Page 48 of Run Free

With the door closed I launched right into my concerns. “Cole Anderson. Is he your second?”

Taken off guard by my candidness, he nodded first. “Yes, he is.”

“But he’s not in Collier territory,” I said.

“No. He and my sister Elizabeth live in San Marco. Westin Pack,” he said, before motioning for me to take a seat. Out of respect for him, I did, though I’d rather have paced the room.

“Is that a permanent move?” I asked

“Sort of. They split their time between here and there. Why? What’s this all about, Gage?”

I wasn’t ready to share that with him. I needed to know what he knew about my past first. I shook my head. “I can see by the people I’ve met and the quality of this town that you are a good Alpha. And as a good Alpha and concerned brother, I have no doubt that you have already background checked me as much as possible. I’ve been off-grid for a long time, so tell me what you know.”

He quirked an eyebrow up at my demand, then picked up a folder and threw it my way. Inside were missing posters with my face all over them. He had some interview notes from both my parents and I knew they were recent. He even had a few hits on me across the country at various stages of my life. It was an impressive compilation.

“You spoke with my parents?”

“I did, just a few days ago. I’m struggling to keep them from getting on the next flight here, now that they know you’re here.”

I nodded, somehow not all that surprised. “Why did they tell you I left?”

“Devastated by your uncle and brother’s deaths,” he said simply. “They cross-checked each other’s answers and your mother fumbled through some of my very basic questions, so I know there’s more to it than that, but as far as I can tell it was all kept very quiet. Why is that, Gage? What are you hiding?”

I sighed. “They gave my uncle an honorable death? How did they say he died? What happened?”

“They stumbled across a plot to harm your father and died during a fight to save him.” I swore under my breath. “I take it that’s not entirely the case?”

I snorted. “Not even close. Why would he do that?”

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

“No, but I need to, so that you’ll understand.”

“Go on.”

“My mother was having an affair with my uncle. It went on for years. The night he and my brother Mark died, I came home to tell her my wolf had finally come in. I was sixteen at the time. I overheard them talking about a plot to kill my father. I told Mark. He ran to our father to alert him, and of course they came back to the house and the battle broke out. My uncle pulled out a gun and shot at my dad, but Mark jumped in the way, and my father killed Uncle Mick because of it. I left that night with my mother screaming that I’d killed them. I’d killed my own brother. I had always assumed my father had punished my mother by death for her part in it, but for some reason I don’t know, I find out today that wasn’t the case at all. She’s alive.”

“Whew, that’s a lot to take in. You didn’t have to tell me that, Gage. Why did you?” Thomas asked. He was sharp and bright enough to know I have my reasons for telling him.

“I’ve always wondered how things would have worked out if I’d just kept my mouth shut.”

“Well, if you’re telling me the truth, and I suspect you are, then your brother might be alive, but good chance your father wouldn’t be,” he said.

I nodded. “So tell me, did I do the right thing?”

Thomas stopped and thought it through. “Mark made his decision separate from yours. Ultimately it was his choice, and he jumped in front of a bullet to save your father, so yes, I think he died a hero, as were you. You protected your Alpha, and since it was against your own mother that says a lot about your loyalty. I do believe you did the right thing.”

I nodded. “A week ago I would have disagreed with you, but Clara gave me a different perspective on that night and I do see where you’re both coming from. If it were your life at stake, would you want to know?” I asked.

“This is hypothetically speaking, right?” Thomas asked, laughing, but he sobered when I didn’t laugh back. “What’s going on, Gage?”

“Bad things happened the last time I opened my mouth about something I overheard. I can’t let that happen again. I can’t put Clara at risk, Thomas. Call me a coward or whatever you’d like, but I’m going to tell you another story, and then I’m taking my mate and I’m getting as far away from here as possible.”

He stared at me, surprised. I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t feel entirely rational, but the fear of losing her by doing the right thing, like I’d lost Mark, was driving me mad.

“I didn’t handle the news of my mother being alive very well. I was shocked, and I needed to clear my head. Keep in mind this all happened just in the last few hours. I went for a run. I had no idea there were two packs in the area.”

“Larkens. You stumbled across Larkens in my territory?”

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