My dad handed him a handkerchief to wipe the blood off his hands. Heath said, “It will NEVER be enough. She was taken from me! If you had slipped me ANYTHING about this psychotic ex I could’ve saved her. I would’ve saved her. Now, I WILL avenge her. WHAT does Hanson look like?”

Jordan spit out blood then answered, “He’s changed his appearance. We can’t get a lock on him.” I practically ordered, “Send Heath and I what you have. Maybe we can pick something up.” Heath was fuming.

Jordan asked me, “Aren’t you going to calm him down?” I shrugged, “We’d probably need Lexi for that. He’s not my biggest fan. I doubt he’d listen to anything I say. I’m also not inclined to have him be calm. I’d still be fighting you if I was him. Ask The Ghost to calm him down. I can’t believe you asked me instead of him. That’s one of his people.”

Donald sneered, “Would he not be your biggest fan because you're married, but you’ve marked my granddaughter?” Heath practically snarled, “Call her that again, I dare you.” I put a hand on his shoulder then glanced at Tate. I tilted my head towards Heath, and he flashed back over to him on his other side.

I turned back to Lexi’s family, “Not that it’s any of your business, but my marriage is in name only. I love Lexi. She’s my everything.” Donald scoffed, “She’s not your wife.” I growled, “She will be.” He rolled his eyes, “Does your wife agree?” Bolt growled, “Let me out.” Fine.

Bolt game forward. My dad and Cameron moved in front of me while Matt groaned. Bolt said, “My human has been very tolerant of you, but I will not be. I want to rip you to shreds in this field for the pain you put my mate through. Your reasons aren’t good, and you know it. I think Jordan is the only innocent adult here. I don’t know why, but that’s my gut instinct. I think he’s been lied to as well as my mate and her brother. I’ll just bet you mislead him about everything he thinks he knows about the two Scott children.” That was an interesting gut instinct he was going to have to explain to me later.

Jordan looked confused but the rest looked guilty which Jordan caught. Bolt continued, “If you call that she wolf Alpha my wife one more time with your disrespectful tone; I’ll rip out of my human and end your life. If you hurt my mate, I’ll kill you. Basically, I’m waiting for you breathe wrong, and I’ll kill you. The only reason I’m letting it go is because I know Thor’s mate will make you wish you were dead. I very much want to see that. Then there’s Thor himself because you’re dumb enough to insult his first fated mate to his face. I very much want to see what he does to you for that.” He let me come back.

Heath laughed. Donald asked, “Who is Thor?” My dad answered, “Alpha Eric Conners wolf.” Someone snorted, “You keep threatening us with her.” Cameron warned, “It’s not a threat. It’s a fact, she will come for you. I’d feel sorry for you, but I can’t bring myself to.” I chuckled, “She will come at them so hard. She’s being nice to other people for her mate, and he won’t care about you. So, you’re shit out of luck with her. It’s my understanding that the magic she took on will be thrilled to have a target for her brimming anger she’s controlling on a daily basis.” They finally looked scared.

Before they could comment James asked, “Did you know about Dani and Heath, dad?” Jordan said, “Son, I didn’t know they’d even met until I found out she died. That’s when I found out she was Heath’s. I do have communications from her. She was going to tell Heath everything she knew. It’s how they crossed paths. She was looking for her mother’s murderer. She was working with some wolves and someone from Missouri. She broke off from them when she met Heath. She wanted to work with him instead.”

Heath was shaking in anger. He kept repeating, “I could’ve saved her.” Jordan argued, “I would’ve saved her if I’d known she was in danger. I didn’t know her mother left Lizzy’s things for her. I didn’t know she was your string. Or that she was looking into anything. I thought I walled her off from everything about it. I was trying to protect too many people at once. I NEVER thought Regina’s daughter was in danger. She was human.” I believed him. He seemed genuinely upset about it.

I questioned, “Who was she working with in Missouri?” Everyone stared at me. Jordan admitted, “I don’t know. How is that relevant?” I explained, “Missouri is causing somewhat of a headache for the packs around here. I was curious if you knew a name.” Jordan said, “I don’t know who it was. I’m sorry. Heath, I’m so sorry.”

Heath scoffed, “Spare me your apologies. So, you have someone feeding you lies from my Shroud. Do I have to worry about someone leaking that you’ve met Lexi?” Donald answered, “No. Jordan snuck her in and only your cousins were on scene to clean up behind her.” Heath shook his head, “It was so nice of them to say something when I met them. Why did you sneak her in?” He muttered, “I ordered them not to.” How nice of him. He was just going to alienate all his grandkids.

Jordan answered, “We’ve suspected we have a leak. We know you do. The Black Arrow’s involvement in many missions has been leaked. We also have been watching you two, well I have. Lexi has been in danger through her real identity. We thought Noah was upset with her about the Alpha wolf but….”

Heath interrupted, “So Betty Newcome, who may or may not exist, told you Noah was Lexi’s string. She also told you we wanted nothing to do with you. You trusted her even though she is the sister of a crazy person who killed our aunt and parents because?”

Jordan explained, “She disavowed her brother. The whole family did. She loved your mother, they were friends.” Heath argued, “So far, the non-existent woman has been a GREAT friend. She’s lied to you, and you all ate it up. Didn’t you?” Jordan cut a glance at his parents, and I could see the betrayal on his face. He’d trusted them, not Betty.

