try harder with you. Part of that is my fault. I didn’t introduce you into the family the way they’re accustomed, meeting you before you were Changed. Jabari and Zuri have seen everyone grow up except you. When I did Change you, none of them were home, and I was still…withdrawn from the world.” He sighed on the other end of the line. “I was accused of Changing you to replace Liza. They didn’t like it. They were gone so much to punish me, and your possible relationship with them suffered because of it. From my understanding, they weren’t particularly kind when they were around, and I thought their distance was becoming a good thing. It gave you a chance to flourish.”
“Ouch,” I mumbled. In a half-joking tone, I asked the stupidest question I could. “I’m not, right?”
“No,” he snapped. “No, Jacky, you aren’t a replacement. I Changed you because I couldn’t imagine a world without you in it while you were there dying in that twisted hunk of metal. It was impulsive, something I had never done before, but that was it.” I could hear him grumble and growl on the other end. I shouldn’t have asked. I knew better, honestly. He never compared me to her, never made it seem like I was a replacement.
“Back to your siblings. I knew they were going to try speaking to you more, and I’m glad Jabari is using this to kick things off. It’s important. I hope you accept it and let them make their attempts. Try opening up to them. You’ll be less lonely if you start talking to other werecats more often, others who truly understand you.”
“Did you encourage them, or was this their decision?” I wanted the truth. “Hasan, I don’t want family who don’t want me.”
“Jacky, they were willing to expose our kind to keep you alive. You are their younger sister. They mean what they say. Now, what Jabari said to you? He’s used to things being done a certain way and having a certain amount of control, something he doesn’t have with you. To him…you’re a rebellious teenager.”
“I’m thirty-six and just like to live my own life,” I reminded him.
“Yes. A child in our world. Don’t take his harshness to heart. You might be a well-balanced, functioning, human adult, but to a werecat, you’re still young. You try to live life by rules that no longer apply and cannot continue to apply.”
“You would tell me if you were angry, right? About everything?” It was complicated between Hasan and me. It always would be, but I had the same attitude with him as I did my human father. I got angry with his secrets, I craved his pride, and I wanted him to leave me alone. I leaned into his affection and snapped at his hand when I didn’t want it.
“You’ll know the day I get angry with you,” he whispered. It sent shivers down my spine. Oh, yes, I would. He would make sure everyone within a few hundred miles knew he was angry with me.
“Thanks for talking to me. Keep me updated?”
“I said I would. I’ll put you on the list of calls I have to make every time one of you is out getting into trouble.” He chuckled softly. “Sadly, being the youngest, you are last.”
“I figured. Did they all get calls from you about me?”
“I call them about you more than you can imagine,” he said with a bite. “But yes, when you were called to Duty, and everything happened, they all heard about it as I did.”
I wonder why else he calls them about me. It’s not like I do much of anything.
“All right, well, I have to go. Bye!” I hung up as he replied with his own goodbye.
I felt a little better, glad to know he didn’t blame me and wasn’t angry like so many others. That was enough to put me at ease to take the nap I had been craving—social activity took it out of me.
5
Chapter Five
I picked up Carey promptly at four in the afternoon at the family’s dark brown brick, two-story farmhouse. She had just enough time every Monday to do two things—eat a snack and do her homework. She wasn’t allowed to come with me until the homework was done. The snack was just her preference.
“Stay out of trouble,” Heath said to her as he walked her to my car. “And don’t give Jacky a hard time.”
“I never do, Dad!” Carey rolled her eyes