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  “The man has willpower.” Even in her forties Taliana was a beautiful woman. I didn’t know of too many men who could lay with a woman like that for years and never try anything.

  “He was dedicated, and he loves my girls like they are his own.”

  “Maybe I’ll meet him sometime.”

  “If you stay friends with Vera you probably will one day.” She emphasized friends in a way that let me know she’d jumped to exactly the conclusion that Vera had predicted. “She had a close relationship with him.”

  I took another long sip. It was easier than responding.

  “How did Casey look to you when you left?” She leaned in slightly.

  “She looked relieved that Levi showed up. I don’t think she was looking forward to becoming queen.”

  “I wouldn’t think so. Casey has never liked being the center of attention.”

  “She’ll make a good princess.”

  “I know she will… but I still worry about her.”

  “This might sound strange, but I promise Levi’s going to look out for her. He’ll be a good big brother.” Levi would do anything for the people he cared about, and he cared about Casey.

  “It is strange to think of her having a brother, but I’ll take your word for it.”

  “I don’t think he really knew what to think either… but now he’s happy about it.” He seemed to be taking her existence way better than I would have thought. But then again he had wished for a brother or sister while growing up.

  She smiled. “Some things in life just take getting used to.”

  The door opened, and I turned to watch as Vera and a man I assumed was her father walked out.

  I wasn’t sure what to do. These situations were always awkward because he probably expected me to show deference, but showing any lower level shifter deference went against me.

  “And you must be Jared.” He held out his hand, ending my internal debate.

  I accepted his firm handshake. “Yes. And you are Gareth?”

  He nodded. “Yes. Also known as Vera’s father.”

  I wasn’t sure if the words were meant as a joke or not. “How did the reunion go?”

  “Great. We’re all caught up.” Vera rolled her eyes. She was annoyed at me for being polite.

  What did she expect? I had to at least make conversation.

  “Vera’s hungry, so we’re off to find food.” Gareth pointed down the steep stone steps.

  “I see you didn’t wait for me.” Vera pulled my cup out of my hands and brought it to her lips.

  “I’d go slow with that,” I warned.

  She ignored me and drank the rest in one large gulp.

  Taliana shook her head. “She’s still stubborn I see.”

  “What?” Vera looked at us. “That was really good.”

  “It is, isn’t it?” Gareth smiled. “It’s also very strong, hence why your friend warned you to go slow. You’ll be feeling that.”

  “I can handle my liquor.”

  “Not Pesco liquor,” Taliana mumbled.

  “Whatever it is, I want more of it.” Vera grinned, and I knew the alcohol had already hit her.

  “Let’s get food first.” Gareth took a few steps toward the stairs.

  “Where were you planning to take her?” Taliana asked.

  “Down to Viso on the shore. I think Vera needs to experience more of our local products.”

  “If your food is half as good as your alcohol, I’m sold.” Even the small amount I’d consumed had me in a better mood than usual.

  “It is. Trust me.” Gareth started down the steps while holding Taliana’s hand.

  Vera pulled my arm to hold me back. “I love how you’re going along with this as though it’s natural to have a meal with my parents.”

  “What else am I supposed to do?” I wasn’t sure what Vera wanted from me, but my guess was she wanted me to get upset.

  “You shouldn’t be so happy.”

  “The last time I checked, being polite was the proper thing to do when you’re a guest and when you want someone’s help.” Not to mention that the liquor helped lighten my mood.

  “Since when have you been concerned with being proper?” she asked.

  “I need your mom’s help, and I like her.”

  “Great.” Vera rolled her eyes.

  “What’s the issue? If you’re so pissed at your mom, why are we even here? And don’t tell me it’s to help me. You wanted to do this. It was your idea.”

  She started walking. “She was going to get mad if I didn’t.”

  “And she wasn’t mad already? I mean you took off with a guy they warned you about, and the guy turned out to be a psychopath.”

  “I admit she was right about Murphy.”

  “You think?” Murphy was one of the most messed up shifters I’d ever met. I should have killed him when I had the chance.

  “I was young and stupid.”

  “As compared to now?”

  She pushed my side. “Shut up.”

  “Just saying.”

  “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Evidently. You made it clear I couldn’t leave.”

  “Don’t ever tell anyone that.” She waggled a finger in my face. The action set her off balance. I caught her before she fell the rest of the way down the stairs.

  “Easy there, tiger. Still think that liquor isn’t strong?”

  “I’m not a tiger. I’m a bear.”

  “I’m well aware.”

  “Do you like my bear form?”

  “How drunk are you?” I kept ahold of her arm. The liquor’s effect seemed to be kicking in, and I wasn’t sure how steady she’d be even when paying attention.

  “Not very. I know you look down at bears, but you have to admit, I’m pretty cool as one.”

  I laughed. “You’re cool for a bear.”

  “I like your wings.”

  “Yes, I know. You like that I fly.”

  “But I like your wings. Not just the flying part.”

  “Oh yeah?” That was news.

  “They’re kind of hot.”

