“If what you say about being concerned for Taryn’s welfare is true, then I thank you for coming.”

Understanding they had been effectively dismissed, the wolves all as one turned and made their way back to their vehicles – with the exception of one female who began to slowly and cautiously approach Trey.

“Who’s that?” asked Taryn in a whisper.

He sighed. “Viv. Summer’s mom.”

“Oh.” Well that would certainly explain the motherly behavior. “I’ll give you two a few minutes alone.”

Surprised, he turned her to face him. “Baby, you don’t have to do that. There’s nothing for me to say to her now that I know Summer was never my mate.”

“But she doesn’t know that, does she? If you don’t want to tell her, then don’t.”

“You would be okay with me letting her believe you’re not who you are to me?”

She sighed. “No, I wouldn’t like it, but that woman has already been through a lot. She probably sees you as her last link to her daughter. Someone else who saw her in the special way that she did.”

“But I didn’t. Not even when I thought we were mates.” He released a long breath. “I’m going to tell her the truth. It’s the right thing to do, for everyone.”

Dante called, “Trey, Viv’s asking to talk to you.”

Trey turned his head to see that Tao and Dante stood in front of her, blocking her access to their Alpha pair.

Taryn nipped his chin. “Go on. I’ll wait back at Bedrock. I’ll have you a coffee waiting on the table. Of course you understand that Grace will have made it, but the thought is all mine.”

He smiled and bit her lip. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

It wasn’t until she was heading back through the forest – having rounded up the others like sheep and shoved them ahead of her, including her uncle, Nick and Derren – that he went to where Viv was waiting. He signalled with an incline of his head for Dante and Tao to give them a moment alone.

“Thank you for speaking with me,” said Viv, swallowing hard. “Trey, I – I just…I’m glad you’re…happy. I always worried about you, wondered if you would survive the banishment. Your mate is very protective of you. You obviously care for each other. I didn’t expect to ever see you imprint.”

If he wasn’t mistaken, she wasn’t happy about it at all despite what she claimed. It occurred to him that she might feel as though he had betrayed her daughter’s memory in some way. Damn, she wasn’t going to like what he had to say. He took a deep breath. “We didn’t imprint.”

“Oh, you’re not mates?”

“Oh we’re mates. True mates.”

Frowning, Viv shook her head. “No, that…that can’t be. Summer was your true mate.”

“Viv -”

“I saw the way she looked up at you that day – so adoringly, so focused on you. She used to cry all the time with those colic pains but she calmed down as soon as you held her.”

“And you mistook that for a true mate bond. I’m sorry if that’s not what you want to hear, but I’m not going to lie to you.”

She shook her head again. “You reacted so badly to her death. What you did…That was grief -”

“That was me attacking my father for teasing me about her having died.”

“He did that?”

“Don’t kid yourself that I was someone who deserved your daughter and lost control in a moment of despair, that I’m just terribly misunderstood. When I heard she was dead, I felt guilty and angry with myself, but it could never have touched me the way it touched you. We weren’t mates, Viv.”

The hopeful gleam didn’t leave her eyes. “I can’t accept that. Maybe once all this is over with Darryl you could come with me to visit her grave and -”

He held up his hand. “Viv, I get that you might wish you could have someone to sit there and grieve with you for your daughter, who saw her as special and who you can share stories with, but…I can’t be that someone.”

“Maybe if I showed you some of her pictures and -”

“Viv, you’re not listening to me.”

“Because you’re wrong.”

“No, I’m not. Taryn is my true mate.” He didn’t like the way she snarled at Taryn’s name and nor did his wolf. “Don’t you do that. I get that you’re upset, but Taryn’s my mate and I won’t have you disrespect her in any way, just as you wouldn’t with your mate.”

The stiffness left her spine and she sighed. “I’m sorry, that was disrespectful. She seems like quite a character.”

“She is.”

“And you’re happy with her? She cares for you?”

He nodded. “Even though I’m about as emotional as a broomstick, even though I’m not giving her what she needs. She doesn’t judge me for being the way I am. She’s so different from me it’s not even funny. Taryn’s it for me.”

Viv’s expression softened. “Then I’m happy for you. I won’t lie and say I’m glad Summer wasn’t your true mate, but that’s because I selfishly wish I had some sort of connection left to her. What you have is what’s best for you, and that’s what I should be thinking about, not me.”

“Then you’re okay?”

She nodded, a half-smile now on her face. “I’m okay.” She bowed her head respectfully. “Take care, Trey. I really am glad you’re happy.” With that, she strolled over to the waiting vehicles and hopped into the backseat of one. Then the cars were beeping in goodbye and driving off.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one of them can’t resist taunting Darryl over his failed attack on Taryn,” said Dante as he and Tao came to stand beside Trey.

“Hearing Taryn wasn’t hurt and you’re onto his little tricks will make him unbelievably pissed,” said Tao.

Trey nodded, sighing. “It’s a satisfying thought.” But he couldn’t smile about it like Dante and Tao were. Although he was pleased to know that not all of his old pack was against him, the overriding issue for him was that there was still a threat to his mate walking the earth. That was unacceptable to him and his wolf.

He wondered if Taryn had any real idea of just how difficult it was for him to simply sit back and then go after Darryl in his own time. The need to avenge pecked at him constantly, demanding he go dish out his own personal brand of justice. The whole thing was making him restless, giving him that nagging feeling like the kind he got when there was something he’d forgotten to do. Only this time he knew exactly what he needed to do, and it went totally against his very nature to ignore it.