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“Harmony shared some of your past. Not much,” she hurries to assure me. “I’m sorry about your grandfather.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I wave her off.
“I’d like to hear your side. If you're willing to share?” she asks carefully.
I hold her eyes, finding nothing but interest and compassion. “I was six years old when my parents were murdered. My mother was a panther. I loved her desperately; she was my world. She was hunted and stalked. She came into my room one night, shaking and nervous. She asked me to take Harmony away for her protection. I hadn’t told anyone that she wanted me to stay with Harmony. She said she would find us someday, that it was my responsibility to take care of my sister, to keep her safe. I failed. She bundled us up, walked us to the edge of the property, kissed us, and said goodbye.
“I was so young. When the adults you love tell you something, you take it as fact. But I knew something horrible was going to happen to her. I left Harmony at a church. I thought they would keep her safe. My grandfather always said talking to God felt like home. I ran back home; I had to convince my mom to come with us. I was nothing without her. I remember the surprise and anger on my mom's face. My dad was confused, but that quickly turned to anger when he found out what I did. What I did was horrible. I felt such guilt. They were so angry. They went to get Harmony only to find her gone. Not long ago, I found out that my grandfather killed my parents. He came home as if nothing happened.” I push my plate away and take a drink. “When we got the news of their death, he acted so surprised and sad. The man I thought was my grandfather looked at me with such hatred, a feeling I didn’t understand. We returned to the church, but there was no sign of Harmony.
“We moved on. I asked every day if we could find Harmony. He kept putting me off, one excuse after another. He was a fantastic actor. He was searching on his own, but not for the purpose of bringing her into the family. I met Harmony several months ago. Her mates asked for some help. None of us knew at the time how connected we were to each other. I was shocked. She’s an amazing woman now.
“After everything, my grandfather wasn’t my real grandfather. It was all a lie. He killed my real one and took his place. He studied my grandfather’s movements, mannerisms, and habits. They were weirdly similar, so he knew he could pull it off. He forced my real grandfather to bite him before he killed him. It was a sick miracle that it worked. Trying to turn someone outside the mating bond almost always fails. He had an obsession with my mother. He stalked her and fell in love with her instead of studying her. Female panther shifters are rare, it was his job to find any he could. He was a scientist and obsessed with discovering the capabilities of shifters. So he found a way to stay with her. But she wasn’t fooled for long.”
“Kerian, that’s horrible.” Ava lays her hand on mine. “I’m sorry you went through that.”
“I’ve been living with so much guilt and anger. I forgot my responsibilities. I drank all the time, too much. The day I met you, I decided to stop. Stop drinking, stop feeling guilty, and letting it rule my life. Harmony forgave me. We’re building a good relationship. I’m excited to be an uncle soon,” I smile softly.
“What happened to him?”
“He took Harmony. He was obsessed with her. He was killed that night, and I can’t find it in me to be sorry. The betrayal stings still, but if I continue to let it control me, he wins.”
“I’m proud of you,” she whispers. “It takes a lot of courage.”
“Shit, it took too long to get to this place. I have a long way to go.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” she scolds.
“Now that I have a mate, I need to be the man she deserves,” I state.
“Kerian,” she starts to protest.
“No, it’s a fact. You are our mate. You need to get used to the idea because we aren’t going to let you go,” I warn, circling her wrist. “Would it be so bad being ours?”
“Kerian, that’s not the problem.”
“You can’t have children,” I say, and she tries to yank her hand away. “It doesn't matter to us. You matter.”
“Well, isn’t that sweet?” Jason sneers, wincing when his scabbed lip cracks. Bartlett is trailing behind him. I should have heard them coming, but I was too wrapped up in Ava.
I try not to laugh at Jason’s face. It’s covered in cuts and bruises. His nose is crooked and bandaged. He’s barely holding himself upright. River would love to see the results of his anger. I wonder if I can sneak a picture?
“Why?” I snap. “Are you stalking her?”
“I had to see my sister,” Bartlett whines. He’s holding rolled up papers in his hand, twisting them nervously.
“What is the point of this?” Ava asks.
“We know who he is.” Bartlett says, his eyes are shifting side to side, never resting long on Ava.
“So? It has nothing to do with you,” Ava says.
“He is a wolf,” he whispers.
Shit. We try to keep the circle that knows about us small. We would be in a war if everyone knew. Everyone loves superhero movies, but it’s not so entertaining living in one. Humans would be scared and dangerous. They outnumber us. Going to war, no matter your powers would end many lives.
“Bartlett, don’t be ridiculous.” She pushes back her chair, getting up. “Are you drunk?”
She is trying to protect me. I stand so I block their view of her. “If that’s what you think, why are you here?”
