“You two should be on your honeymoon, not seeing to this unpleasantness. The joint council of elders can handle this, no problem,” Lucilla argued from her chair at the council table.

She looked at Matheus and he nodded in agreement. “Lucy has a point.”

“I know the elders are more than capable of dealing with this situation, but the actions of these men nearly cost me my life, and worse, they nearly cost me Becca’s. Besides, this isn’t a job for the council on either side. The parties involved are from Pineland. Their fate is up to Becca as Prowl Leader,” Jaylon argued back.

Becca looked out the cabin window while the three argued. Her intuition itched. There was something more to this than met the eye. Something nagged at the back of her mind. A look, a glance…something insignificant, but it told her Jaylon hadn’t told her the whole truth.

“Why else, Jay?” she turned her eyes on her new mate. “There’s something else behind our delay. I’ve felt it all along and you need to tell me.”

He leaned on the edge of one of the gallery tables. “I couldn’t tell you before because I didn’t want to risk Lyssa overhearing. She has no clue.”

At that moment, Becca knew. That day in their hotel suite while discussing the info his men had turned up, Jaylon glanced at Lyssa before answering the question. Not just a glance. A check.

Becca turned fully, her arms crossing protectively in front of her chest. “Why?”

“If you’re going to be Prowl Leader and want both the men and women under your care to trust you, you have to show them you can deal with difficult situations. Situations that test you to the core. Unfortunately, babe, this is just the first of many.”

She threw a hand in the air. “For God’s sake, stop talking in riddles. What is going to test me?”

Jaylon looked at Lucilla who in turn spared a glance for Jasper.

“My darling girl, there are three members of our Leap waiting to be brought before us. Men you know well, yet they played a part in the attacks on your wedding day. We all realize it’s only by the grace of God you were spared, I was spared and Jaylon was spared. As for the two that died,” he paused, “well—they brought their fate on themselves.”

Becca looked between Jasper, Matheus, and Jaylon. “Are you giving each other lessons in evasion, or is this just a man thing? Can I please get a straight answer?” Her eyes fell on Jaylon. “If you don’t tell me what this is about right now, you’ll be going on our honeymoon alone.”

Jasper raised one hand. “Please, Becca. Patience. Believe it or not, Jaylon is trying to spare your feelings. He’s doing it in a clumsy, oafish way, but his intentions are good. As were his intentions with Lyssa. It’s why he asked her to stay behind and get his beach house ready for when you get back from the Canyons.”

“Okay, I get that, and I appreciate the gesture, but I still want to know what’s going on. I thought we were to deal with all this when we got back? That we needed to wait for the elders from the Wind River Pride to arrive.” Her gaze wouldn’t let them off the hook.

Jay nodded. “They’re here. They arrived this morning.”

The door opened and an older man walked in with a woman and a little boy. The toddler was dark haired and as cute as a button.

Jasper raised a hand and beckoned them forward. “This is Becca Duran, our Prowl Leader, and this is her mate, Jaylon Ross, Alpha of the Deep Water wolf pack.”

The older man inclined his head. “I’m Chester Polk. I’m an elder from the Wind River Cougar Pride. I wish we were meeting under better circumstance, although I understand congratulations are in order.”

Becca nodded. “Yes, well, thank you, Chester.”

“We came as soon as your mate wired. Wind River is pretty remote as you may remember, so your news didn’t arrive as quickly as I’m sure he hoped. I’m sorry for your trouble.”

Becca balked. “My trouble? The source of my trouble came from your pride. Alastair showed up flinging ridiculous claims. Unfortunately, you did not arrive in time to save your Prime. He lost his life while trying to murder my mate.”

“If I may ask, who killed him?” Chester asked, looking at them all.

Becca raised her chin. “I did. The details of the attack are in the report my council prepared.”

He inclined his head. “Thank you.”

Becca looked at the man, his unusual regard a little off-putting. “A report is standard protocol. You deserve to know what happened and why.”

Chester shook his head. “That’s not what I mean. Thank you for killing Alastair Reece.”

Becca’s eyes nearly bugged from their sockets.

Chester met her stunned silence with a sad, close-lipped smile. “Your shock is understandable, but you have no idea what that psychopath put Wind River through. A little over two years ago we were a happy pride. Small, but self-sustaining, and ready to move into a more modern place, not location wise, but in our manner of thinking.”

His sad smile softened. “Your brother Charlie visited us around that time. He was trying to find the place where your Leap originated.”

