Page 122 of Promise of the Wolf Moon

Don’t cry.

“I wish you had been there when they were born. I wish you could’ve been there to watch them grow.”

“We got the rest of our lives to be a family. A few years from now, I can imagine I’ll be givin’ a few horny young males a death glare when they come sniffin’ around.”

“More than a few years.” I corrected with a scowl.

He grinned. “You ready to go?”

I leaned into him, taking in his deep, earthy scent. “Take me home, Seff.”

A devilishly masculine smile spread across his handsome face. “You betcha.”

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

I’d held in my tearsthroughout our entire journey back to Beartooth Mountain. The second I’d seen my parents, felt their arms around me, though, I’d lost that hold and let the tears come. The news of Decker’s death had been relayed over the radio a few hours before we arrived.

Heartbroken, my mom hadn’t stopped crying. My dad hadn’t left her side. Their sorrow was so great that I couldn’t bring myself to tell them everything that happened. Seff explained why I would stay while he and the other wolves tracked down the twins and bring them home.

Half of me felt I should be with my parents while they grieved. The other half wanted nothing but to be alone and work on my own grief. Unfortunately, being alone also left me to evaluate the consequences of what I’d done.

I should’ve killed both rogues.

Gunner’s market wouldn’t have blown up.

I wouldn’t have been poisoned.

Viveca could never have taken the twins.

My brother would still be alive.

Yes, I grieved for my brother, but his death didn’t affect me the same way losing my entire pack had. While processing my feelings, I realized I’d lost my brother a long time ago. Still, his death altered some crucial part of me. There was an empty space inside, so cold and so hollow, it was as though nothing would ever fill it again.

In the end, it was my responsibility to heal myself.

And I would heal, eventually.

Almost two days had passed since Arteisma and Nereida were taken from the Aneta pack. Though we heard no word, I knew when Seff had found their trail. His excitement and determination shot through our bond the moment he locked on.

I stared at the mug of barely warm tea held between my hands. The poison had finally burned out of my system with the only side effect being an all-over exhaustion. The most I could do was pray my twins—my daughters—would find their way home.

In my yurt, Arteisma and Nereida’s faint sunshiny scents of brown sugar and grapefruit surrounded me. I'd missed them so much while I’d lived with Tillman, but they had been safe with our pack. Where were they now? Would I ever see them again?

Stop. Seff promised he will find them.

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