  “And you’re getting drunker by the minute.” I steered us in the direction I’d seen her parents go. “Let’s get some food in you.”

  “Sounds good.” She leaned her head on my shoulder. This little trip with Vera was getting more and more interesting.

  “How much Pesco did she have?” Gareth asked when we settled down at a table at a small café, although I’d have never known it was a restaurant if Gareth hadn’t told me. There were only a few tables, and all of them shared an incredible view of the lake. Taliana and Vera were sitting by the water. I figured I’d let them have their mother-daughter time even though I wasn’t particularly excited about spending time alone with Gareth.

  “Not much. Maybe an eighth of that mug.”

  “That is still a lot.” He leaned back. “She’ll build up more tolerance eventually.”

  “If she touches it again. This might hurt in the morning.”

  “It won’t. The nice thing about Pesco is it doesn’t give us hangovers.”

  “Define us.” I rested my elbow on the wood tabletop.

  “Paranormals. I’d never give a drop to a human. You saw what it did to Vera.”

  “Meaning it would be great to use on people I don’t like.”

  “Did you feel it at all? I know alcohol can’t do much to your senses, but does it affect anything?”

  “Are you asking for research purposes?” I leaned back in my chair.

  “More curiosity. We don’t often have Pterons here.”

  “You had one last week.”

  “Toby was here more for business than pleasure, so there was no chance to try it out. So was Casey.”

  I wasn’t sure how he really felt about Casey. Taliana had said he’d claimed her as his daughter, but it had to be awkward. She was the reason his wife and daughter had left.

  “Nothing was her fault.” He seemed to read my mind. Maybe Taliana wasn’
t the only one who was good at reading people.

  “You’re a better man than most.”

  “No.” He sipped his cup of ice water. He wasn’t partaking in the Pesco, and I’d followed his lead. “I’m a man who has seen and been through enough to appreciate the gifts we are given.”

  “Meaning you now have an alliance with the royal family?”

  “Do you immediately assume my thoughts are political?”

  “Is that not part of the gift?” I wasn’t in the mood to play games. If he wanted to talk to me, he needed to be a straight shooter.

  “The gift is getting a family after believing I’d never have one, but knowing my people will be protected because of Casey’s position doesn’t hurt.”

  “Exactly.” I swirled around the ice in my glass of water. The cool breeze from the lake made for a comfortable afternoon.

  “What are your plans? I understand your looking for your mother, but what then?”

  “I don’t know. I quit my job, so I’ll figure something out.” I finished off my water.

  “What was your job?” He watched me carefully.

  “Director of Security and Intelligence for The Society.” I didn’t use the official title often, but I figured it sounded better than the “head of security” explanation I normally gave.

  “Quite the job to up and quit.” He’d already known. His expression gave him away. I went along with it anyway. He didn’t strike me as the type of man who talked unless he had something important to say.

  “I had my reasons.”

  “We all have our reasons.” He looked out at the tranquil lake.

  I should have been uncomfortable, but I wasn’t. Between the perfect weather, and the slight buzz from the Pesco, my problems seemed miles away.

  “I may have some temporary work to offer you.”

  Gareth’s words snapped me out of my relaxed state. “What kind of work?”

  “How much do you know about Ursus?”

  “I know you’re bears.”

  “Yes. But I assume you know more.”

  “I know there are different types. You are grizzlies.”

  “Yes, but there are other differences.” He looked over at his wife and daughter before turning back to me.

  “Meaning?”

  “That’s not important to my job offer.”

  “Then what is?”

  “Taliana tells me you saved Casey.”

  “I was part of the rescue.”

  “And you understand the type of bears she was with?”

  “I understand they were willing to work for witches.”

  “Once our clan controlled all other Ursus groups.”

  “But you don’t now?” I knew he didn’t, but that didn’t stop me from asking.

  “We should.”

  “You want to take over?”

  He shook his head. “I want to unify.”

  “You support the king.” It wasn’t a question exactly. By recognizing Casey as his daughter he’d done as much.

  “Of course.”

  “You want the king’s support in the unification in exchange for promising loyalty.” I knew that Gareth’s talk about unification could be about more than the bears, but I wouldn’t know for sure unless I kept him talking.

  He smiled. “You understand.”

  “I already told you I quit my job. I don’t work for the king anymore.”

  “I don’t need you for that, although we both know the king would still listen to you.”

  He was right, but that didn’t mean he should have known it. “Then what do you need me for?”

  “You were the Director of Security and Intelligence for a reason.”

  “You want my help with the unification?” Now he was talking my language. No games, just strategy and strength.

  “Yes.”

  “I have to think about it.” The thought of working for a bear didn’t appeal to me, nor did getting tied down to another job, but if something as significant as unification was underway I needed to stay close. Gareth’s actions could impact The Society. Quitting my position with The Society hadn’t made me any less loyal, and the years of training didn’t just disappear.

  “Of course. I understand.”

  “Vera might not like it.”

  “Why? She liked you enough to bring you here.”

