Page 6 of Alpha Rising (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

“I can imagine.” I recalled my own surprise encounter with Reese in mountain lion form. I’d seen the metamorphosis in reverse, though—lion to man.

“Seven hours later, Mom was gone,” Angel finished.

“Melanie was only two,” Toby said.

“You’d think she would have stayed for her baby.” Dismay leaked into my voice. What kind of mother would leave her children?

Melanie walked in, and I could tell by the pained look on her face that she’d overheard my comment. She didn’t respond to it, however, and instead said, “Reese is going to be gone for a while.”

“How long?” Sam asked, straightening.

She shrugged. “He’s running rogue. I don’t get the sense he’ll be back anytime soon, and you’d all be wise to give him a wide berth.” She touched her shoulder where a fresh bandage was poking out from under the sleeve of her T-shirt. “Can someone give me a ride to town? I think I need stitches.”

Angel calmly rose from his chair. “I’ll take you.”

I was struck by how nonchalant they were all acting. Reese had gone rogue. Melanie wasbleeding. And they showed no surprise whatsoever.

“Reese’ll be back,” Toby said confidently. “We’re part mountain lion, remember? They’re solitary creatures, so we all feel the need to go off on our own from time to time. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Well...” I latched on to a rationale that at least made some sense to me. “He can’t be gone for too long. He does have the business to run, and the staff appreciation party is in five days.”

Angel shook his head. “The four of us could manage all of that if need be. No. Ultimately, what he’ll be compelled to come back for...isyou.”

4

SARAH

Apparently I wasn’t the irresistible lure Angel thought I was. It had been three days and no one had seen or heard from Reese—including Sam, whom I’d watched shift into a beautifully sleek cat to go in search of his troubled brother.

I blamed myself.

If only I’d left the resort, like Reese had assumed I would, it would have given him the peace he needed. It killed me that I was the reason he was staying away from the lodge…from his family…

I lifted my mug, realized I’d drunk the last of my tea, and wandered into the cafeteria for more hot water. Finding the dispenser dry, I went into the kitchen to use the microwave. When I got there, Melanie was standing in front of the refrigerator with the doors open.

“Damnit,” she muttered.

“What’s wrong?”

“Out of milk. I was in the mood for mac-n-cheese.”

“For breakfast?” I asked.

She gave me a quick glance. “For any time.”

When it came to Reese’s siblings, Melanie was the one I knew the least. She never seemed to be around, unless Reese was calling one of his family meetings or had a special job for her to do.

Otherwise, she was off and away, doing her own thing. Reese said she read a lot of novels and was into gaming. While this was certainly possible, I had my doubts about that.

First, romance-reading and gaming seemed like an unusual combination of interests. Second, she was far too fit for someone who favored sedentary pursuits. I wondered if Melanie was merely telling her brothers what they wanted to hear because it was better than telling them the truth.

My theory was strengthened when I'd once caught her slinking out the exit and surreptitiously looking over her shoulder before hopping into one of the Jeeps. The girl was definitely going somewhere she didn’t want her brothers to know about.

Well, if I ever learned what it was, I wouldn’t be the one to blow her secret. I’d never had many girlfriends, and it would be nice to have Melanie as a friend.

The problem was, I didn’t know how to start with her. She wasn’t a big talker, and I tended to ramble when I got nervous.

“I’ll have to try a mac-n-cheese breakfast sometime,” I said.

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