Becca glanced at Jasper for a moment. “I remember that. I wanted to go with him, but Charlie wouldn’t let me. He said I needed to be here in case something happened to him.” Her gaze dropped to her hands at the memory.

“Our scouts were helping Charlie at the time, and Alastair was one of them. He recognized your family name from an earlier incident.”

Becca frowned. “There’s no need for you to hedge. I know exactly the incident you mean.”

He nodded. “My apologies. Anyway, that’s where our story changes.”

“Mama?” The little boy hid in his mother’s legs, and a tiny flash of half a face grabbed Becca’s attention. There was something familiar about the child.

“I’m sorry, and you are?” Becca asked.

The woman spared a glance for Chester and then looked down at the little boy before resting her hand on his head. “I’m Eleanor. Eleanor Duran.”

Becca blinked, not sure she heard correctly. “I’m sorry, did you say Eleanor Duran?”

The woman nodded, her hand slipping around the little boy’s shoulders, moving him closer. The gesture was so protective and frightened that Becca didn’t know what to make of it.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not following,” Becca replied, looking between Eleanor and the older male.

“I’m the daughter of the old Prime. The one Alastair killed. I was also your brother’s mate.”

Slack-jawed, Becca looked to Jaylon and her own elders before looking back at the woman. “I don’t understand. My brother didn’t have a mate.”

Eleanor nodded. “Yes, he did.” She shrugged. “It all happened so fast.”

Becca’s eyes widened in suspicion, but Eleanor shook her head. “Please, it’s not what you think. What happened with your brother was nothing like what happened with you and Nick Reece. That family and their crimes were well known to my father. He would never have honored Nick’s claim to you or your property. What he did was awful.”

Becca let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding, happy Jaylon had slipped in beside her, his arm around her shoulders.

“Charlie and I were a whirlwind romance,” she smiled, “kind of like you two. We were so happy. We were mated in a small private ceremony before your brother was set to return home. I had loose ends that needed to be tied up, and had planned to join Charlie later that summer. We wanted to have another ceremony here in the Pinelands, with you, but—”

Her voice caught in her throat. “Alastair had his own plans. First, he killed my father and brother and installed himself as our new Prime. He then set his sights on you and your territory, but he needed your brother out of the way.

“One of our elders helped me escape. I was the next in line after my brother died, same as you here. They hid me away, and it was then I realized I was pregnant with Charlie’s baby.” She ran a hand through the child’s thick, dark hair.

“This is Charles Edmund Duran, Jr.” Her eyes misted and when she lifted her face, her cheeks were wet. “Charlie for short, just like his daddy.” She smiled, giving Becca a shrug. “He’s your nephew. Your brother’s child.”

Becca moved to where Eleanor stood and knelt in front of the shy little boy. “Hello, Charlie.” She slipped two fingers under his small chin and the little one looked up. When his eyes met hers, tears stung. He had her brother’s face.

“Charlie’s half cougar, half leopard. I want him to learn about his father and his Leap, but I can’t leave the pride. I’m all they have.” Eleanor hugged her son. “WE’RE all they have. I didn’t find out Charlie was dead until after Alastair came back wounded and swearing vengeance. The elders kept me hidden knowing the baby I carried put an even higher price on my head.

“Alastair’s death is a blessing. He kept our men under his thumb by threatening their families. Wives and children were held under threat of torture if the men didn’t follow his demands. You freed us, Becca. You and your new mate.”

“What can I do for you, Eleanor? How can I help?” Becca asked. “After Charlie died, I had no family.” She glanced at Jaylon and then at the little boy and finally at his mother. “Now I have you. You’re my family. What can I do?”

Eleanor looked at Chester and then at the elders seated at the council table. “The men Alastair coerced into helping him. The ones here in Pineland. I want you to let them come back with me to Wind River.”

Becca looked at Lucilla and the elder motioned for the guard. Three Pineland males walked in and stood in front of the council and Becca’s heart sank as her eyes fell on one man.

Kyle Foster. Lyssa’s father.

Now she understood what Jaylon meant.

She rounded the table, her adrenaline wild as denial coursed through her. “No,” she shook her head harder, “please tell me this is some kind of mistake!”

Kyle’s sad eyes found hers and he nodded. “A mistake, yes, but it’s mine, Becca. Not yours and not the council’s. I got played, sweetheart, we all did and I’m so sorry.”