“You two were close?”

She nodded. “I think one of the reasons she doted on me so much was that I was her only child. Her and my dad tried for more, but for whatever reason, she never got pregnant again. I knew she felt guilty about that, like she’d let my dad down.”

“Was your dad just as doting until he realized you were latent?”

“No. As a female, I was already a disappointment to him.”

Trey made a derogative snort. “That guy really is an ass**le.” He gentled his voice as he asked, “How did she die?”

Again she hesitated and again he gave her that look. “My mom and Joey’s mom were close friends. Every Sunday they’d go to the market in town and take me and Joey with them. On this one day I couldn’t go because I was in the basement -”

“The basement?” There was something in the sound of her voice that had his hackles rising.

“It was my dad’s version of a punishment.”

“He used to confine you?” Hell that would be bad for any kid but for a shifter...

“It’s all part of that ‘him being an ass**le’ thing. Anyway…On the way into town, some totally blitzed guy in a banged up Chevy crashed into them, sent them toppling over…It was thought that the three of them were unconscious when it went up in flames. The drunken bastard was fine.”

Trey held her tightly to him and kissed her hair. “It’s weird just how similar our situation is.”

Taryn pulled back to meet his gaze. “What do you mean?”

“Both of us lost our mom and true mate. Both of us were lumbered with ass**les for fathers. Both of us have to deal with bold inner wolves.”

“How did they die?” When he just stared at her she growled. “Wait, I’m supposed to lay it all out but you get to remain a closed book? I don’t think so, Flinstone. Get talking.”

Not wanting to, but knowing she was right, he sighed and nodded. “There weren’t just the sixteen of us when I left the pack. My mom came. The separation from my dad…She wasn’t strong enough to deal with it and she turned rogue. Then I killed her. She’d attacked Marcus…”

When he paused midsentence and Taryn saw the pain in his eyes she couldn’t help but stroke his chest and snuggling closer. He shot her one of those macho ‘I don’t need comfort’ looks. “I’m not sympathising with you, I’m just cold.”

“As for my true mate…Her name was Summer.” That was the first time he’d spoken her name in a very long time. “She was two months old when she died in her sleep.”

Taryn’s heart clenched at the idea. “You said when we first met that you hadn’t acknowledged her?”

“I was fourteen, she was a baby…it felt weird and I acted like a dumb shit. Then when I heard she was dead…Let’s just say I didn’t take it too well and I made a mess of my room. My dad put two and two together and teased me about it.”

“Teased you?” Rage and protectiveness surged through her, making her wish the bastard was alive so she could kick his ass.

“He thought the whole thing was funny because something had finally gotten an emotional reaction from me, he wanted me to cry. See, I’d never cried no matter what he did to me, and he hated that. I’d always stay stoic and take every punch, refusing to give him the reaction he wanted. Even as he teased me about Summer I couldn’t cry, it’s just not in me to do that I guess.”

“You’re right, he was an ass**le. So am I right in thinking that it was the teasing that made you lose it and beat him up so bad you almost killed him?”

He nodded. “I’d put up with his shit for years, but everyone has a limit, and that day he found mine and pushed it. I’m not sorry. Not even now that he’s dead. If he was here right now I’d do it all over again, and I’d enjoy it.” He wanted her to know who he was, what he was capable of. He wanted to know if she could handle it. She didn’t disappoint him.

“And I’d be cheering you on.”

Sliding his hand to her nape, he brought her face to his and kissed her hungrily, lashing her tongue with his and nibbling on her lips. The urge to plunge inside her and take her over was eating at him. Making it worse was that the scent of her arousal still flavoured the air. Shit he deserved a goddamn award for his restraint.

The sound of her stomach rumbling had Taryn chuckling into Trey’s mouth. “I need feeding.”

“I’ve already eaten,” he said with a wicked smirk. He tapped her bare ass lightly. “Come on, let’s get you some food.”

Five minutes later Taryn was fully clothed again and accepting a piggyback ride from Trey who rushed her into the kitchen. The entire pack was there other than Cam who was on guard duty. All were smiling with the exception of Greta, Kirk, Selma, and Hope. Taryn could only assume they had overheard her and Trey having some quality time together, or had guessed by the sight of his slashed t-shirt which he had purposely left on.

There was someone else who wasn’t smiling, she suddenly realized. Tao’s expression was carefully blank. Before she had the chance to wonder on that, Grace came and handed Taryn – who was sat on the counter with Trey standing beside her – a plate on which a few slices of watermelon sat, and also a candy bar just because she was an angel. “It’s good to have you back.”

She took the plate gratefully. Grace always took care of her. Then she topped it off by handing her a mug of coffee. “I think I love you.”

“So the hussy’s back, is she?” sneered Greta, glaring at Taryn like she was a giant turd.

Taryn only smiled. “Is there no way you could just pull your bottom lip over your head and swallow?”

Dante’s drink sprayed out of his mouth as he went into a fit of coughing.

“I’d have shoved this piece if watermelon in your mouth if I didn’t like it so much.” Taryn saw Dominic biting his bottom lip and just knew he was doing his best to bite back a dirty chat up line. Perv.

“While you and Taryn were, um, busy,” said Rhett to Trey, “I checked our pack web for messages. Turns out there’re a lot of alphas interesting in discussing an alliance with you, Trey. The new alpha of the Roscoe’s pack included.”

Taryn laughed. “I had a feeling he might get in touch through the pack web. He seemed too terrified of Trey to come back here.”

“There was someone else too.” He looked at Taryn then. “Your dad. Only he wants to set up a meeting to discuss it in person. Any idea why?”