Page 87 of Due North

I reach for her across the center console to take her hand. I like the reassurance that she’s here beside me and safe. She’ll always be safe with me.

“I don’t know Lydia like you do. If you think she deserves to be protected, I’ll back you up. I trust you to make the decision, Tasha. You wouldn’t be our Luna Sovereign if your judgement couldn’t be trusted.”

I glance over and meet her eyes as she whispers, “Thank you.”

Something fundamental seems to change between us at this moment. The tension that’s hung heavily in the air since I first took her finally seems to clear. My wolf can sense the mate bond humming between us, strong and pure, no longer held back by Tasha’s initial doubts about me.

We don’t speak the rest of the way back to the Anchorage Lake Pack’s pack house, riding together in a comfortable silence between mates.

* * *

Even though it’s early as we pull up in front of the pack house, all of my siblings are out front, waiting to greet us. They rush the car as soon as we park. I can’t help but notice almost all of them go to Tasha’s side. I can’t even find it in myself to blame them. I know she’s magnetic. She really cares about people in a way most rogues don’t typically experience. I imagine that kind of care is a comfort most of my rogue siblings haven’t been exposed to often.

The only one who doesn’t rush Tasha is Callie. She stares at her feet as she shuffles her way toward me instead.

Part of me wants to walk right past her. It’s hard to stomach how easily she could have put Tasha and I in danger. But Callie’s the one Glass sibling I always kept under my wing, and I saw better than anyone the way she fell victim to Baylor’s bullshit.

And speaking of Baylor…

“I have to tell you something,” I mutter, forcing myself to plant my feet in front of her. I know that I have to be the one to do this no matter how much I wish it could be avoided.

She lifts her head, and her watery eyes meet mine.

“Baylor was killed yesterday. We’re still sorting out the details, but he was involved in a pretty big conspiracy that seems to lead back to humans.”

“Oh.” Her face falls slightly even though I can tell she’s trying hard not to react. Her whole body stiffens.

“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but I’m not sorry it happened. I’m glad you’re free of him, and that we have one less person making us watch over our shoulders.” I lay my hand on her shoulder in a brotherly gesture that’s probably long overdue. “I know you’re ready to have a home, Callie. I’m going to help you find a safe place to land, okay?”

She blinks rapidly as if she’s trying not to cry. “Why would you do that after what I did?” She brushes a stray tear that falls.

“Because I’m going to forgive you, Callie. It’s not going to happen today, but it’s a work in progress. And all of us deserve to stop running. I don’t think a single one of us has managed to outrun the nightmare we came from. We might as well all get the chance now to build something new for ourselves. Maybe then we’ll all get to move on.”

“Oh, Pax.” She brushes my hand off her shoulder so she can throw herself at me. She squeezes me tight around the middle. “Tasha is the best thing that’s ever happened to our family. I’m so sorry I risked putting her in danger.”

“I know you are, Callie, and she knows it too.” I pat her back and then carefully sidestep her grip so she’ll let go of me.

I can see my siblings starting to usher Tasha toward the house, and I’m not interested in letting her out of my sight. I head toward them, leaving my sister to either follow or not. It’s her choice.

“Paxton?” Callie calls after me.

I bite back a curse and turn to look expectantly at her.

“I’m glad Baylor is dead. I won’t let anyone ever take advantage of me like that again.” There’s a fire in her eyes I’ve never seen before. I really believe her when she says it. She might have some mourning of her own left to do after all the years she spent running rogue with him, but I do think she’s learned from this. Callie, who I always believed needed my protection, is finally ready to start looking out for herself.

I don’t respond because we both know where I stand, and I don’t really think she needs my approval at the moment. She’s standing on her own two feet now.

“Come on, Callie.” I gesture for her to follow the others with me. “Let’s not get left behind.”

* * *

Tasha and I don’t get another moment alone until after dinner. She gestures for me to wait after we’re finished eating while she pulls Leah aside. They share a heated conversation for a moment before I watch in surprise as Leah throws her arms around Tasha. I hadn’t realized they’d bonded so closely.

Afterward, Tasha loops her arm through mine and guides me out of the dining hall.

“What’s going on?”

“We need to go talk to Tess and Dominic. There’s a book I need, and I’m hoping they’ll have a copy. There’s no telling when I’ll be able to safely get to my own books again.”

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