Donald cringed admitting, “We did. She told us Lexi was AA, but we know that’s not true now too. I’m not sure if anything was true. We didn’t know you or Lexi saw your parents’ bodies. We’ve asked countless times if we could come visit their graves in the Shroud. We wanted to meet you and Lexi. Just meet to build a bridge, but we were always told no.”

Heath raised an eyebrow at Jordan and so did I. He had to be who was following them, and he knew where his brother was buried if he was any good. I suspected he was good, just a little stretched thin. Jordan said, “Allison and James aren’t buried in the Shroud, dad. I found out recently they are buried about twenty feet from here.” They all gasped. I knew they were going to demand to be taken to the grave.

Heath caught that too. He cut them off, “Chase and I need to get back to Lexi.” Their dad’s mom asked, “How are you ok with her being the other woman? Don’t you want better for her?” I growled, “SHE’S NOT THE OTHER WOMAN!”

Bolt demanded, “Let me out! Ted gets his wish the big bad wolf gets to EAT HER!” My dad and Cameron pushed me back. Cameron linked, “Our wolves are talking to Bolt.” I wanted to ask why, but I was too pissed. I settled for glowering at this woman, teeth bared and sure that she could see the rage in my eyes.

Heath shook his head, “Look lady…” Donald interrupted, “Don’t speak to her that way. She’s your grandmother!” Heath retorted, “She’s a stranger. She doesn’t get to judge me or Lexi.” Donald spat back, “We could tell Lexi she’s the other woman. She doesn’t know that much is quite clear to me.” I pushed Cameron off me and started to charge forward.

James’ rage exploded out of nowhere. He screamed, “SHUT UP ALL OF YOU! You’re acting like children! You hurt them! You never even BOTHERED to hunt them down and ask what they wanted. You believed other people instead of ASKING them. They were alone. We all had each other. We grieved the loss of our aunt and uncle that we never knew! We WANTED to meet Lexi and Heath, but you told us no! I’m getting the sense you lied to my dad too!” I had the same sense. Bolt sighed in my head.

James sounded disgusted, “Now you have the audacity to act high and mighty with them. I’d beat your fucking asses if I was him too. I can’t believe any of you. You were so dead set on being right that you can’t set your pride aside and admit you hurt them! Lexi TOLD us she didn’t want to know about Chase being married. If ANY of you tell her, I’ll make sure all the cousins know you hurt her again. This time on purpose, and you’d have done it maliciously. I’ll personally never speak to you again. Jasper will feel the same way. If Jasper feels the same way, you’ll lose us all.”

Jordan was startled, “Son…” James yelled, “NO! This is ridiculous. I can’t believe you guys. Dad, I know you see they lied to you. They said they checked in on them when you couldn’t. We’ve missed way too much for that to be true!” That was a very valid point.

James turned to our group. He appealed to his cousin, “Heath, I want to talk to you two. All of the cousins do. We should’ve just tracked you down on our own. That’s actually why I have P.O Box where Lexi does. I kept hoping I’d run into her. It finally worked but she was wasted. I was there that night she was shot. I killed some of the demons she missed. She was popped away right as I reached Alpha Eric’s border and I had to get out of there. I want to talk to you guys.”

I looked at Heath. Then Tate and I locked eyes. I agreed James deserved a chance to talk to them, but I’d back Heath up here either way he went. I knew Tate would too. Heath nodded, “I have no problem talking to you James.” We turned to go.

Jordan pleaded, “WAIT! Please….” Heath said over his shoulder, “Give me one good reason, and for the record, you being my uncle is not a good reason.” Jordan said, “I know it’s not your fault, but there’s over twenty plus years of hurt here. I loved my brother like you love Lexi. I’m bitter that my twin is gone, and I’m bitter he wouldn’t let me help him. Maybe we took that out on you and Lexi. That’s not right. I know that. I do. You were kids, but you’re the last pieces of my brother that I have.” James scoffed, “Don’t lie, dad. You didn’t take that out on them, but they did. They lied to you and you’re protecting them with Heath lumping yourself in there.” He pointed at his grandparents. I knew Heath heard him, but he didn’t reply.

Jordan told Heath, “Hate me for the rest of your life, I don’t care. Just let us help you right now. For Lexi’s sake. I don’t want to see her end up like your mother or your aunt.” I growled, “My mate won’t end up with her throat slit.” Everyone visibly jumped back as if I slapped them.

Heath’s grandmother on his mom’s side asked, “What? Lexi was right about that? We’d heard she was shot in the head.” Heath said, “Shockingly, you heard wrong. My mother was beaten, raped, and then had her throat slit. Fortunately, in my sister’s state of shock she didn’t notice anything except the fact that our mother’s throat was ripped open. You have no idea how shattered she looked when I found her. Her arm was obviously broken as she desperately tried to keep a dish towel over our dead mother’s throat. She was hysterically sobbing and begging our mother not to leave her. Her screams for me to help her keep pressure on it still haunt me.”

Jordan whispered, “Heath, we are so sorry.” Heath had nothing left, “Save it for someone who believes you.” I wanted to blow out a breath because I believed Jordan, but only him. James caught my eyes and nodded. He knew I believed his dad. Great. Just fucking great.

Heath continued, “We will set up a time to meet. Not for your sake, but for Lexi. Chase and I don’t agree on MANY things, but we agree where Lexi’s safety is concerned. If you can help us keep her safe, then fine. We will meet.” Heath nodded to me and we walked away, then got back in the car.