pointed out. “You sold them once already and claimed the money for them. The people you sold them to sold them again.” I lounged back on the table, my hands pressing against the rough wood as my feet idly swayed.
“You stole the jewelry in the first place,” he snarled at me, color tinging his cheeks.
“It was mine. My mother willed it to me. I had been living in that house with no heat, and almost no food, since she died. I went to Lupine Hollow on full scholarship where they covered everything for me. There were no expenses. You didn’t need to sell anything. Not a single thing. There was enough money in the accounts to cover the basic upkeep of that house until I turned eighteen and could have taken it myself.” I wished I could use Zev’s power and see the truth as he turned the color of a Bing cherry. “Why did you get rid of everything? Why did you sell it all? Why send me away? Why keep punishing me?”
“Because she deserved it!” he screamed, the words echoing across the park. “Because you deserve it in her place!” He was panting now as he glared at me.
“What could she have done to you that’s so bad?” Tears filled my eyes now, ones I couldn’t have held back if I wanted to as I pictured my mom. The mom I knew was a woman full of love and light and laughter. Someone who would go out of her way to help anyone. She could be stubborn as hell and thought her way was right to a fault, but how could she have hurt her own brother so badly that he hated her this much? That he’d hate me this much?
It’s okay, kitten, Ian soothed, giving a mental stroke over my mind, a sentiment which was echoed by the others. We’re here.
Your mom rescued me, remember? Alarick reassured me. I know how good of a person she was. Hell, when I transformed, she jumped right between me and the others in the room, protecting me because she was afraid they would hurt me when they saw what I was. Yeah, that sounded like my mom. I squared my shoulders, facing off with Lyle as I pushed to my feet.
“Like you don’t know. You and Candice.” He spat her name, and his lips curled in a snarl that my wolf emulated as she paced inside me. Prey. Threat, she growled in my head.
I shook my head, keeping my hands open at my sides, knowing Ian would still be recording. “I don’t,” I admitted. “She never talked about you.”
He barked out a laugh, though there was no amusement in the sound, only scorn. “Oh, why should she? I was only her little brother. Her only living family. Why should she mention me?” He whirled and kicked the car again, the motion making his hair stick up in spikes. So much for calm, collected Lyle. Shannon had been right about him. He returned his glare to me. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is she owed me, and you’re going to be the one to pay up. You’re still my ward. I told you before, if you didn’t sell the jewelry and the stuff from the house, I’d have you declared a danger to yourself.” His eyes ran over me as he shook his head.
“I’m not going to sell anything, and you’re not going to have me declared a danger to myself.” I kept my voice firm and even. His head reared back in shock as he stared at me. “Those things belong to me. You already sold them, against what I believe a court would have ordered, mind you, and collected on them. Technically, any money you received for that should be held in trust for me.” His eyes turned sly as he studied me.
“What makes you think it’s not?” He reached up to loosen the gray tie he wore, letting it hang limply against his shirt.
I shrugged. “Considering you’re asking me for money after you’ve already sold everything once? Common sense. My guess is you’ve already spent it and you’re going to claim it was on my upkeep.”
“Well, I had to make sure you were doing well at that school,” he blustered, shaking his head. “You’ve been known to lie and manipulate before, it was only right I took extra measures.”
I had to breathe deeply, the moonlight on my skin acting as a catalyst, trying to force my wolf