“That kid has a mean streak that I totally love,” said Madisyn.

At that moment, Dominic strolled inside, smiling. That smile faltered when he looked at Madisyn. He cast her a mock glare. “She still won’t tell me what type of cat she is, Makenna. No one who saw her shift will tell me.”

Makenna just smiled at him. “I heard we both had a close call.”

He waved it off and relaxed into the chair beside her bed. Then he gave her a flirtatious grin. “So, are you into casual sex or should I dress up?”

The guy really was nothing but trouble.

Minutes after he’d left his mate, Ryan stalked into the hut with Dante and Trey close behind him. The hut was where they kept any intruders they found roaming on their territory. Today, it contained a well-built male with shaggy brown hair and cruel eyes.

Despite being bound to a chair, the captive tried to stare Ryan down. When it didn’t work, he sneered, “You must be the cousin. Remy told me a lot about you.”

Ryan’s wolf snarled. “You must be the sick bastard who hurt Zac.”

There wasn’t a hint of remorse in Brogan Creed’s gaze. You could learn a lot about a person from their posture, tone, word choice, and expressions. And as Ryan looked down at him, he had the distinct impression that Brogan wasn’t like Remy. He knew what he’d become, knew it and saw no reason to justify it to himself or to anyone else. For him, abusing others wasn’t so much about sex as about having ultimate power and dominance over another person. “I’m glad you came here.”

“Really?” he drawled.

“I promised Zac you’d die if you did.” Ryan’s claws sliced out. “This saves me the trouble of hunting you down.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Standing in the forest outside the caves, Ryan watched his mate roll back her shoulders for the tenth time in the last fifteen minutes. “You’re nervous.”

“Well . . . yeah.”

At least she was admitting it. “You don’t need to be.”

“This is a big thing, okay.”

Fair enough, but . . . “So was our mating ceremony. You weren’t nervous then.”

“Of course I wasn’t. I was one hundred percent sure about you and how much I wanted the ceremony.”

Warmth radiated through Ryan’s chest. Their mating ceremony was short, sweet, and understated, since neither of them had wanted a huge party. Ryan wouldn’t have coped well with one, and he did not—under any circumstances—dance. Besides, he hadn’t wanted to share his mate on the night of their ceremony. He was too selfish and possessive for that.

He’d invited Garrett and the other enforcers from Ryan’s old pack to visit the next day. They all fell hard for Makenna, which probably had a lot to do with the verbal smackdown she’d delivered to his parents when they tagged along with Garrett. She’d told them in no uncertain terms that they were shit parents and even worse people, that if they couldn’t see how special Ryan was, then they were even dumber than they looked. Strangely, they hadn’t argued with that.

Feeling another spurt of anxiety rush through his mate, he said, “I know you want answers and closure, but you don’t have to do this now.”

Makenna set her jaw and planted her feet in a wide stance. “I do.” It was time to face it . . . even if her muscles were tight with tension and a part of her was dreading what was to come.

Ryan grunted.

“Well, I like being stubborn. It keeps you on your toes.”

Everything about his unpredictable, quirky mate kept him on his toes. “If they do or say anything to upset you, they’re gone.”

“I know.” She rubbed at her arm. “I’d prefer it if we didn’t have an audience.”

He frowned, glancing around the empty clearing. “You have privacy.”

She snorted. “No, I don’t. Our pack’s scattered around the forest to keep a close watch on things.” Even Zac.

“They’re protective of you.”

She knew that. It was a good feeling for both her and her wolf. Good to be a part of something. And good to know they were just as protective of the shelter as they were of her. Being equally protective, Madisyn was also hanging around the forest, even though she was still mad with Makenna for getting shot. She pretty much blamed her for it.

Makenna knew she was seriously lucky to be breathing right now. Ally was officially one of her favorite people in the world. There had sadly been some fatalities in the battle. There would have been more if Taryn hadn’t arrived—too late to heal Makenna, which had pissed her off and made her feel bad—and healed those with serious injuries. The Phoenix wolves had also helped repair the cafeteria.

At the sound of low voices, Makenna and her wolf stiffened. This was it. The moment was finally here. It was time to face her past. She licked her dry mouth. Maybe she should have waited a little longer and—

Ryan briefly squeezed her hand. “You’re safe. No one can harm you here.”

She didn’t believe her visitors would physically hurt her, but she believed the information they possessed quite possibly could. Without thinking, she hooked her finger in Ryan’s belt loop. Moments later, Trey and Taryn entered the clearing with five unfamiliar wolves. The Phoenix Alphas stepped aside, allowing the visitors to move forward.

The male in the center exuded power and confidence. He was definitely an Alpha. He tilted his head as he studied her and released a shallow sigh. “You look a lot like your mom. It’s uncanny. I’m Harlow Gannon, your uncle.” He quickly introduced his Beta and enforcers.