Page 6 of Back to You (Legendary Shifters #14)

There had been a man standing next to Ronan. That man had been touching Vincent’s mate, and it made Vincent wonder. Was he the reason Ronan had left him? Had he fallen in love with someone else?

Mates might belong together, but that didn’t mean they should be together.

Vincent had heard the stories about mates who were so mismatched that their relationships ended up being a disaster.

He’d never thought that was what would happen between him and Ronan, though.

When they’d met and Ronan had told him that he was his mate, Vincent had been happy.

He’d thought that meant that he and Ronan would be together forever.

He’d been wrong.

He’d known it when Ronan had suddenly disappeared from his life. He hadn’t thought he’d ever see him again, yet here he was, standing there, staring at him. The guy next to him was still leaning close, clearly worried, and it took everything Vincent had not to storm over there and pull him away.

Ronan was his mate, dammit. He didn’t belong to anyone else. He couldn’t.

He had to stay where he was. He desperately wanted to confront Ronan and demand an explanation, but he was here for a reason, and he didn’t think that saying anything about his previous relationship with Ronan in front of Cam and his people was a good idea.

Besides, Ronan had run from him. Why would he want to talk to him?

Fuck.

He’d thought he was over all of this, but he should have known better.

He’d just never expected to see Ronan again.

If he hadn’t, the pain of losing his mate would have remained dormant.

As it was, it felt as fresh as it had been the day he’d come home to find the apartment empty and Ronan’s things gone.

“Do you really want to talk to the person who killed your father?” Cam asked, startling Vincent out of his thoughts.

He wasn’t sure he could focus on anything but Ronan, but he had to at least try. He didn’t want Cam to think he didn’t respect him. “I do.”

“There’s a reason he killed your father, and it’s not pretty.”

“I’m aware of what my father did. I’ve always known he wasn’t a good person, and while I didn’t expect him to be responsible for so much pain, I can’t say I’m surprised that he is. He might not have hurt me physically the way he did your shifters, but that didn’t mean he never hurt me.”

Cam stared for a moment. Maybe coming here hadn’t been a good idea, but if Vincent hadn’t, he wouldn’t have seen Ronan again. He had no idea where any of this would leave him, but he’d been waiting for years to get an explanation, and he wanted it. He didn’t care if he had to wait another few days.

“I’m sorry that he did,” Cam said. “All right. I’ll allow you into pack territory.”

Vincent blinked. He hadn’t expected that. “You don’t have to. Like I said, I came here to apologize and thank the person who killed my father. I can do so from here.”

“Well, I can’t. It’s getting late, and it’s going to be dark soon. We can do this at my house.”

“I just don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.”

Cam smiled. He was a handsome man, but not as handsome as Ronan. He didn’t make Vincent’s heart flutter the way Ronan always had. Of course, that could be because Ronan was Vincent’s mate and Cam wasn’t.

“We’re used to being uncomfortable,” Cam said.

“Just because you’re used to it doesn’t mean you should feel that way. I’m fine here, I promise.”

“That’s why I’m inviting you in.”

Vincent was confused, but if there was one thing he knew about shifters, it was that even though he wasn’t a member of Cam’s pack, he needed to respect the alpha. Cam hadn’t ordered him to come into pack territory, but he wanted him there, and it would be disrespectful to continue refusing.

Vincent wanted Cam to trust him. He wanted to tell him about the money and what he wanted to do with it. He’d come all the way here to talk about it because he hadn’t thought anyone would hear him out on the phone, but the situation made him uncomfortable.

“Unless you’re afraid we’re going to kill you, too,” the man standing next to Cam said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“I would hope not since you don’t have a reason to kill me.”

“You could be lying.”

Vincent swallowed. “I could be, but I’m not.

Fulton was my biological father, but he was never an actual father to me.

My mother raised me on her own. I had nothing to do with him, and I wish things had continued that way.

It would have if he hadn’t died and I hadn’t inherited some of his things.

” Including an obscenely large amount of money.

All of it was blood money, though, and Vincent wanted nothing to do with it.

“No one is going to die tonight,” Cam interjected. “This is Bryson, my brother. Forgive him if he’s a bit protective of me.”

Vincent nodded. “I can understand that.” He didn’t have siblings, but he loved Peter like a brother. He’d do anything to protect him.

