Page 217 of Marked

“It doesn’t sound dumb. It sounds human.” She rolled her eyes. “Even if we aren’t technically human.”

A small chuckle burst from my lips, easing some of the tension that had built in my chest. This woman was amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to share my life with. Now that I was part of the pack, I could take care of her. I wouldn’t have to force her into a miserable life of wandering. Even the thought of doing that hurt me down to my soul, and the relief was something that washed away a lot of the pain inside me.

“How did you know who my parents were?” I asked. “Not their names, but them being connected to the pack?”

Cameron blushed and looked away. “Oh. That.” She glanced back up at me. “It was an accident. I had a theory that they might have been pack members. Or at least one of them. There was the possibility that you all were just driving through the Toronto pack territory on your way to somewhere else, but I thought the better explanation was that your family lived in the pack lands. I asked JC about it, and you should have seen his face when I told him who your parents were.” She grinned brightly. “It was like a bomb went off in his skull.”

“He wasn’t upset?” I asked.

“No. He was elated. He really likes you, Nate. I wanted to find a way to get you into the pack even before he found out.”

Sighing in relief, I sat back in my chair. “That’s good to hear. He could have viewed me as a threat to his standing.”

“He asked me if you’d want it,” Cameron said.

My head jerked toward her. “What?”

She shrugged. “He said that, given your family background, and the fact that you were an alpha, the leadership of the pack is yours by right.”

“No way,” I said. “He’s a stronger alpha than I am. Even if I wanted that, which I most certainlydon’t, it wouldn’t be right.”

“That was sort of what he said, but more subtly. He was completely serious. He really would have stepped aside to let you take it, if you’d wanted it. I guess your uncle, grandfather, and father were highly respected in the pack. JC only knew your uncle for a couple years before he died, and he still looks up to him.” She ran a hand up my thigh. “I’m sort of excited for you to learn about them.”

JC would have done that? Stepped aside? As I glanced at the door again, I realized once more that he was a good leader. He wasn’t power-hungry like Lincoln and Rick. He had everyone’s best interests in mind.

I had no desire to ever be a pack alpha. Even if I’d grown up in the pack, I doubted I was cut out for that type of position.

“JC doesn’t have anything to worry about from me,” I said, still feeling dazed. “He’s a stronger alpha andmuchmore capable at leading a pack than I ever would be. I’m trying to figure out how to live in this world.”

“You mean inside the pack?”

I nodded, gritting my teeth. “I’m still angry. All the years I lost. Years I could have been building a real life. It’s bullshit that these people and others in different packs were bigoted toward me, and others like me.”

Cameron slid her hand up my arm. “I get that. I really do. You’ll need to give them time, though. JC is changing things. We witnessed the start of it.”

With a sigh, I did my best to shrug off the old bitterness. There were other things to be thankful for.

Grinning at Cameron, I said, “One good thing is, you’ll never have to worry about where to sleep when it’s raining, or where your next job or meal will be. I know you said you’d come with me and be a lone wolf, but I can’t tell you how happy I am thatyou can stay here with your family. With me. If you’re with me, then I’ll stay. I’ll become a member. It will be difficult, but I’ll do whatever it takes as long as I’ve got you by my side.”

She leaned forward and kissed me, a gentle and loving touch that sent waves of warmth through my body. When she pulled away, there was a sadness in her eyes that didn’t match the passion of the kiss.

“What’s wrong?”

“Um, I managed to get my hands on the police report for your parents’ crash,” she said hesitantly. “There’s something I thought you should know. It’s both really goodandheartbreaking. I didn’t want to hide it from you, but I wasn’t sure if you were ready to know yet or not.”

“This is my life,” I said. “My history. I don’t care how bad it is. I need to know. What did you find out?”

Cameron settled back in her chair, smoothing out the wrinkles in her pants and looking down. Whatever it was, she didn’t know how to start.

“The medical examiner’s report was included, along with crime-scene analysis. It had detailed reports on how they died.”

“Go on,” I muttered.

“Your father was killed instantly,” Cameron said, then licked her lips. “Your mother did not die on impact. When the car was dredged up from the river, she was…” Cameron hesitated, then cleared her throat to go on. “ She was found in the backseat. Her cause of death was drowning. The child’s booster seat in the back was discovered unbuckled and empty. The lead detective theorized that the mother—your mom—unbuckled herself, crawled into the back seat, and unstrapped you from your car seat as the vehicle sank deeper into the river.

“Somehow, she managed to get you out through the busted rear window. She must have used the last of her strength to pushyou toward the surface.” She met my eyes. “She sacrificed herself to save you, Nate.”

The back of my eyes burned like acid. Tears threatened to spill over. A mother’s love. I’d never experienced it. At least, I had no memory of it. All the years I’d cursed my parents, and now I found out they weren’t who I thought they were. They loved me. My mother had loved me enough to use her last breath to save me. It filled me with a deep shame, even though I never could have known.

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