betrayal comes blazing back to me as hot and fiery as a wildfire.
My grandma takes a breath. “It’s true. You could have ended up with depression, too, but you have to understand that when a female werewolf leaves her pack, the depression comes on gradually. A lot of the times, they don’t see it coming. Bridget probably thought she would be immune to it, that it wouldn’t happen to her, and when it did—” She shrugs. “She was probably so far gone with depression that she couldn’t help herself, let alone you. It doesn’t mean that she didn’t love you. Our daughter may have made some reckless choices in her life, but she wasn’t a bad person. She was kind. I know that she loved you. She just didn’t know how to care for you given the state she was in. She probably didn’t even realize that state so thinking ahead to what your future could be like … it probably never occurred to her.”
I look at her hopefully. “Do you really think so?”
My grandpa squeezes my shoulder. “We believe so, and even if she did consider it, you have to remember that you’re half human. Maybe she knew that your human side would protect you, because that’s undoubtedly what kept you healthy. It’s why you’ve been able to survive without your pack.”
My pack. I bring my hands to my cheeks. I have a pack. I groan internally. How I wish I could share this with Collin. He would be so elated to know that I’m like him.
I consider their words and remember what Collin told me about his wolf changing. I’d seen firsthand what kind of beast his wolf had become without a pack. He’d been in denial that it would happen to him, just like my mother had probably been in denial that it would happen to her.
Fresh tears fill my eyes when I picture how hard he’s fought to find his way back. He’s told me repeatedly that I saved him, that being with me, finding his fated mate saved his wolf. He believes that anything less than that wouldn’t have pulled him back from the brink.
If only my mom had found the same in my dad, but he obviously hadn’t been her fated mate, just her chosen one.
My grandpa hands me another tissue, which I gratefully accept.
“Have you noticed anything about yourself that eludes to your werewolf heritage?” my grandma asks gently. She then smiles with pride. “You certainly have the build of our kind, but what about other traits.”
I blow my nose quietly, then reply, “Wes said female werewolves are stronger, faster, and have enhanced senses. I think I have the strong and fast, but I don’t know about the enhanced senses.”
My grandma pats my hand. “No matter. You’re still one of us.”
My heart fills at how quickly they’ve accepted me before my grandparents share a hopeful look.
“There’s something else we’re wondering,” my grandpa says. “Wes told us that you won’t be able to stay here anymore, that you’ve been asked to leave after this meeting, and well … your grandma and I were wondering if you wanted to come back to Montana with us? We’d love for you to meet your rightful pack and your extended family. You have aunts and an uncle and a whole slew of nieces and nephews. They all want to meet you if you’re willing.”
Tears fill my vision again. “You would do that? For me?”
They both nod vigorously.
“We want you in our lives so much, Brianna, but it’s your choice. We won’t force anything on you.” My grandmother’s words are gentle, but I hear the ache in them, the desperation, and it’s exactly how I feel. I’ve only just found them, and I can’t bear to let them go.
All I can do is nod as another fresh round of bawling begins.
My grandma throws her arms around me as my grandpa chuckles in relief. He pats my hand and says, “Welcome to our family, Brianna.”
∞ ∞ ∞
A few hours later, I arrive in Crescent Crossing, Montana—the pack-run town of the Montana pack. Who would have known that an entire town could be owned and run by a werewolf pack?
Not me, that’s who.
As I gaze out at the mountainous landscape, I realize that my life in Arizona is truly behind me. After all I’ve gone through and experienced, there’s no way I can return to school and pick up where I left off.
My grandparents live in a huge home on their