Page 70 of Frank's Felon
“Shit,” Frank said.
“Frank!” Delilah said. “Really? Language.”
Frankie giggled. “Del sounds like Tess.”
Frank smiled. “That she does. And I shouldn’t have sworn. But no, Squirt. Those wolves weren’t your cousins. Your mom has nice cousins. Like Uncle Hayden and Aunt Kate.”
They’re her cousins?Delilah mouthed to him.
He shook his head. Takara had a few distant cousins in Drake’s pack, but he didn’t know which ones precisely. He sure as hell didn’t want the kid thinking all white wolves were bad though. He had made one stupid comment a few weeks back and now she doubted all white wolves. She’d have a deep-seated fear of them now if he didn’t do something. Given how much Frankie looked like Takara, she was probably a white wolf. He didn’t want her thinking poorly of herself when she shifted and discovered she was a white wolf too. He’d have to talk to Mason about—
Hell. Mason was gone.
How was he going to tell Frankie?
Frankie suddenly jerked from his hold and angled toward Delilah. Frank almost dropped her. He was about to object, but Delilah reached over and took her from him. Hell, the female could barely walk and now she was carrying a five-year-old.
Delilah’s eyes sparkled when she balanced Frankie on her hip and the child leaned her head against Delilah’s shoulder.
Frank couldn’t take his eyes off of them. His two favorite girls in the entire world. And Delilah was stunning the way she hummed to Frankie, knowing just what the child needed at that moment. Despite how tired she was, Delilah was hugging and holding onto Frankie as if she meant the world to her too.
“I’m glad you came for me,” Frankie said as she wrapped her little arms around Delilah’s neck.
“Of course, we came for you, baby.”
“Because I’m pack?”
“Yes, pack always comes for pack,” Delilah said. “Pack protects pack. Always.”
Pack protects pack.Delilah was pack. He didn’t need to tell Damien what to do in regard to the DSA. Frank simply needed to remind Damien of his duty toward his pack. Oath or not, Delilah was pack.
“I want to go home, Uncle Frank.”
“That’s where we’re headed, Squirt. Another two days on foot. Unless you’re ready for your first shift.”
“I’m too little.”
She was, but it brought a smile to her face. They’d had this conversation many times before.
“I don’t want to see Daddy. Just Mommy.”
Frank’s insides churned. Frankie had seen Mason get attacked. Instinctively, she knew her dad hadn’t survived. This wasn’t something Frank knew how to deal with. He couldn’t even curtail his language and stupid comments about white wolves in front of the child. What could he possibly say to her about her dad?
Frank looked to Delilah. Her bright green eyes, warm with understanding, gave him the strength he needed. “Your dad’s a brave shifter, Squirt. He told us where to look for you.” He couldn’t bring himself to saywas.
Get Frankie to Takara, that’s what he had to focus on. Stay with Takara and Frankie, do whatever he could for them. Then he’d confront his alpha because there was no fucking way he was letting Delilah sacrifice herself to protect the pack. That was Damien’s job, and for once, he was going to make sure Damien didn’t abandon one of their own.
* * *
DELILAH
Delilah had handed Frankie back to Frank to carry hours ago. What should have been two days had turned into three because Delilah needed to rest often, for hours at a time. The pain in her back had returned with a vengeance and at one point it felt as if the wounds had reopened.
Her wolf was failing.
“This isn’t the path I took going out,” Delilah said, not that she cared. She trusted that Frank knew the territory and could map out a route in his sleep. The more mundane the topic though, the more Frank relaxed. She let him believe she was tired and needed rest, nothing more.
“Shortcut.”
