Page 19 of Unforgivable Fate

She rolled her eyes and stalked off towards town, leaving him on the side of the road. He watched her go. His wolf clawed at his skin, wanting out, wanting to go after her, but he soothed the animal as best he could with promises that they would be able to see her again soon. And, if everything went the way he wanted, he might even be able to touch her, taste her, and seal the bond before the next full moon.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Nova was surprised to find Bear sitting on Leo’s front porch when she went to his house the next morning. It was early and everyone that knew the big man knew he wasn’t a morning person. He was leaned back in a patio chair, feet kicked up on the top of the porch railing and he was rolling a cigar back and forth in his one good hand.

“Hey.” She called as she got close.

“Hey yourself.” He smirked when he saw her. “Nice of you to grace us with your presence today. I thought your brother’s head was going to pop off yesterday when you didn’t show up to help with the planning for his big shindig.”

Nova scuffed the toe of her shoe in the dirt, “I had some personal things to tend to.”

“Oh yeah? The kind that had you sneaking out of your house with a backpack twice your size at dawn?”

She gaped at the big man, “Wh- how…. He told you?”

Barrett chuckled, “Didn’t have to. Saw it for myself. I still got one good eye and when I train it on the right spot I see everything I need to.”

Nova shook her head in amazement. He’d been there, she realized. He’d been somewhere in the woods when she’d come out of the house and found Griffin waiting for her. Only Griffin hadn’t known he was there either. She was sure of it, which meant Barrett had followed him when he heard Griffin leave the house and been keeping tabs on him.

She remembered then, back when she was a kid, Leo would tell her stories about going into the woods with Barrett. He’d said his friend was the best tracker in the whole pack and his senses were out of this world good. She’d forgotten all about that in the years since but she realized now that Leo hadn’t.

He had told her he trusted Griffin but he’d put him up in Barrett’s house so that his oldest friend could keep tabs on the newcomer and report back if anything was amiss.

She felt her skin heat as she wondered what, exactly, Barrett had reported back to her brother about her walk yesterday morning. It was possible he’d heard everything she told Griffin about leaving him behind and running away. Was it also possible he’d followed them and heard even more?

“Now don’t go lookin’ at me like that.” Barrett kicked his feet down, letting the chair legs hit the ground so hard the little piece of furniture threatened to buckle under his weight. “I didn’t see any need to get your brother all worked up just because you took a little walk into town with our new friend.”

Her mouth was dry but she swallowed anyway, “You didn’t tell him?”

“Not a thing.”

“Thank you.” She all but sagged with relief.

“No need for that either. I’m just glad you changed your mind.” Barrett smiled, “He seems like a good kid.”

Nova groaned, “Not you too.”

Barrett chuckled, “Give him a chance, cher. I think he’ll surprise ya.”

“I hate surprises.” She deadpanned and that only made him laugh harder.

“Then I should probably tell ya he’s in there now with your brother.”

That pulled Nova up short, all amusement leaving her, “What? Why?”

“How should I know?”

“You’ve been sitting out here while he’s in there with my brothers and you weren’t eavesdropping? Not even a little bit?” She narrowed her eyes suspiciously but the big man grunted as if he took offense.

“I don’t eavesdrop on my Pack Alpha and neither should you, little miss.”

“I’m not going to eavesdrop. I’m going inside to make sure Griffin isn’t trying to kill my brother while you sit out here uselessly longing for the days when you smoked.” She huffed and her frustration only mounted when Barrett laughed at her again.

“I think you’d prefer if he was in there trying to kill Leo, wouldn’t you? Save you the trouble of having to make sense of fate’s plan.”

“Oh shut up Bear.” She growled, pushing the door open and slamming it behind her to cut off his laughter as she stormed into the house in search of her brother. “Leo? Leo, where are you?”

“In here.” His voice came back to her instantly and she tried hard not to scowl as she rounded the corner into the kitchen and found her brother bent over a map as Griffin held his finger to one spot and made a connection to a spot further down the map.

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