Page 114 of The Tracker's Dawn: Sunderverse

“I... I don’t mean to take more than a few seconds of your time,” I said. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry that—”

Travis put a hand up to stop me.

The words I’d planned to say turned stale in my mouth. I swallowed hard.

“I appreciate you coming here,” Travis said, “but it wasn’t necessary.”

Tears pricked in the back of my eyes. I hated myself for caring, for remembering the night of the Pack Rule meeting and the way he’d seemed willing to create a connection. Peter Sunder would always be my father, but it would be a lie if I didn’t admit that I felt a part of me had been cheated out of an important facet of who I was meant to be.

I took a step back, inclining my head.

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Travis said.

My gaze snapped to him.

Smiling, Marcus gave his father an approving nod as if these weren’t the words he’d been expecting to hear, but he was very glad for them.

“I’m the one who should apologize.” He offered me a smile that resembled his son’s. It was a little stiff but genuine enough. Travis cleared his throat. “Marcus and I were headed to lunch. Would you like to join us?”

My chest swelled in a weird way I hadn’t anticipated. “Yes, I would.”

As we left, I lingered a step behind and gave Rosalina the thumbs up. She grinned, looking happy for me. I sent her a quick text to tell her she didn’t need to wait for me and hurried forward.

“I heard you defeated that fucking witch,” Travis said, a note of satisfaction in his voice.

“We did. She’s gone for good.”

“You’ll have to tell me all about it over the best damn tuna steak in the city.”

We walked down the sidewalk, moving in sync. Red seemed to brim with a certain pride, and I imagined it wouldn’t be long until I felt exactly as she did.

* * *

MOM WAS CRYING, ANDLucia was callously rolling her eyes. Maybe, a couple of years back, I would have done the same, but I understood Mom all too well now.

The baby of the family was graduating and would soon be leaving us for New York City to attend the League of Demon Hunters.

Her Converse peeked from under her black graduation gown. Her cap was decorated with the words:“Sorry, not sorry, for all those timesIraisedyourhand in class.”

I shook my head. Classic Lucia!

She kept glancing over her shoulder, eager to run to her friends. We were in the same gym where Leo, Dani, and I had received our diplomas. The same place the hybrids had invaded a week ago.

Lucia’s hell of an ordeal with us had definitely swayed her to take the scholarship at the LDH. They’d even provided a plane ticket for her to fly at the end of July. She would have room and board, and a cafeteria plan with all her textbooks included. A full ride. It was really something to be proud of, if only because of her innate skills since her grades hadn’t been all that stellar. It paid to be a Skew with rare powers.

Dani hugged our little sister and slipped an envelope in her hand. “Don’t spend it all at once.”

Knowing Lucia, she would have nothing left by tonight. But heck, we’d all been there. We could warn her until we went blue in the face, but she had to learn the hard lessons on her own.

Rosalina also hugged Lucia and offered her another envelope.

Lucia beamed, likely imaging all the things she would buy.

Jake draped an arm across my shoulders and smiled. He looked very handsome in his dark suit, with his brown hair perfectly combed back and shining under the fluorescent lights. I drank in his features, unable to believe he was mine. Maybe there would be trials to come. I had to adjust to pack life, and we had to watch out for Craig Blackridge, but after what we’d been through, I knew we could face anything together.

“Sorry I’m late,” a deep voice said behind us.

My heart skipped a beat. I froze. My mom and sisters seemed to freeze too. I turned around slowly, holding my breath, willing it to be true.