Page 116 of Empowering the Wolf's Heart

“If you want your secrets to remain secret, I suggest you let me and my daughters go,” Rey said.

“What about me?” his father asked.

Rey ignored him. “Let us go, and nothing need be said about any of this,” he warned. It made me wonder if he knew about Shen and about my grandpa. If that got out, it could be disastrous and might break the peace I’d slowly been growing between my people and those who came into our tribe with needs and magic.

Rey was a despicable soul.

If I had not seen a real man, I would’ve signed off on the male species once and for all. Heck, I might’ve become a deranged hermit, never wanting to see a human again. But I had my dad and now I had Shen, a werewolf assassin who had more honor in his pinky finger than many of my Reds.

I would change that as much as I could. And it began with the children.

A child who knew no love and no mercy became Rey. And if Rey had both his children, they would either become him or become the opposite, which would be one who was attracted to a person like Rey to try to plug the hole from an absent father.

I hoped and prayed my family and I could change that and break the curse of Rey from his children. That we could help them see how much they’re loved and accepted as the little blessings they are. Imperfect little creatures of pure joy and (mostly) happy chaos.

At a flick of my fingers, Shen growled, and two of the Reds near Rey pounced. Of all the things my Reds weren’t, one thing they were, were well-trained assassins.

Rey had no chance as a civilian.

As my family took in the crying little girl and wrapped her in love with her mama, I met Rey’s eyes.

“I don’t accept blackmail from someone my sister lowered her standards to be with,” I hissed.

I don’t know what he saw, but his face drained of all color and he went limp in the Red’s arms on either side of him.

Shen’s arms wrapped around me. I realized I was quavering with a mixture of rage and pain and adrenaline. My throat had stopped functioning and my heart was trying to fly from my chest.

“Take him and his father to the dungeons. Matriarch Alia will return shortly after her family is settled,” Shen told my Reds. They saluted him and darted to do his bidding.

Shen took my shoulder and guided me out of town.

“My family,” I whispered.

“Your family is fine, Carissimus. They are safe. Your father is watching over them and knows you are with me.”

My lips quavered.

“It is just me, Little Red. Let it out.”

I glanced up at him. “I don’t know if I can,” I said. It had been so long. “I think I’ve forgotten how to?—”

“How to cry? Did you see Rey’s face when I stalked him?”

I blinked at him. “He crapped his pants.” I nearly giggled.

“And his father. I do not know if you saw it, but he went from beet red to lobster red and whiter than your pretty, little dragon.”

I did giggle then, even though it wasn’t that funny. “That was pretty epic,” I said.

Shen grabbed my chin, lifting my eyes to meet his. His were concerned but pinched in a smile. “And your sister. She told him where to shove it?—”

He cut off as I laughed. But the laugh was odd. It changed quickly, catching in my throat.

“There she is,” Shen whispered, kissing my forehead and then pushing my head so it fell against his chest. The soothing rhythm of his heartbeat against my ear. “Come now, Little Red. You are safe to break with me. We will pick up the pieces later. Together.”

I clutched his tunic as if I were drowning and he were the lifeboat.

“It's too much,” I whispered, my breath coming in panicked gasps as my mind threw all the things that could go wrong at me. All I had to lose. All I had done, and it still wasn’t enough. My eyes grew hot, my head pounded, my heart fluttered in my chest.

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