Page 303 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

I collapsed in the same cane chair I sat in earlier. “This is karma for not protecting Joan.”

Ash pushed off the door and sat in the chair beside me. “Joan’s death wasn’t your fault. We’ve discussed this. Besides, the universe fated you with a Whitcome long before she died.”

“What if she figures out how her grandmother really died?”

“She won’t,” Liam answered.

I leaned my head against the backrest and stared at the rafters for a long moment. This mess not only involved my brothers, but also the bar, Woodland Falls and the whole shifter community. “This is a fucking nightmare.”

I practically heard the cogs turning in Ash’s mind.

“Our safety wasn’t guaranteed forever. We knew that. And you probably have a few months tops before she senses what you are. If you want a future with her, you need to put what happened with Joan behind you and figure out how to make it work.”

I side-eyed Ash. “And how do you suppose I do that?”

“She’s here for at least the remainder of the summer, that much I can say. Use the opportunity to make peace with this. It’s time you stopped punishing yourself.”

My mouth fell open. “Are you suggesting I go about my business as though nothing happened?”

“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”

“She’s my mate. How do you expect me to lie to her?”

Ash didn’t miss a beat. “Not telling and lying aren’t the same thing. Her grandmother died unexpectedly. If you don’t say anything contrary to that, everything will be fine. She told me she hardly knew Joan. She probably doesn’t even know what she is which could work in our favor.”

Trust the lawyer to say something like that.

My stomach twisted into thick, tight knots. Mia was here to mourn the death of her grandmother. I couldn’t face her for the entire summer hiding those secrets. Did she know about the shifter world? About her family?

Would she even remember the wolf she befriended as a kid? Were the memories burned in her brain like they were in mine?

How could I face her without telling her what I did?

Liam stretched his legs along the swing. “Why don’t you use the summer as your penance? Make amends for what happened. That way you’re not lying, you’re earning her forgiveness. You’re setting things right.”

Setting things right.

Those three words rolled around in my head. That might work. I wish Liam would stop acting so mature. He was my younger brother, not the other way around.

If Mia was here for the summer, I could use that time to get to know her, and she could get to know me. That way, when the timing was right, I could find out if she knew about the shifter world.

Hopefully then, she wouldn’t kill me.

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