Page 12 of Howling With Wolves

I didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t to see this big man, who was the brother I never knew existed, falling to his knees in front of me and capturing my hands in his.

“I’m sorry. I’m the one who failed you. All of you. I left you there. God, Emma. I checked on you. Several times. You were quiet, seemed shy, but I thought you were happy. I thought you were all happy.”

“Did you ever see us around him?”

Cyan shook his head. “I didn’t trust myself not to try to kill him. And…she looked happy. With you and your brothers. She looked happy, and I didn’t want to ruin that for her.”

“She loved you.”

Cyan shook his head.

“She did. She sent me to you. Told me to tell you what happened to all of us. More than that, she wanted you to know that she was sorry. That she should have done more, donebetter. She said there was never a day she didn’t think of you and hope you were happy and thriving. She loved you. She admitted that if she’d tried to keep you or leave with you, my father would have killed you. She made the only choice she could to protect you.”

Cyan squeezed my fingers with his then stood. I saw the disbelief in his gaze, even before he spoke.

“Clayton Richards always wanted what his brother had. He stabbed him in the back, betrayed his alpha and pack, then seized the title for himself. Took the woman my father loved as his own. I wanted to believe she loved my father, but they were never mated. Whatever choices she made, they were hers to make. I won’t fault her for them. What I know is, one moment my father was there, tucking me in and laughing as he kissed me goodnight with her at his side. Then my life was irrevocably changed. I lost more than my father that night. I lost my mother, my family, my pack.” He heaved a sigh. There was anger under the hurt pouring off him. “As far as I could tell, the only thing that changed for my mother was whose bed she slept in.”

I sucked in a breath, taking his words like a blow to my stomach, doubling over and wrapping my arms around myself. I would not break. The rumble of growls surrounded me.

“Stand down,” the alpha barked. “All of you. Cyan?”

“I’m fine,” Cyan said before glancing toward me again. “You’re safe here. I’ll find out for sure what happened with your parents and let you know. Now that you’re mated to two of our enforcers, this is your home. I…” He paused as if not sure of what he wanted to say. “I may not be the brother you want inthis situation, but I’m the one who’s here. I’ll be here if you need anything. Anything, Emma.”

“I need to find Sam.” My mind still filtered through everything Cyan had shared. I wanted to rage, to yell and berate him for his words about our mother, but part of me knew that wasn’t what she would have wanted.

“The pack will help all we can,” Bastion shared a look with Cyan before he continued. “My mate wants to meet you and assess your healing. Raina’s a nurse.”

“My mate would like to meet you, also,” Cyan added.

“You’re mated?” I asked and took in the way his face softened.

“Yes. Ivy is…everything. Come for dinner. You can meet her and the rest of our inner circle.” Cyan smiled. “Be prepared for teasing, though I’m sure most of it will be directed at your mates and the fact they mated the same woman.”

Anthony and Donovan both growled, and Cyan actually laughed. It was the first time I’d seen him anything but serious since our first encounter. I saw my mother in that smile.

“We’ll be there,” Anthony answered for the three of us.

“Let them know teasing comes at a price,” Donovan warned then headed toward the door. “I’ll walk you out.”

“I’ll see what I can find out between now and then,” Cyan promised before turning and following Donovan.

“You’ve mated two of my best enforcers, Emma,” Bastion James said, coming to stand before me. “I don’t know muchabout your old pack, but here, pack is family. We take care of one another. You have more than your mates at your side, now. You have the entire James Pack. Plus, I think it’s fair to say, you’ll have the newly formed Rigton Pack, as well—my mate’s brother and the wolves loyal to him. We share Rigton County. Two packs. One family. One you’re now a part of.”

Anthony stood and took Bastion’s hand, doing some type of handshake that seemed second nature to them.

“Thank you.” I stood beside Anthony, enjoying the press of his palm against the small of my back.

“You’re welcome, little sister,” James said with a tip of his head. Then with another glance at Anthony, he turned and left.

“You okay?” Anthony asked as soon as we were alone.

I nodded, still lost in my head. Anthony turned me to face him, tilting up my chin with his fingers. He was still cupping my face when I heard Donovan enter behind us. He crossed the room, his heat settling along my back as his hands gripped my hips. Anthony’s lips brushed across mine, soft and gentle. Donovan inhaled as he ran his nose up my neck. Then his tongue flicked out, caressing my skin as his fingers clenched.

It would be so easy to get lost in this, in them. To let all my ravaged emotions slip away and soak myself in the pleasure they offered. I still wasn’t sure how being mated to two wolves would work. At least, outside of these walls, but I wasn’t afraid of it. Cyan and Bastion James hadn’t acted as if there was anything out of the ordinary about the mating.

“We should go for a run,” Donovan murmured at my ear. “Let your wolf finish the healing your body needs.”

“I’d love a run.” Already, my wolf pressed against my skin, craving the shift.

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