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“Excellent, I was hoping he’d come.”
“What are you going to say to him?” Jill asked.
“Just that I hope we can all stay friends and that he won’t disappear off the face of the earth.”
“You think he’ll stay?”
“I hope so. I don’t want him to feel bad for what he did. He was duped like the rest of us and has a good heart.”
Jill’s lips pressed together. “Maybe you’re being a bit too trusting.”
“I’d rather be trusting than start thinking everyone has an ulterior motive.”
Jill gave a small smile. “True. Well, he’s in the living room waiting for you.”
I headed to the living room and, sure enough, Thomas was standing at the window, looking out at the front lawn.
“Glad you came,” I said.
He turned to face me. He looked so beaten. “I’m not sure how you can forgive me for what I did.”
“Everything turned out okay in the end,” I assured him.
He shrugged it off. “Yes, I’m glad you’re safe and with the man you should be with.”
As I got closer, I noticed his scent had changed. He smelled of old spice. “I like that you smell different now.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I stopped taking the drinks that Pac, or whatever he was called, had given me, and I’m back to how I’ve always smelled.”
“Thank goodness.”
“Yeah,” he chuckled, then stopped, as if it was inappropriate to laugh.
“You can relax around me, you know. Brandon isn’t mad at you, either. You helped save me.”
“I didn’t really do much since I got bitten by a couple of snakes in the dens when we were looking for you. I held one of the guys back, too, because he had to take care of me.”
“But all is well. I’m back, and everyone is safe.”
“That may be, but I think I’ll need some time before I forgive myself,” he said, looking lost.
My heart tore for him, and I thought of the conversation I had with Theo yesterday morning. “Just know you have a home here with this pack if you ever want to come back. Theo has said as much.”
“I appreciate it.”
But I could see he wasn’t going to stay. The urge to move on was almost biting at his heels. “Where will you go?”
“I don’t know yet. Somewhere quiet. I have a lot to think about.”
“All I ask is that you be safe.”
I gave him a hug, then watched as he walked out the door before shifting and running into the woods.
* * *
“I had the necklace I gave you made into a ring,” Brandon said, pulling me closer to his side. We were sitting on a rug observing the rest of his family finish up Luc and Jill’s house. “And for full disclosure, it still has the tracking capabilities that the necklace had. But as you can see, I’m not wearing the ring. I don’t feel comfortable monitoring you, so it’s being safeguarded by Miti. I won’t be tracking you, I promise. It’s an option just in case something happens to you because I don’t trust Pac and his goons and whatever plan he has up his sleeve. Please understand, Becca.”
“Brandon, I trust you. It’s okay.” I gave him a kiss before adding, “It’s Miti I wonder about.” I laughed and was happy to hear him laugh along.
