He’d held her, covered in her blood, consumed with rage and grief, until Gia arrived home. She’d thought he’d done it. Killed his mate, her mother. He’d let her believe the lie. In a way it was true. Being part of her life was what had made her a target. It made Gia a target too, so he let her go also. Her human uncle would take care of her, watch over her. And some day, maybe, after he killed the rogue who’d killed his wife, he could return to his daughter.
He laughed, a hoarse, rusty sound he hadn’t heard in years. Like that was ever going to happen. Too many years had gone by. He’d missed half her life. The chances she’d let him back into it were about nil and none. Still, he would at least be able to explain things once this was all over.
But it wasn’t over yet. He entered the old abandoned house to wait. It was alive with ghosts. He avoided the front living room where she’d died and went to the back of the house. All of the old furniture was still there. It looked like Julian hadn’t removed anything. He dropped a backpack and sleeping bag on a couch, sending dust flying into the air.
He stepped out of the cloud and went to explore the rest of the house. The time warp extended to the kitchen and upstairs bedroom. The only empty space was Gia’s. Her clothes and books were gone, though she’d left her furniture. He doubted a grown woman would want to keep her twin bed from childhood.
He frowned. He should have made more of an effort to inform himself about her life over the years. She was grown now. Was she married? Did she have children? Shaking his head, he pushed the questions away and returned downstairs. He had to focus, and he needed to catch up on some sleep before he faced the rogue.
He spread the unrolled sleeping bag on the floor, pulled off his shoes, and lay down with his arms crossed under his head. He’d dream of revenge.
But sleep eluded him. Why had the rogue come back to Gold Falls? Why come back to the beginning? He couldn’t say how, but he was positive the rogue would find him. Maybe he was finally tiring of the run and hide game they’d been playing for so long. God knows Arthur was tired of it.
And then he heard it. Bushes scratching against the windows, but there was no wind. Someone was out there. Careful not to make any noise, he rolled into the shadows and rose into a crouch. The back door opened, creaky on long unused hinges, and he waited patiently. A silent lure hidden in the gloom.
The scent that came to him was the last he expected however. Not the rogue he was lying in wait for, but another loved one he’d abandoned. Declan entered without making a sound, and he realized his younger brother had intentionally made a little noise outside, a way of announcing his presence.
“What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you.”
Of course. His brother was a Hunter, and since he’d never bothered to clear his name, he was a target.
“You’ll have to wait to kill me until later.”
Declan shrugged. The gesture looked benign and easygoing, but Arthur saw the tension in his frame. “Sure. Why not? You’ve got some explaining to do first anyway.”
“I didn’t kill Hattie.”
“Gia thinks you did.” He’d seen her. Arthur didn’t know whether to feel jealous or sad.
“How is she?”
“Hard as nails. She hunts with the humans. And she’s mated to Anthony.”
Damn it! He’d stayed away from her hoping she’d have a normal life. Whatever the hell that was. Not this. He’d given her care over to Julian, sure he’d protect her.
“I didn’t want her touched by this world,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Kinda hard to avoid that. She is the daughter of a werewolf. She’s convinced you killed Hattie. Did you really just expect her to walk away?”
He had a point. The girl he remembered was stubborn as hell and just as smart. He’d started teaching her self-defense when she was very small, and by sixteen, she was an expert. What kind of woman had she grown into?
“Who did it?”
He was lost in his head and his brows drew together in confusion as he met Declan’s gaze. “What?”
“Who killed Hattie?”
“Tim Burns.” There was a surge of satisfaction at that knowledge. It’d taken years to track the wolf and learn his identity. One that was well known as a matter of fact. He was highly placed in the Society that harbored rogues.
“You seriously expect anyone to believe that?” asked a hard, yet feminine voice.
He’d heard the car pull up, of course. Followed by the front door opening and two sets of footsteps. Her scent hadn’t changed. He shouldn’t have been surprised by her appearance, but he was unprepared to see his baby girl all grown up and dressed for battle with her werewolf mate at her back. She was so like her mother. It was clear to him Anthony wouldn’t be able to control her any more than he’d been able to control Hattie.
Gia hadn’t known that. Had never known that he sometimes gave in and let Hattie go hunting with him. Gia would go off to visit a friend or relative in the summer, and before he knew it, Hattie had conned him into tagging along. He’d never been able to resist her. Couldn’t deny her anything. God, he missed her. And here stood his daughter who, despite his best attempt, was probably just like her mother.
He didn’t answer her question. “Hope you’re not the same sort of adrenaline junkie she was.”
He surprised her, guessed from her expression she didn’t find the chase a thrill at all. Good. Maybe now that she’d found him,
