his words weren’t registering. The next figure that came lumbering out of the woods was one she recognized all too well. It was a man who had demanded more from her than any person could ever give, and he’d ruined her life in return. “Edward’s here.”
“I’m not surprised.” Max grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the door. “Get Hunter and Ava, and alert anyone else you see on the way. We’re in for a battle.”
16
The fight had been comingfor a long time. The few moments of peace Sarah had bought herself by staying with the Glenwoods had been artificial, a nice distraction from the inevitable. The reckoning had come.
Sarah’s body had obeyed Max’s commands. She’d rounded up the children and checked every room, ensuring everyone knew what was happening. Ava now stood in the living room with her big brother’s arm around her. Conner and McKenzie were there with them, along with Joan and Jimmy. Brody stood to the side, talking to Max. Robin had gone into the safe room in the basement with little Evelyn, as had a few other mothers with their young children. Lori and Dawn stood in the kitchen doorway, their backs turned to the rest as they watched the back of the packhouse. Guards had been stationed throughout the place and even on the rooftop as they waited. Sarah braced her hand on the corner of the wall, trying to figure out what to do with herself.
The knock on the door sent a shiver of fright down her body and into her very soul. Sarah couldn’t go back. She’d managed to escape, and she couldn’t imagine what it might be like to live that nightmare all over again.
Rex pushed through the crowd. “Everyone stay here and stay calm,” he ordered. “Remember your training.”
Sarah’s breath was coming in ragged gasps now. She had no training. She had nothing to fight with but her teeth and claws, which wouldn’t be enough. She’d never be able to take them down. When Rex opened the door, she saw a glimpse of her father. To her dismay, Rex stepped outside and closed the door behind him.
She rushed to Max. “Get him back inside! He’s going to get killed out there!”
“He knows what he’s doing.” Jimmy patted her elbow.
“Glenwood, you’re harboring two fugitives from my pack,” Edward’s voice boomed through the open window.
“No, I’m not,” Rex replied calmly.
This wasn’t a simple social call, and Sarah’s guts twisted at the idea of Rex being out there with them, Alpha or not.
“Don’t bother with semantics,” Edward warned. “Whether you want to call them fugitives or not, you know exactly who I’m speaking about. I’m here for Sarah and Ava.”
“Well, you’re not going to get them. They’re under our protection.”
Sarah closed her eyes. She had wanted that protection so badly, but at what price?
“I’m going to make this easy on you, Glenwood. People say I’m a hard man, but I’m actually very easy to get along with. Everyone in my pack would tell you so,” Edward boasted.