“Come on in, then. We’ll open the gate, and you can drive until you see the houses. Park wherever you find space. I’ll lead you to my home.”

Vincent really was going to have to do this, wasn’t he? Normally, he’d be fine with it. He was curious to know the people his father had hurt so much. He wanted to see them thrive in a way he hoped he would, too, once his father’s ghost was gone.

But he was also wary. Cam looked like he’d believed him when he said he was nothing like his father, but had he?

And even if he had, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t hurt Vincent.

They had many reasons to hate Fulton, and even though Vincent despised the link he shared with his father, he couldn’t deny that Fulton had given him life.

Along with a ton of complications he didn’t want and a shitload of money that he wanted even less.

* * * *

RONAN WANTED TO SCREAM at Cam not to let Vincent in. At the same time, he wanted to take Vincent aside and ask him what he was doing there. He wanted to ask him if he knew what his father had done, if he’d played along and had thought nothing of hurting Ronan.

He couldn’t. This wasn’t the right moment to ask Vincent, and it definitely wasn’t the right moment to tell Cam about the past they shared. Ronan needed a moment, but it looked like he wouldn’t get it. Cam had invited Vincent in, and Ronan would have to deal with that.

He wasn’t sure he could.

He watched from afar as Vincent looked at him one last time before climbing into his car.

Bryson and Cam turned back to the gate as it creaked open.

They were talking, and Ronan yearned to know what they were saying.

He hadn’t been close enough to hear everything Vincent had said, and he needed more.

He needed to know everything that had happened to his mate.

Vincent was here because of his father, but what did that mean?

Did he know his father was killed here? That Preston had been the person to kill him?

Was he here for revenge, or was there something else?

Cam wouldn’t let him in if Vincent was here to demand Preston pay, but Vincent was smart.

If that was why he was here, he’d make sure that no one found out until he got what he wanted.

That wasn’t the kind of person Vincent had been.

He’d hated his father, and every time Fulton tried to get back in contact with him, Vincent had pushed him away.

Ronan remembered long evenings of Vincent ranting about the latest thing Fulton had done.

He despised his father, and Ronan couldn’t imagine that had changed even after Fulton had stuck Ronan in a cage.

But Fulton had been smart, too. Maybe he’d found a way back into Vincent’s life.

Ronan still didn’t know what Vincent thought had happened to him.

He’d been told that Vincent was dead, but had Vincent been told the same about him?

He’d been clearly shocked when he’d seen Ronan standing there, but it didn’t tell Ronan what he’d been through all these years.

“Okay, I know we’re not friends, but it’s clear something’s up with you,” Preston said. “You don’t have to talk to me, but I’m here if you need to.”

“I’m fine.” Ronan was definitely not fine, but what was he supposed to say? The mate I thought was dead is suddenly standing in front of me, and I don’t know what to do about it?

Ronan didn’t know how Preston and the others would react if he told them that Vincent was his mate.

Would they stop trusting him? Considering what had happened with Fulton, they might, even though Ronan had been one of Fulton’s victims. Would they understand that Vincent had nothing to do with what his father did?

Or was that a lie? Had Vincent been lying to Ronan the entire time they were together?

Ronan would never have believed something like that before, but now, he wasn’t sure. He’d thought Vincent was dead for years. He wished he could be happy about his mate standing in front of him, but instead, he was worried and anxious.

“Ronan?” Cam said when he and Bryson reached Ronan and Preston.

Bryson’s attention went straight to his mate, which unfortunately meant that Ronan was left with Cam while Preston fussed over Bryson.

“I’m surprised to see you here,” Cam said as they started walking.

Ronan had no idea how to deal with any of this, but maybe he could get some answers. “I apologize for following you if it wasn’t what you wanted, but the guard told me a man who said he was Fulton’s son was at the gate, and I couldn’t stay behind.”

Cam nodded. “That’s what Vincent is saying, yes. I don’t think he’s lying about his relationship with Fulton.”

“He’s Fulton’s son.” Ronan had always known that. It wasn’t what he was worried about.

“I don’t see why he should lie, so I’m inclined to think that he is. I don’t know about everything else, though.”

“What does he want?”

“To make amends, apparently. He apologized for what his father did.”