Page 66 of Crossed Fates

She nodded, her lips curling into a watery smile. “I know. You all have been… the family I needed. Thank you.” She took another step away, then turned for the woods and disappeared behind a tree. A moment later, her brown fur poked into view, her eyes gleaming yellow beneath the moonlight.

And then she bolted into the underbrush.

My mother bit her lip, uncertainty etched into her features. “I feel like I should go with her, Hawk.”

“Sometimes it’s best to let them fly a little,” my father whispered to her. “She’ll come back when she’s ready.” His blue eyes met mine, the message not lost on me. “They always do.”

My usual gut reaction of annoyance didn’t appear.

Instead, I felt resigned. Like I’d been running from something all my life and had finally decided to just start walking.

Not away from my destiny necessarily, but around it.

A trail of what-ifs sprawled out before me, the choices vast and intimidating.

I shook my head, exhausted and not wanting to ponder that mess right now. It resembled a maze of torment that all led to the same end.

Makayla gave my palm another squeeze, drawing my attention to her beautiful face.You okay?she seemed to be asking.

I nodded, then brushed a kiss against her forehead, thanking her for being with me tonight. It felt so natural, my lips against her skin, that I lingered for half a beat before pulling back.

Approval radiated from my mother as she melted into my father’s side.

Then the four of us made the long walk back to the pack.

We could have driven, but this experience was about reflection and honoring Tyler’s existence. With every step, I thought of a new memory. Some of them, I shared out loud with Makayla, just because it seemed right to tell her about my brother.

She laughed a few times, entertained by our antics.

My mother joined her, too, adding her own commentary about the trouble we used to cause together.

It was uplifting in a lot of ways, our mutual reminiscence refreshing. “I can’t believe you know about that,” I said, a laugh in my voice. “God, Tyler and I were sure we’d kept that secret from you.”

My mom scoffed. “Please, there’s not a damn thing you two did that I don’t know about.”

“Her ears are even better than mine,” my dad added, winking at me. “But she’s right. You two were not nearly as stealthy as you thought you were.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. Tyler and I had done some stupid shit as teenagers, like setting off that firework by the old shed. “You two weren’t even home,” I recalled.

“Doesn’t mean we were deaf, boy,” my dad retorted. “That firecracker nearly blitzed my damn hearing.”

“Oh, come on. It wasn’tthatloud.”It totally was.Tyler and I had immediately regretted setting it off, and proceeded to destroy all the others.

“You two weren’t wolves yet,” my mother pointed out. “So of course it wasn’t loud.To you.”

Well, she had a point there. I couldn’t even imagine what it would sound like now.

“This sounds like something my brother would have done, only with a toy gun or something,” Makayla said. “He went into the military at eighteen, mostly because he wanted to make a difference in the world. But I think it was also his penchant for loud noises and the potential to blow shit up.”

“Is your brother older or younger?” I wondered out loud, aware that I barely knew anything about her family.

“Older. I was only eight when he left for the military.” She smiled. “Pretty sure that’s what motivated me to join enforcer training. I wanted to be like him. Or I thought I did, anyway. Then my skill set evolved, and I realized my true calling.”

“And what’s that?” my mother asked.

“Helping those who can’t help themselves,” she replied, smiling. “I went freelance, not wanting to be tied down to my alpha’s company, and here I am.”

“Fate put you exactly where she wanted you,” my dad agreed, giving her a knowing grin.