“All parents harm their children,” I told him softly. “Whether it’s intended or not.”

“That’s a very cynical belief.”

“No, it’s candid and true. Even the best parents die, don’t they? They can’t stop death. We come into this world knowing we will be left alone at some point. Knowing that we will have to endure a world without those we love. Is there anything more certain than death?”

“Taxes?”

My smile was brisk. “Depends on how you lead your life.”

He tilted his head to the side. “Everyone pays taxes.”

“Not if you’re dead.”

“And you’re dead?”

“Yes. According to the appropriate governing bodies that count, at any rate.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you mean me no harm. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.” Not only did I sense it, but I surmised as much from what Sabina had said. “You want what’s best for me.”

“You’re right. I do.”

“Then you’ll leave me alone. That’s what’s best for me.”

If I’d hurt him with my answer, I couldn’t tell. Not even in those signs I was accustomed to reading. He didn’t project any emotion, even though I knew he felt it.

His control, his barriers…they were as strong as mine.

Interesting.

Few knew how to contain their emotions to that extent. Not even Sabina could, and she was one of the most adept people I knew.

“You want to be alone?”

“I prefer not to live a lie.”

“That’s a hard way of looking at things.”

“Life is hard. I can rely on myself.”

“You know what you are to me?”

“Sabina explained.”

“You know that I won’t just let this drop?”

“Yes. Of course,” I told him, just as calm as he was. “But that’s to be expected. I do hope you won’t be predictable, though.”

“Oh, I’m sure I won’t be.” His smile was small, just a hint of it flashed in his eyes, making the orbs gleam like they were tinted with gold. “If it’s interesting you appreciate more than anything, without any strings attached, maybe you’ll do me the honor of dining with me at some point this week?”

The need that sprang up inside me was too ardent to ignore, but equally, I didn’t trust it. I’d been cool and collected, as relaxed as he was, but at his dinner invitation, things changed.

Feelings bubbled up inside me that I couldn’t control, so, like any dim-witted ingenue, I blurted out, “No strings?”

“No strings.” Then, he sat forward, his elbows coming to rest on his knees, as he calmly told me, “You’ve no need to fear me, Lara. To harm you would be to harm myself, and I have no intention of being alone, not when the Mother blessed me with a gift.”

“I’m no gift,” I assured him, but I unfolded my arms at his remark.

“Are you a curse, then?”

“Maybe. Depends who’s asking.”

“Me?”

I stared him straight in the eye and nodded. “I’m the worst kind of curse for a man like you.”

“Then I consider it my role in this life, my duty, my privilege, to prove to you just how wrong you are about that.” And with that, he got to his feet, and started strolling out of the room. As he crossed the threshold, he tossed back at me, “I’ll contact you with more information on when we can get together to eat.”

And he left.

Taking my curiosity with him.

Twelve

Ethan

“Do you know why there were a mated pair of hyenas on your territory, Alpha Kinsdale?”

“No. That’s the short answer. And in the interest of full disclosure, the longer answer is that their clan came to me and asked permission for their entry into my land.”

“With no explanation?”

“No. I didn’t ask for it.”

Brow furrowing, I asked, “Is that normal?”

“It is when they grease your palm,” Austin ground out. “How much did they pay you to look the other way?”

I shot my twin a glare, and silently told him, “Shut the fuck up.”

But Kinsdale wasn’t mad. If anything, he was amused—fucking Austin. I swear, if I pulled the stunts he did, I’d get a broken nose for my pains. My twin? He just got an ‘aw shucks’ grin and a slap on the back.

A hunch of Kinsdale’s shoulders was followed with a, “Your brother is quite right, Beta Cartwright. My pack isn’t as fancy as the Highbanks pack, and we needed the money. You know how wealthy the clans are. I wasn’t about to turn them down.”

“You kept an eye on them, surely?” Austin queried, placing his hands on the desk beside me as he loomed over the call.

Kinsdale grunted. “Of course.”

“And are you willing to tell us what your men reported?” I inquired.

“I extended your alpha the favor of retrieving his sister-in-law, but I don’t appreciate being interrogated like I’m a common criminal.”

“Those hyenas attacked my alpha’s sister-in-law,” Austin stated firmly. “With an intent to kill. Eli’s pissed off about it, as I’m sure you can imagine.”

Kinsdale’s jaw worked a second. “Heard about that. Not going to lie.”

“I’d expect nothing less from an alpha such as yourself,” was Austin’s smartass retort.

I glowered at him, but he was too busy getting in the other alpha’s face.

“They were asking questions around town,” Kinsdale admitted.

“What kind of questions?”

He cleared his throat. “About a woman.”

“You catch a name?”

“Course I did,” he muttered, but he reached up and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Let me guess, the one and the same as the female your men helped return to our pack?”

Kinsdale pulled a face. “They said they were looking for one of their own. What was I supposed to do? Shield a hyena in my pack lands?”

I scowled at that. “That makes no sense. You’d have scented a hyena if there was a lone one around town. Plus, you know they always run in pairs, and a male hyena stinks,” I said candidly, shaking my head at his illogical answer. “There’s no way you’d be able to miss two of them running around your territory.”

“I figured they were on a wild goose chase—”

“And speaking of geese, you weren’t about to bite the goose who lays the golden goddamn egg. So you knew they were there on a false errand, but took their cash anyway.”

Kinsdale’s amusement had long since died a death. “Like I said, we’re not all highfalutin Highbanks.”

Austin smirked at him. “No, we sure ain’t.” He cut the call before I had a chance to do so, and I growled at him.

“I swear you were born to try my patience.”

“Like you weren’t born for the exact same reason, Ethan. We came out of the womb kicking and screaming one another, I figure we’ll go out the same way too.”