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She looked between the girls before she sighed. "Declan wasn't the person who put the tracker in my purse. I asked him about it, and he told me he didn't do it."
Saying it out loud sent a shiver down her spine. She didn't like any of what was going on.
Hanna looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"
"It means …" She licked her lips, taking a deep breath. She just needed to get the words out. "It means someone else did. Declan said that he found notes threatening me. I have a stalker. And the same person burned the vinery. Declan was trying to keep me safe by not telling me."
They both looked at her with wide eyes, so she continued. “Someone is trying to get to me, and he's trying to figure out who it is, but he doesn't have any leads."
Hanna shook her head, pouring herself a glass of wine. "You know this doesn't surprise me."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Hanna scowled. "He is a leader and a protector. I know why he didn’t tell you, although I do not agree with that. I have sensed that he has been more stressed out lately. He’d want to handle it on his own. Even if that is true, my brother would never let anything happen to you, Taryn."
"I know that," she said, looking at her hands. "But that doesn't mean the threat isn't real. It's scary to think they got a tracker in my purse. They would have had to get very close to me to do that."
Hanna grasped her hand, giving it a squeeze. "I'm a little ticked off he didn't tell anyone. Which is so like him. I hate that he kept it to himself instead of asking for help."
Addison leaned closer. "It's going to be okay. Declan will figure out who it is. In the meantime, maybe you should stay here. Hunker down for a while until the heat passes, and we know the person who did this is arrested."
She shook her head, refusing. She couldn't just stop going to work because she was scared.
"I can't do that. I have people depending on me, just like Declan has people depending on him. As scared as I am, I don't want to disappoint people."
Addison tilted her head. "Sweetie, I think people would understand. It's not forever. Just for right now." That wasn't the point. Whether they understood or not, she had a reputation she wanted to live up to. She wasn't backing down.
Is this because you can’t shift? Are you overcompensating for not having a basic shifter trait?
"You know I can go with you," Hanna offered. "I can just keep an eye on people and be around if you need someone. I can help you however you like, and I promise to stay out of the way."
She liked the idea of having someone there if she needed it. The idea calmed her nerves. At least someone would have her back while she was still helping the people.
"If you wouldn't mind," she said. "You don't have to. I don't want to burden you.”
"No, I want to," Hanna said. "To be honest, I think I need to. When you first started working, I didn't exactly agree with it."
This surprised her a little. Not everyone understood why she continued to work after her engagement to Declan, but she wouldn't have guessed his sister was one of them.
"Really? Why?" she asked, unable to hide the shock in her voice.
Hanna shrugged. "I just didn't see the point. You were no longer like them, and I expected you to take on other duties. And when Declan explained that you were happy working, I didn't get it even more. But I started to understand when I stopped in and watched you."
She could remember one of the first days Hanna had come by the apothecary. She was assisting an elderly lady in finding something to help her sleep. Hanna stood back in a corner and listened. She hardly said anything and left soon after.
"You care about the people you help. You spend time with them, and that is different. I realized that the people needed you around, and they depended on you and the shop."
She blushed. She looked at Addison, who nodded as well. She looked away.
"I know how important your work is, Taryn. And I want to be there to ensure that it still gets done even if you have a stalker. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Taryn smiled at Hanna, feeling relieved. She was glad that someone was going to be around who wasn’t an enforcer.
"You're a natural-born leader," Hanna said, leaning back as she took another sip of her wine. "Natural-born leader indeed."
They all laughed at the joke.
"You're great with the people, and they all love you. I heard everyone going on about the apothecary and how efficiently it runs. That's all you, Taryn. You're a born queen."
