Page 50 of Frank's Felon
“Which clan are you, bear?”
“Ursov.” The bear shifter scented in Frank’s direction. “I smell her on you. Your mate. . . hide her well.”
“You tracked her. For them,” Frank said, wanting to hate this bear for his alliance with the DSA, but his wolf seemed content inside, as if he approved of the bear shifter. Then again, the shifter was taking a big risk speaking so plainly like this.
“I was not given a choice,” the bear shifter said before sprinting off to catch up to the humans.
* * *
DELILAH
“All clear,” Mac announced in the cookhouse. “Our visitors are gone. Life as usual, everyone.”
“Good,” Delilah said as she rose and brought her cup of coffee over to the dish return. “I was getting stiff sitting here. Want to go for a run?”
Tess hooked her arm through Delilah’s as they left the cookhouse. “Maybe later. I want details first.”
“Details?”
“You and Frank. Dish.”
“Have you always been this nosey?”
“I’ve been developing new talents since I arrived.”
“Well, stop it,” Delilah said, though she had to contain her smile. It felt really good being able to walk and talk with Tess like when they were kids, without any worries other than homework and hanging out with friends.
They had been really close before their mom had died. The next year had been really tough between the pack moving to Florida and their Dad retreating into his wolf, becoming a shadow of the shifter he had been. Delilah and Tess had finally settled into their new school, started making new friends, and for a while there, Delilah had started to feel as if they’d make it. Then William had approached her with his ultimatum. That’s when everything had changed between her and Tess.
Delilah had begun pulling away, spending more and more time training and stealing, doing everything she could to keep William away from both of them. Tess had never understood why Delilah would skip school or sneak in late. Tess had always thought Delilah was hanging with a bad crowd. She didn’t realize Delilah was the bad crowd.
She could have told her, but she didn’t want to ruin Tess’s sense of safety. Her baby sister deserved to have as normal a life as possible.
“You were never one to spread rumors, so don’t start now. Bad habits are hard to get rid of once you get started,” Delilah said.
“I have a right to know if Frank’s going to be my brother-in-law.”
“He’s nice, okay, now let it drop.”
“More than nice I’d say, given how much of him I’m scenting on you.”
“This is what I miss about living with humans,” Delilah said. “Much easier to keep secrets.”
Tess gave her a friendly shove to the left. “Still waiting for you to dish. Do you like him? Please say you like him.”
Delilah stopped and tilted her head slightly. “Why?”
Tess shrugged. “He’s sweet.”
“Sweet? Really?” Inwardly, Delilah smiled. Beneath that often stoic exterior was indeed a sweet shifter, one who went out of his way to make her feel at home. “I’m starting to think maybe I can stay here, with your pack.”
Tess jumped up and down and hugged her. “I was hoping you’d stay!”
By the time they reached Tess’s house, Delilah felt like she was walking on air. Tess’s enthusiasm had always been inspiring, but for the first time in forever, Delilah felt as if she had a chance at a real life.
“I’m glad you’re both here,” Damien said as soon as they entered the house. He strode over and kissed Tess who grabbed Damien by the back of the neck and prolonged a kiss that Damien had intended to be brief from the look at how his arms suddenly came up to embrace his mate.
Delilah rolled her eyes. “Give it a rest, Tessie.”
