Page 41 of Hunter Moon

That actually seemed to shock her. Had she not known? I thought it had been relatively obvious, from the incessant teasing and overprotectiveness. Maybe I was an asshole of an older brother, but it was how I’d felt.

I hadn’t been mature enough to be anybody’s father, not like Brook, but I’d liked hanging out with Shiloh. And honestly, Harmony too, when she hadn’t been glaring at me. They were both smart and quick and had great taste in movies. Sometimes I’d felt more at home in the Morgan home than at Grove House, while Dad was pushing the “when you’re pack alpha” line but Rhonda just asked me to help her bake cupcakes for Harmony’s birthday party. Tell me to measure four cups of flour, I was all over it. Tell me to make other people’s choices, I stood there and stared into space, frozen with indecision.

Even this, apologizing and trying to find ways of proving my sincerity, was so much easier than trying to be the boss of people.

Shiloh finally grabbed the envelope off the counter and opened it, her eyes going round when she realized what it was. “You said this was too much money for a first car,” she said accusingly, her eyes narrowing as she looked at me over the top of the pink slip for the Matheson T-bird.

“I said that to a sixteen-year-old. And I said it ten years ago, when Mrs. Matheson wanted more money for it.” I gave a casual shrug. “I mean, if you don’t want it, I’m not gonna make you take it, but I did get it for you.”

“It’s a pretty big bribe.”

“I fucked up pretty big.”

“It doesn’t run.” She set her elbows on the counter, her whole body leaning toward me, even as her face remained suspicious. “It’s going to take a lot of work to get it going, and I won’t ask Brook to give up his free time for it.”

“It was always supposed to be our project,” I pointed out. “Yours and mine. I show you how to fix it up so you can take care of it yourself. No Brook about it. Not that he’s not allowed, it’s just not about him.”

She let her head fall to one side, staring at me, like she could see inside my soul. That was fine, because if she could, she’d know I wasn’t lying. “You free Wednesday morning?”

“Barring something unexpected, yes. You in?”

She made her thinking face, lips pursed to one side, chin braced on her fist, and finally, she gave one decisive nod. “At the house?”

“Sure,” I agreed easily, taking another sip of my cider. “I can have it towed there. Like you said, it doesn’t run yet.”

Instead of nodding and walking away, which I’d half expected, she settled back against the bar, angled toward me. “Mom’s a sucker, so as soon as everyone else is happy, she’ll give you a shovel talk about leaving again and let it go. But how are you planning to convince Harm?”

I couldn’t hold back my flinch at that.

She smirked. “No plan, I take it?”

I glanced around to make sure no one was listening. Well, to make sure no one wasobviouslylistening. We were werewolves, and we had damn good hearing, so someone could be outside and still listening in. “What could I plan, Shiloh? Harmony’s never liked me, and I can’t imagine a way that’ll make her start now.”

Her eyes went soft at that, and maybe a little sad. “You really believe that, don’t you?”

“Well, she’s spent the majority of the time we were in the same room glaring at me, even before I left.” I focused on my drink, staring at the bubbles as they formed and detached from the bottom of the glass. It was maybe a little pitiful how much it hurt that Brook’s baby sister had never liked me.

I’d always tried so hard. Baking those cupcakes, taking them out for movies and ice cream, just, well... trying everything a grown man can think of to bribe a kid into liking him without being weird or creepy.

Shiloh reached out and grabbed my hand with one of hers. “Aspen. You were like our dad, in a way.”

I shook my head. “Brook—”

“Yeah, Brook raised us. But I mean, not like—”

“Your alpha,” a voice came from the other side of the bar. Talin. She met Shiloh’s eye, then mine, pulling herself up on a stool around the corner from me. “I’m not saying everyone needs an alpha, but in a family of omegas, you were the alpha who was around most for her entire life. She was barely in elementary school when her dad died. No offense to the guy, but you were there for longer. You were her alpha role model, and you walked out on them.”

I could barely breathe, just turned to Shiloh in shock. To my horror, she nodded. “She pretty much can’t stand the whole breed nowadays. The thing with the Reids just cemented it.” She glanced around and leaned in. “Last year she was dating a human. Said maybe she’d just stay there.”

“She changed her mind?”

“No, he did. Turned out he was some kind of creepy werewolf chaser.” Shiloh squeezed my hands tight. “It’ll take time and work. Lots more lopsided birthday cupcakes. But you can do it. I’m sure you can. If... if you really are back. Please, Aspen. If you’re not, just leave now.”

“I am.” I tried to fill my voice with every bit of conviction I had in me, and she nodded.

Behind me, the door opened. We all turned, since I assumed it was Harmony, and it was. But practically on her heels was fucking Cain Reid. Her breath was too fast, eyes wide, so clearly she recognized the scent of Reid or threat or something about him, and she was fucking terrified.

Instinctively, I hopped off the stool and held out a hand to her. I half expected her to claw me up, but instead she took it, pulling herself around behind me. Maybe I was an asshole she couldn’t stand, but at least she knew I was also a safe barrier between her and danger.

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