Page 81 of Coming Home

“If you’re such a team player, why did you really ask for a trial period?” Tucker asked.

I smiled. “To give my mate time to adjust,” I told them honestly.

“Shit! You’re mated?” Painter asked.

“Yeah I am, and I would have been nine years ago if I hadn’t been a hotheaded dumbass who jumped the gun and joined the military. I lost nine years with her, and I’m not going to make that mistake again. I know damn well that there aren’t many opportunities for an ex-sniper and I’m lucky to get this opportunity, but I need it to be right for Shelby, too.”

“How much of that shit did you give O’Connell for him to not only agree to the trial but to offer it to a mated guy?” Elliot said.

I laughed. “Being mated had nothing to do with it. Not sure how many of you are wolves,” I said.

“None,” Painter said.

“Really?”

“Really,” Silas confirmed.

“Okay, well you had to have learned something about wolves working so closely with Westin Pack, right?”

“Sure,” he said.

“Okay, well, Westin has certain packs they are closely aligned with.”

“Longhorn, Alaska, New York, and Collier being the top four,” Tucker told me.

“Right, so my mate is a Collier wolf,” I said.

They stared at me like, “So?”

“You’re a Collier wolf, so that’s not all that surprising,” Silas said.

“Yes, but I mean she’s actual Collier. Shelby Collier, fifth daughter of Zach Collier. Her family is really close to the Westins. Patrick probably wouldn’t have given me the time of day otherwise,” I admitted.

“That makes a little more sense,” Painter conceded.

“I still don’t like it,” Silas grumbled.

I nodded. “Crawley wouldn’t either. He told me you and he worked together on a few joint missions during your military years.”

“Hey the hell do you know Crawley?” Silas asked.

I gave a sad smile. “He’s the leader of the Ghosts, or what’s left of them at least.”

“The Ghosts?” Grant asked. “What the hell do you know about the Ghosts?”

“Oh yeah, that was the other part of my deal with Patrick. I hear you want to recruit from them. I have the contacts you need for that.”

“Crawley’s leading the goddamn Ghosts now? How did I not know that?” Silas barked.

I grinned. “We’re Ghosts. We don’t actually exist.”

Under normal circumstances I would never have divulged this information, but this was my team now and, in my experience, secrets got people killed.

By the time our plane landed there was less hostility towards me, but I knew I would still need to prove myself.

“No briefing?” I asked when the door opened.

Elliot snorted. “We were briefed yesterday.”

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