Page 43 of Kodiak's Heart

Chapter Fourteen

Part of Emersyn wanted to run. Just pack up the car, grab Ruby, and take off. The other part also wanted to run. To Laramie. Years of drilled in behavior fought with animal instinct. She had no idea what to do. Malachi had sent her away, telling her not to let anyone know what she was, then sabotaged her so everyone would know what she was. What the hell was she supposed to do?

She almost ignored her phone when it started buzzing. Then she saw the number.

“What the hell did you do?”

Malachi had the gall to chuckle. “I see you’ve read my letter.”

“Why, Malachi? Are you trying to finish off the rest of the Holloway pack?” she demanded. She regretted the words as soon as they left her lips. “I’m sorry.”

He sighed. “I wanted to give you an opportunity your father never did.”

“My father gave me everything!”

“Your father smothered you with protection. He taught you to fear who you are by making you hide it. That’s not freedom, Em. I’m not blaming him. I know he loved you. Parenting isn’t easy. You know that as well as I do. But I won’t smother Ruby. I want her to embrace every part of herself. I want the same for you,” Malachi stated softly.

She shook her head even though he couldn’t see it. “I can’t,” she whispered. “I’ll put everyone in danger.”

“Em, look at what happened to our dens. Both attacked. Both alphas killed along with so many of our pack members. We get attacked simply for existing. People die. And none of it has anything to do with the bear that lies within you,” he vowed.

“But if they know—”

“Then they know,” Malachi stated blandly. “And nothing changes. Except you get to stop hiding.”

“I need you here,” she begged. “Come home.”

“Soon, Em. I have some things to do first. I’m still tugging at those threads.”

“What threads? You keep distracting me, so I don’t ask the questions I need to. What is it you suspect? Is Titus behind my father’s death?” she demanded.

“I thought he was. I was almost certain. Now…I’m not so sure. He’s arrogant. But I’m starting to think he’s only guilty of stepping up when no one else would. But there’s something there. Someone in his inner circle. I just need to keep pulling on this string,” he said.

“If anything happens to you, I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself,” she vowed.

He laughed. “I love you, too, kid.”

“Don’t hang up yet. I need to tell you something,” she urged.

“I know, Em,” he said softly. “I know Xandra, Sidia, and Jaeda are alive. I knew before I sent you and Ruby there. It was what finally pushed me into acting.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“It doesn’t change what I need to do. I can’t let it. We need answers. We need blood for blood. I can’t stop until we have it.”

“We need you,” she reminded him. “Ruby and I. Your sisters. This pack. We need you.”

“Give me a little longer, Em. Just a little longer to find where this leads,” Malachi urged.

“I’m afraid,” she whispered, admitting the truth to him and herself.

“Trust in yourself,” he urged. “Trust in your bear. That instinct that’s coming completely alive for the first time in your life. Listen to it.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“You can do anything. Amber told me that often.”

“I is up!” Ruby appeared in the doorway then ran toward Emersyn when she saw the phone in her hand. “Is it Daddy?”

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