“Do you want to know what he’s thinking?” Brady asked quietly.
“Brady, stop.”
“She has a right to know, brother.”
I looked back over to where my mother held Avery close, her eyes on us now. But, none of them came over to the car. Did I want to know what they were thinking? Deciding it couldn’t be any worse than all of the horrible things I’d already thought of over the years, I whispered, “Yes.”
Brady caught my gaze with his, a small smile on his lips as he said, “He’s thinking about how much he loves and misses you. That he never should have turned you away, even though his alpha demanded it since you were a cat shifter and not avian. He wishes he would have stood up to his alpha, but if he had, he would have been killed. He still would be, along with the rest of your family.”
“Your mother is thinking about how much she wants to hold you in her arms right now. She wants to tell you that she loves you, that you will always be her princess,” Griff said quietly.
My chin trembled as I fought back the sobs that rose up in my throat. “They love me?”
“So much, sweetheart,” Griff whispered, bringing my hand to his mouth to kiss the back of it. “But there is still the ban on seeing you. If they do, it puts not only them in danger, but also Avery.”
“Do they have a good life?”
“Yes, they do,” Brady answered. “The only thing missing is you.”
Another sob escaped. “But the other falcons, the alpha, they are good to them with me being gone?”
“Yes,” Griff promised, cupping her cheek and wiping a tear away with his thumb. “Very good.”
Placing a kiss in the palm of his hand, I sat back. “That’s all I need to know.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Griff hesitated, and then put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. All the while my eyes stayed on the small family huddled together on the front porch, watching us go. Resting the palm of my hand against the cool glass of the window, I sent them a small smile. I saw my mom take a step toward us, but Del put his arm around her waist, holding her back. Looking out for her, like a good mate should. Now, I understood why everything happened the way it did so long ago. It still hurt, almost more than I could bear, but with it came the realization that my mother and sister were fine, happy even. I needed to let them be.
150
Shadow
“You ready?”
I looked over at Demon, giving him a short nod. “Let’s do this so we can go home.”
“Home,” Shyla murmured from where she squatted down beside me. “I haven’t had one of those in so long.”
“Well, you do now,” Demon said gruffly. “Although, I’m not sure what you will think about the shack Shadow lives in.”
“You live there, too, asshole,” I growled, my eyes on the building below us. It was dark, and the dumbasses only had dim lighting in the front of it. The stupid fuckers didn’t know how to protect their investments, which we were about to prove to them.
“It’s okay,” Shyla whispered, reaching for the Glock at her hip. “We have each other. We will make it a home together.”
My heart kicked in my chest at the thought. A low growl slipped free as I rasped, “Together.”
“Together,” Demon muttered. “Let’s get this shit done. I’m ready to go home.”
I nodded, grabbing the bag that set on the ground beside my feet, and taking off toward the building, a shadow in the dark. Demon and Shyla were on my heels, my brother with his own bag. He split to the left once we reached the warehouse, and Shyla and I went to the right. We had a total of five explosive devices each to set, and it didn’t take long.
Soon, we were back on the small hill overlooking the warehouse owned by the Phoenix Lycaon Wolves MC. I didn’t know if any of the wolves were inside. I didn’t give a shit. They had made our lives a living hell for many years. They’d killed my mother and kidnapped my mate’s sister, not to mention all of the other horrible things they were famous for. They were all dead, as far as I was concerned. If not tonight, then someday in the future.
“Once we do this, they won’t have much left for weapons,” Demon growled, his eyes glowing in the darkness. “Anyone who survives will have to leave and find another chapter to join, especially with their president dead.”
“What about their vice president?” Shyla asked quietly.
“You killed him at the bar, sis,” Demon said, the white of his teeth flashing in the night.
Shyla matched his grin. “Good.”
“Ready?”
Demon’s gaze met mine, and he nodded.
I held the detonator out to him. “I got my revenge when I took out Mad Dog. This is for you.”
Straightening his shoulders, Demon slowly reached over and took it from me. “Thanks, brother,” he rasped, right before his finger hit the button that triggered one of the largest explosions I’d ever seen.
We watched in satisfaction for several minutes, before I reached over and took Shyla’s hand in mine. “Let’s go home.”
151
Shadow
Two days later we pulled into the driveway heading up to the cabin Wraith owned in Woden, Texas. He had several acres where we could come and shift if we wanted to, without having to worry about humans finding out about us. I had used it sometimes in the past, but today was different. Today, I was bringing my beautiful mate here to have some fun. I wanted to see her ocelot. Wanted to run with her as our cats. And, later,