  “Wait. Did Vera know?” Was she hiding things from me?

  He shook his head. “No. She probably wouldn’t have come if she did.”

  “I need to find my mom before I agree to anything.”

  “We will do everything in our power to help. We owe both you and your mother a debt.”

  “I need to know if she’s alive.”

  “Do you doubt it?”

  “Now that I know the kind of evil my father possesses, maybe. I wouldn’t put murder past him.” I shouldn’t have been so forthcoming with Gareth, but I was. Maybe it was the liquor.

  “Do you truly believe your father had her killed?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

  “May I ask one other question?”

  “Sure.”

  “Couldn’t the king have tracked her down? Doesn’t he have the capability?”

  “I can’t have him look without drawing attention to my search or to her, which is why anything you and Taliana do has to be done carefully.”

  “We will try, but there is always a risk. There’s a reason I never found Taliana.”

  “You never really looked.”

  “Of course I looked.” He pounded the table hard enough that our empty glasses fell over. The women looked at us briefly before turning back to the water. “But I couldn’t look as deeply as I wanted.”

  “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Tonight we will discuss this more, but first let’s eat.”

  I glanced up to see the waitress walking over with a tray.

  “Taliana, Vera! Dinner’s served.” Gareth beamed at his wife and daughter.

  I looked down at the large platter set down in the center of the table. It was heaped with all sorts of different types of fish. I wasn’t much of a seafood fan, but I knew this was going to be good.

  Vera slid into the seat next to me. “At least you waited for me to eat.”

  “Hey, I have to be polite, right?” I grinned.

  “Polite isn’t so bad.” She smiled. She seemed lighter than she had earlier. Maybe the talk with her mother had helped. She had a lot to get off her chest.

  “Dig in!” Gareth ordered. “I’m eager to see what you think.”

  I put a piece of salmon on my plate and took a bite. “You were right. This is as good as your liquor.”

  “We can do some things right then, huh?”

  “I’m beginning to understand you can do many things right.” I glanced in Vera’s direction. They made delicious food and spirits and bred gorgeous women. Maybe the bears weren’t so bad after all.

  My mom had never approved of a guy I brought home. She’d hated them all, mostly for good reasons. So of course she had to go on and on about how much she liked Jared. I not so delicately reminded her that he wasn’t my boyfriend, or anything of the sort. My current term was ‘traveling companion’, but that didn’t quite sum it up. I wasn’t sure what Jared was to me, but I liked his company. I was done pretending that I didn’t.

  “You look good together.” Mom stretched her legs out in front of her.

  “Yes, you’ve told me that already.”

  “And you still don’t have a response?”

  “What kind of response am I supposed to have?” I tossed a rock out into the lake. It skipped once. I’d have to keep practicing if I was going to ever beat Jared at it.

  “At least admit you have feelings for him.”

  “I don’t.” I glanced over my shoulder at where Jared and Gareth sat talking. “Well, not serious ones.”

  “That’s a start.” She smiled.

  We fell into silence. So far mom and I had ta
lked about everything but the important things—like why she hid the truth from me, and why I left. It was easier for the time being to brush it under the rug, but eventually we were going to have to face it. Maybe I’d be gone before that happened.

  “I’m glad you’re back.” She leaned her head back and gazed at the setting sun.

  “It’s good to see you again.” It was nice to see my mom, but I wasn’t sure if anything else about my visit to Norco was nice.

  Dinner wasn’t nearly as awkward as it should have been considering we were having it with my estranged mother and a father I’d never remembered knowing. Despite everything it was actually kind of fun—but maybe that was the intense Pesco liquor talking. Jared had been right to warn me. I’d never had alcohol go to my head so fast. I had to give my parents credit for one thing; their people could make a strong spirit.

  “Now I know why you and dad cooked fish so much.” I savored a bite of the fresh salmon.

  Gareth’s face darkened, and I quickly realized my mistake. Too bad. Chris was my dad, and Gareth would have to accept it.

  “I’m not a fish person, but this is really good.” Jared took a third piece. I wasn’t surprised to discover he had a big appetite. I assumed all of his appetites were big. My body warmed thinking about it, and I quickly pushed away the thoughts. We were sitting with my mom and Gareth.

  “You’ll both be staying in the main house tonight.” Mom set down her napkin on the table.

  “The main house?” I took a final bite of the delectable fish. I’d been hungrier than I’d originally thought.

  “The house we were in before.”

  “You mean the castle? You might as well call it that.” Although it didn’t look like much from the outside, inside you got the sense that the rooms went on and on forever.

  “It is rather large.” Gareth pushed his chair back from the table.

  “You have two guest rooms?” It was a huge house, but that didn’t mean they had multiple guest rooms set up.

  “Yes.” Mom smiled. “You didn’t think I’d put you in the same room with a man you weren’t involved with, did you?”

  Jared cleared his throat. “Please don’t feel the need to house me in your own home. I don’t need much sleep, and I can stay outside.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Gareth looked him in the eye. “You will be joining us this evening.”