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“Please, do you even fucking know me?” he scoffed with feigned distress. “I’ll have that shit to you by sunrise.”
I just thanked him and hung up the fucking phone because I didn’t have a clue how that man would get me something before sunrise. I knew better than to ask, though.
I resumed staring at the woods, knowing sleep would be a bitch to achieve. My mind was too ramped up. Too many questions and too many what-ifs never made for a good night’s sleep.
True to his promise, Lane somehow managed to get the bracelet to me just before dawn. I had no clue how, and I knew better than to ask. When I woke up from my nap, it was waiting for me on the porch. The leather bracelet wasn’t particularly attractive in any way, but even I could feel the power pulsing through it as I held it. For as fucked up as he was, I trusted Lane, especially when it came to magic. The guy didn’t fuck with that shit.
Despite the early hour, I drove straight to Declan’s and beat down the door until he answered. I brushed off the frustrated annoyance on his face when he saw me. Half asleep and half naked, the man looked ready to slam the door in my face—maybe I deserved it, considering everything.
“I need to talk to Raven,” I said. Without waiting, I pushed my way into the house. Cade opened up one eye from his spot on the couch where he was propped up on a mound of pillows. The color in his cheeks was there, which was a damn good thing. “Morning, scrappy. You look like hell.”
“Still look better than your dumbass,” he grumbled.
“You wish.” I smirked. I patted the back of the couch as I passed. “You did good. You need anything?”
“Nah,” Cade mumbled. “You’d be surprised the fucking shit people want to send you when you get your ass handed to yourself by a fucking deer running across the road.”
Not a half–bad cover story to tell everyone. There was no fucking way he’d play another game this season. Sam must’ve wrecked a car for him while George did the police reports.
“Those fuckers are a real pain in the ass up this way,” I commented. Saying nothing more, I strode straight down the hall to the closed door. I knocked hard, saying, “Open the door, Raven. I’ll ask nicely once, and then I’ll kick it in. We both know I will, and Declan—”
“What?” Raven demanded as the door flew open. Well then. That was easier than I expected. Her eyes were red and tired like she hadn’t slept—not that I blamed her.
“I’ve got something for you.” Taking her by the elbow, I dragged her back to the bed. Was I manhandling her more than I should’ve? Yes, I was. But I wanted to get the hell out of there and see Genevieve. The growl ripping its way out of Raven wasn’t highly encouraging, but I wasn’t discouraged. When her ass hit the bed, I crouched. “Let me see your wrist.”
“What the hell are you—”
“Let me see your wrist,” I repeated, giving her little room to argue with me. Still, she glared at me—shit, she really didn’t like being told what the fuck to do—and I glared right back. “Raven.”
“Killian.”
“Give me your goddamn wrist,” I snapped. “I will make you, but then I’ll have to fucking fight my brother because I touched his wife.”
“You know?” she asked softly.
“I do, which makes you family,” I told her. I held out my hand. “I’m just trying to help.”
After a ridiculously long moment in which she and Declan exchanged looks, she did as I asked. I took out the leather rope from Lane and began weaving it around her wrist until the two ends were clasped together.
“Now, I know you feel fucking guilty, and I know there’s not a damn thing anyone can do to fix that shit,” I whispered. I slipped her hand between mine and squeezed tight as I met her questioning gaze. “But I’d bet fucking anything, the thing you feel the worst about is someone taking away your control.”
“Killian—”
“I know a fucking guy,” I continued over Declan’s warning. “He’s damn good with magic—unconventional magic—so I made a call last night, and he made this for you. As long as you wear this, no one can control your wolf except you. No more being used against your family. Got it?”
“Really?” Her eyes widened, glancing down at the leather bracelet.
“Only one of us gets to be the family disaster. I’m not letting you take that away from me.”
“Thank you… I don’t know what to say.”
“Just keep doing whatever you’re doing,” I said. “You’re good for my brother. You and Cade. I’ve never seen him so happy. He needs you two, not…”
Me. I cut myself off before I said something that Declan would hear. Hours awake staring at the forest had given me a lot of time to think—rather than fall into the endless spiral of rambling thoughts. One thing became clear.
Declan didn’t need me around anymore. I didn’t fit his way of life. His beliefs. We were too different. Polite we could do, but deep down, he’d outgrown me. All of them had.
Chapter 61
