Werewolves Be Damned - By Stacey Kennedy Page 0,85

was introduced to werewolves, it surprised her where her thoughts took her, and even more what she was about to offer next. “Anytime you need my help, you only need to ask.”

His nod was slow, gracious. “I appreciate that, but I hope this is the end to your troubles.”

She snorted. “Me too…”

The world suddenly spun, cutting her off mid-sentence. Valor reached out for her, but Kyden caught her first, gathering her into his arms. She nuzzled her head against his bare, warm chest, as exhaustion quickly overtook her. Zia’s magic had clearly worn off.

Without a word to anyone else, Kyden headed toward the front yard, apparently to the portal Talon and Zia had traveled through to get into Carson City. Nexi scanned over her family home, suspecting this would be the last time she’d come here.

Eventually people would stop looking for her and a for sale sign would go up on the lawn. A new family would move in and her past would be a faint memory, nothing more. A life so different than the one she lived now, it would seem to have belonged to someone else.

Once they cleared the house and headed toward the front yard, Kyden grumbled something incoherent. His arms tensed around her, and she raised her head to meet a stern expression. “Now that this is over, you will answer my question.” He hesitated, and when she didn’t respond—since she hadn’t a clue what the question was—his eyebrow arched. “Why did you come here to fight Lazarus…alone?”

She sighed. “Oh, that’s a simple answer, really.” Pouring into her expression all the emotions that she had experienced when she had discovered Lazarus had taken him, she said, “I came because love you.”

He froze mid-step, pure warmth seeping into his features. “Álainn.”

That’s when her body decided enough was enough, and that handsome face blurred…

Chapter Twenty-Four

Bright oranges and reds flashed before Nexi’s closed eyelids, all bringing forth a deep groan. For a woman who never fainted a day in her old life, she sure seemed to be fainting often in her new one.

That needed to stop any time now.

Pushing herself up to sitting, she noticed grass beneath her fingers. The sun shone down, warming her skin, and she covered her eyes, glancing up. Above her, were branches—ones she instantly recognized. She scrunched her nose, scanned the area ahead of her before she turned to the tree again.

Her willow stood proudly in front of her, of that she was sure. Only she wasn’t at her willow, exactly. She’d woken up in the Witches’ Meadow, not Carson City. Confusion wracked her mind, making her discombobulated state intensify.

“I brought it home for you.”

Nexi spun around on a gasp and discovered Zia behind her. She could only blink, totally baffled. “What?”

Zia angled her head back, gazing at the long leaves trailing down around her. “This willow was Tillie’s favorite tree when she was alive.” Looking at Nexi again, she smiled softly. “Your mother spent a lot of time here, especially after you were born.”

Nexi’s breath caught, her throat tightened, and tears welled in her eyes. “She did?”

Zia nodded, twirling a leaf in her finger. “When you were sent away, I wanted to give you a piece of her with you, so I placed the tree in the forest near your house. I had hoped the draw of magic would lead you to it.” Her eyes twinkled. “And I was glad to find out it did.”

Nexi swallowed the swell of thick emotion rising in her chest. “My connection to this tree is my mother?”

Zia inclined her head. “Was I right to have brought it home?”

Trailing her fingers along the leaves, Nexi was somehow not as surprised as she would have expected to learn that’s why she loved this tree. Her connection held so intensely, maybe deep down she always knew it had to be something like that. “Yes, perfectly right. I’ve come home. It’s only right my tree comes home, too.”

A long pause followed before Zia said on a sigh, “Losing Drake is a horrible tragedy. I’m so very sorry, Nexi.”

Nexi’s chin quivered, the tears now escaping down her cheeks before she brushed them away. “We’ve all lost him. Not only me.” She stared into Zia’s teary eyes. “It’s sad for everyone. Death always is.”

She didn’t even know how to sort through or process what had happened. Nor did she know how to start to deal with the loss of Drake, or the real reason her adoptive parents were murdered, or even how to