Chapter 19 - Killian

“Hey, let’s get out of here,” I said.

Leah had been looking down since Lex had left yesterday, and I knew she was mourning the loss of her parents. As much as I wished I could punish them for hurting Leah, I knew she still cared for them. I knew from experience that losing a parent was hard, no matter what your relationship with them was like.

“Where did you want to go?” Leah asked.

I shrugged. “We haven’t left the house in a little bit, and we could both use some fresh air. Would you like to go for a walk?”

Leah nodded and smiled, seeming content with my choice of activity. I wished I could have planned something more extravagant and special for us to do, but sometimes, the quiet moments of togetherness were better.

We left the house and headed toward the bar, meandering through the residential streets on our way toward the more bustling town center.

“It feels good to stretch my legs,” Leah said, placing her hand in mine.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t plan something more special for us to do.”

“Don’t be silly,” she said. “Besides, I think this is our first official date as a married couple, so it’s perfect. What could be more domestic than taking a leisurely stroll through town?”

There was plenty that we could have talked about, but neither of us felt the need to interrupt the peaceful feeling of being in each other’s presence. With the sun on our faces and birds singing around us, we walked the two miles into town and ended up on Main Street.

We stopped at the ice cream parlor on Main Street to mark our turnaround point and got two small cones to keep us company on the way back toward our house. I had expected that she would want to go back home after our walk, but then she surprised me.

“Can you take me to the forest?” she asked. “Destiny hasn’t gotten to run in a long time. I can hear her whining right now.”

I grinned, knowing that Rocky would love nothing more than to chase his favorite wolf around the trees.

When we got to the forest, I made a beeline for a secluded area where I knew no humans frequented, pulling Leah along behind me. Our pace quickened in excitement the closer we got, until we were practically running. We arrived at my favorite location to shift, completely out of breath but smiling.

“It’s been a long time since we ran together,” Leah said.

“Do you think you’re fast enough to catch me now?” I teased.

“Guess we’ll find out!”

Leah transformed, and I saw Destiny’s brown fur dash away. I followed suit, and Rocky followed in a gold streak. Within seconds, I caught up to her.

With no plan and nowhere to be, Destiny and Rocky ran and frolicked to their hearts’ content for hours. When they eventually tired themselves out, we made our way back to the clearing.

“Thank you for today,” Leah said. “I think we all needed that.”

“I agree.”

“Oh no!” she exclaimed, stopping short and causing me to bump into her. “My necklace. I was wearing it earlier, but it’s not here!”

“It’s okay,” I replied. “It’s just a necklace.”

“No, it was the necklace you bought for me,” she said tearfully. “I swear it was just here. I feel so stupid.”

“Leah, you are not stupid. Come here.”

I pulled her into a hug, willing her to calm down as I tried to embody peace and tranquility. She truly loved that necklace, but I had a feeling it was more about the fact that I gave it to her than the necklace itself.

“Let’s get you home. I’m sure it’ll all work out,” I assured her.

By the time we got home, Leah was still upset, so she decided to take a relaxing bath.

“I actually need to run an errand, if that’s okay,” I told her.

She waved me off, so I left her and headed to my car. The necklace I had bought her was pretty, but the next town over had a silversmith who worked with unique materials. I knew I would find something there that would be even more meaningful for both of us.

It didn’t take me long to get to the shop, and even less time to find exactly what I was looking for: a pendant necklace with a meteorite in the center, surrounded by a halo of small diamonds.

“Excellent choice,” the shopkeeper said as he pulled the necklace out of the case and placed it into a box.

I paid, accepted my purchase, and was heading to my car when a noise startled me.

The street had been empty, so when something bumped into my back, I whirled around in shock. Thanks to my werewolf reflexes, it was difficult for anyone to sneak up on me. But when I turned, there was nothing there.

“Hello?” I said uncertainly.

I saw a flash of light brown fur out of the corner of my eye and turned. Thinking a rogue shifter had found their way into our territory, I was prepared to chase them down and remind them to stay out of settled land. But instead, I found myself standing ten feet away from a man who looked similar to me, but with eyes that were ice-blue.

“Franco?”

“Killian, I thought that was you,” my brother replied.

My mind spun with memories of our times together, from our childhood to the brief period we spent together a few years ago. I felt as if I were looking into a vision of an alternate future. The way he was now was exactly how I would have been if I hadn’t gone back to the Moonstone Pack.

It had been so long since I had seen him that if it weren’t for the family resemblance, I might not have recognized him. His appearance was that of a man who hadn’t spent the time or effort to keep himself presentable. The dark blond hair on his head was stringy and long, and his clothes were covered in cigarette ash, lint, and dust.

It wasn’t just his physical appearance that concerned me. Franco had an air of dark destructiveness around him. The way he moved, calculated and lithe, reminded me of a poisonous snake waiting to attack his unsuspecting prey. If I hadn’t been recognized, it was possible that I would have been Franco’s next victim.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. “I thought you were living out west.”

“Things weren’t working out in my favor with the wolf packs on the coast,” Franco said. “Even I know when it’s time to cut my losses and start over somewhere new. But you know all about leaving, don’t you, Ki?”

The nickname from our childhood stung me. No matter how sure I was of my decision to leave Franco’s pack, the fact that I had abandoned my little brother to such a dark world would always be something that haunted me.

“Sometimes starting over can be a good thing,” I replied. “Are you living around here now?”

“Just moved into town a week ago,” he said. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket, flipped open the top, and pulled one from the container with his teeth. Without breaking eye contact with me, he lit up and took a long drag.

“What brings you here, big brother?” he asked.

“Just doing a little shopping.”

“Ah, a little trinket for your newest toy,” he said with a malicious smile. “I hope you didn’t spend too much on her. You know those females are only good for one thing. Better to take things off them than to put them on, I say.”

“There’s a time and a place for everything,” I replied diplomatically.

I wasn’t surprised by his comments, but it was hard for me to ignore his jibe at Leah. Regardless of whether he knew about my mate, any slight toward her felt like a physical blow.

But with Franco, I had learned it was best not to let him know what cards you were holding. I was wary of his intentions but determined to remain civil. There was no reason to stir up unnecessary trouble.

“Of course,” Franco said, inclining his head toward me at a tilted angle.

I recognized the mannerism as something he had always done when he was plotting something. My heart squeezed in my chest as I thought of Leah, just a short distance away, who had no idea she was related to someone who would do anything to get his way.

“I’m tempted to keep you here for a while,” Franco continued, the threat in his voice barely concealed. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

“You’re right,” I said. “I’d love to come back later and spend some time with you. I can give you my phone number, and we can catch up soon.”

“No need,” my brother said, finishing his cigarette and tossing it away. “I’ll find you. I hope you have a nice day, Ki.”

Without another word, he turned his back and walked away.

By the time I returned to Pinedale, my body had calmed, but my mind still spun in circles of thought, wondering what my half-brother could be planning. It was possible he just wanted to talk, but unlikely.

Jasper and Nile needed to be warned. I took out my phone and typed a message to both of them.

I ran into my brother, Franco, in the next town over. Be on alert. There might be trouble.

I sighed as I hit the send button, praying that I was wrong.