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Audrey smiled sympathetically, reaching over to squeeze my hand. “It’s okay, Tori. You’re allowed to question it. That’s whatmakes us human. Or, well, mostly human,” she added with a wink, making me chuckle.
“Thanks, Audrey,” I said softly, grateful for her understanding, and a little surprised that she was holding my hand. I’d never taken her as the affectionate type. She was making me question everything I’d assumed about her.
“Any time,” she said, releasing my hand and stretching her arm. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna check myself out, see if I can’t get a last-minute appointment for a facial at the salon.” She looked down at her nails. “Hmm, a manicure, too. Nearly getting killed by hunters is no excuse for letting my skin suffer or my nails look haggard! Care to join me?”
I laughed and shook my head, as I so often did in her company. “Same ol’ Audrey,” I teased. “Thanks for the invite, but I can’t make it this time. I have places to be and people to see. I’d love to go with you another time, though.”
It shocked me to realize that it wasn’t an empty promise. Other than my experiences with sleepovers in school, the idea of being pampered was completely foreign to me. Audrey was the perfect person to introduce me to it.
“All right, but you’re missing out on some serious pampering,” Audrey taunted playfully, her eyes still sparkling. “Remember to take care of yourself, too, okay?”
“Will do,” I promised. A wave of affection for my new friend washed over me. It was nice having someone who cared about my well-being, even if it meant suffering the occasional teasing. “But first, I’ve gotta get to the jail and look for my brother.”
“Yeah, they stopped in and checked on me before they left yesterday,” Audrey said. “Clawson took Kyle so he could help interrogate the one hunter they took prisoner. Hopefully, they get some answers.”
“Oh, God, that’s a relief,” I said, tension releasing from my body. “I was worried Clawson took him to put Kyle in a cell again.”
Audrey rolled her eyes. “If only I were that lucky.” She winked at me.
I really wanted to tease just how bad of a crush she had on my brother out of her, but seeing as she was getting out of the hospital, she got a reprieve for a little longer.
As I left the hospital, my thoughts drifted back to what we’d discussed. The idea of fated mates still seemed so foreign to me, yet there was something undeniably alluring about it. To have someone destined to be yours, who would love you unconditionally and protect you fiercely? It filled me with longing, even as my rational mind dismissed it as romantic tripe.
Then again, hadn’t I experienced something natural right from when I’d first met Ridge? From our first meeting in The Tipsy Tavern, when he’d talked me down from a panic attack to my going home with him that night? My guard had been up around him, sure, but getting swept along with him had been fairly easy. I’d quickly accepted the fake engagement he’d proposed without fighting very hard against it. To be fair, I’d had potential jail time on my mind, and people suspecting I was a murderer when I wasn’t, but I could’ve held out, found another way to prove my innocence. Or just hightailed it out of there until everything caught up with me.
“It’s possible there’s some truth to it after all,” I whispered to myself.
Wanting to distract myself from the whole fated mate thing again, and with a newfound determination to do so, I walked to the town hall, where I found Kyle standing on the steps to the station in a deep conversation with the new deputy. Happiness flooded through me at the sight of him. He wasn’t being treated like a criminal or an outcast. But my relief was quickly replacedwith concern when I realized he was standing out in the open, surrounded by shifters who might recognize him as a hunter.
“Hey,” I called out as I approached the two men. “Where’d you sleep last night?” I asked Kyle, lowering my voice. “Aren’t you worried that someone who recognizes you as a hunter will see you and try to hurt you?”
Taking my arrival as his cue to leave, the deputy said he’d talk to Kyle later, tipping his hat at me as he headed back inside.
Kyle turned to face me, his eyes softening. “I slept at the jail,” he said calmly, seemingly unfazed by my concern. “I wanted to be up early to interrogate the hunter we captured yesterday.”
“Did he tell you anything useful?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the turbulent emotions roiling within me.
Kyle shook his head, looking both troubled and pissed off. “No. The hunter took a last-case-scenario pill and killed himself during the night so he wouldn’t have to face us. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. That exit strategy has been ingrained into us from day one of training.”
“Hey, a lot was going on last night,” I pointed out. “It’s understandable that it didn’t cross your mind, so do not blame yourself. I never considered it, either, and we were both given the same training.” I shuddered at the memory. “I can’t believe we were ever a part of that world.”
“Neither can I,” Kyle agreed quietly. He reached out to grip my hand.
I squeezed his hand as a memory I’d tucked away, hoping to forget forever, came to the forefront of my mind. “I remember when Dad sat me down and gave me a locket. I was expecting this emotional father-daughter conversation about Mom, and to find her picture inside. Instead, he told me about the pill inside it. Said if I found myself out in the field, with no escape from shifters or if they imprisoned me, I should take it and end my life rather than risk being interrogated and tortured. ‘You can’t giveaway our secrets and location, Tori,’ he said. ‘Better to die than betray us.’ I was horrified. I was seventeen, and my father was telling me to kill myself if needed. Who’s raised like that? And he claimsshiftersare monsters.”
The memories hit me hard. When I was on the run, I hadn’t allowed myself to dwell on the past. I’d been far more concerned with staying alive. However, with my brother’s presence here, it was becoming easier to process the emotions I’d suppressed for so long.
Kyle stepped closer to me and wrapped his arms around me. “I wanted to hurt Dad when I saw you after that conversation. I’d never seen you so pale and withdrawn. My sole focus was getting you away, but I didn’t have a clue how to escape. We were learning about a whole new world, and I needed to ensure I could protect you properly. After you ran, I figured staying behind and studying everything I could was for the best. In my heart, I was sure I’d find you, and I did.”
“Kyle.” I tightened my hold on him. “It all played out the way it was meant to. I didn’t want the hunter’s life for you anymore than I wanted it for myself, but he’s our father. We’d already lost our mom, and we were only kids. What else were we supposed to do?”
Kyle kissed my head. “Lil sis, we’re not in that place now. We’ve changed and moved on from there. We’re different people, and we’ll never separate again. I won’t allow it.”
My brother’s words brought tears to my eyes. His support and protection meant more to me than he’d ever know.
“You’re right,” I said, wiping away the tears with the back of my hand. “We’re not the kids we were then. Nor are we under Dad’s control any longer. There’s no way I’ll go a day separated from you ever again.”
“Absolutely,” Kyle said with conviction. He leaned back, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’ll do everything in my power to protect you and the people you care about.”
