Standing before Brett, Swift couldn’t help but be amazed that he seemed so well put together. There was darkness in his eyes as he spoke, one that warned her he was dangerous, but she admired his ability to keep what had happened out of the present. She wanted to be able to do that. She wanted a normal life again.

“How do you do it? How do you get up every morning and go on living after that? Don’t you want revenge?”

“Revenge…” His jaw tightened and she could feel his bear edge toward the surface. “Every moment of every day, but you can’t get revenge on someone who is already dead. They didn’t make it out of my house. More than just them—some good officers went down in the battle. Sergeant Black was gravely wounded but managed to survive. He forced me to carry on even when I didn’t want to. There were days when I didn’t want to get out of bed. Do you think he’d have allowed me to mope around? Hell, no. He worked my ass every day and because of that, I joined the police force three years ago.”

“Why did you leave?”

“Ari and Kaden put the security system in my house in Texas. I wanted the best and they are the best. Over the years, we’ve stayed in touch and become good friends. They mentioned Jase was interested in recruiting guards for the tribe.”

“You left Texas to come to Crimson Hollow? What about your job with the police department? Surely that would have been more rewarding than working for Jase?”

He reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, drawing her a little closer. “Sergeant Black died six months ago. Since then, things haven’t been the same. I was alone in this world and seemed to have lost my reason for being. I stepped down, hoping I could find that again with others of my own kind. I spoke with Jase a number of times before making the decision but once I did that same night, I was on the road headed this way. My house is on the market, and I’m starting over. So far, the tribe has been what I needed.”

She couldn’t picture giving up everything to start over in another state. She might have left Crimson Hollow because she would have been forced out anyways, but she was only two hours away. While it seemed far, it was the nearest town she could find work in without everyone questioning her. No one knew her here and that was what she needed. But, it also meant she was alone. Or at least she’d been until Noah and Brett showed up.

“You asked me how I go on every day after everything that happened. The answer is simple.” He slid his hands down her arms, teasing along her skin. “I do it because the only other option is failure. I won’t fail my family. They died because of my actions and I’ve spent years trying to make amends for what I’ve done, by protecting others.”

“You didn’t know what would happen to them; if you had, you’d have done something.” She ran her hand along his chest, giving him comfort where she could.

“It doesn’t change the fact that their blood is still on my hands. That guilt is always with me but I’ve forced myself to move forward. You can, too. Let me help you.”

“It’s different with me.” She stepped back, breaking their physical contact. “You couldn’t get to your family in time to save them, whereas I stood there and did nothing. My brother shoved me down behind this huge tree and ordered me to stay. Before I could argue, he ran toward the fighting. I watched everyone I knew and loved die. I was paralyzed with fear and did nothing. How am I supposed to live with that?”

“You saved yourself. That’s what is important.” He took a step toward her but when she shook her head, he stopped. “Sin said your leash was outnumbered.”

“We were a small leash, mostly family. We kept to ourselves.”

“In the end, that was your demise. Foxes are small creatures. If it had been another shifter group trying to take over, you’d never stand a chance. With the humans, you would have had a chance if they hadn’t eliminated your best men immediately. The guards on duty were shot before they could even fight back. There was no perimeter fence to keep them out. Your guards were unarmed because there was peace in our world then. Humans hadn’t known about us as they do now. It’s a miracle that you and Sin survived. In the other leash that was attacked before yours, no one survived, which is why nobody learned about it before the second attack. It was weeks later before anyone knew about it because they kept to themselves.”

She knew everything he was saying was the truth but it didn’t ease the tightness in her chest or the fear that ran through her veins. His words also sent a chill through her very core. Foxes are small creatures…they’d never stand a chance against another shifter group. He was a bear and even before he’d said these words, she knew she wouldn’t win if she had to fight him. But now she wondered if he was a threat to her…

“Hey now…” He stepped closer to her. As she backed up, he continued to close the distance until her back was pressed against the wall and his body held her there. “Don’t, Swift.”

“Don’t what?”

“You’re looking at me as if I’m about to kill you and your fear stains the air. I’m not here to hurt you, so quit looking at me like that.” He cupped the side of her face and gently traced his thumb over the curve of her jawbone. “I’ll protect and cherish you, if you’ll only allow me.”

“Pro…protect me from what? You said it yourself: the men I fear are dead. Who do I need protection from? You?”

“Never me. I’ve put my old ways behind me. I’ve changed. I mean you no harm and you know that. You’re scared and you’re letting your fears carrying you away from reality. The men who hurt your family are dead, and so are the ones who went after Zoe’s. I can’t kill someone who’s already dead. If I could, there’d be a list, starting with the assholes who killed Annie.” He took a deep breath and let it out again. “Trust me and I’ll help you through this. Come back to Crimson Hollow where you’re safe.”

“You keep saying that. Why am I not safe here?”

“I hadn’t planned on bringing this up but I feel it’s the best way to prove to you that you need to come home.” He looked down at her and their gazes locked before she closed her eyes to get away from the intensity of his scrutiny. “The attacks on shifters are getting worse. They choose a different animal each week and put a bounty on their head. If you can prove you’ve killed the animal of the week, you’re rewarded handsomely.”

Startled, she’d have stepped back if she wasn’t pressed against the wall. Each night she watched the news but they never said anything. Since she had purposely avoided other shifters because she didn’t want anyone to know she was alone, she hadn’t heard about it from them, either. The news made her heart skip a beat. The world was dangerous and becoming more so each day. Maybe it would have been better if I had died with my family.

“Are you listening to me?”

“Are foxes…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the question.

“No.” He slid his hand upwards to tangle his fingers in her hair. “Foxes haven’t been picked yet but it’s only a matter of time. We want to get you home before they decide to choose another animal.”

“The threats to us…they never end, do they?”

“Not as long as there’s scum walking this Earth.” He dropped his hand away from her and stepped back. “Now, with so many other horrors in the world, how about you trust me and let me help you?”

“Why? Why would you want to help me? Because I’m your mate?”

“Why should I help you?” Without breaking eye contact, he took a few steps back. “Even if you weren’t my mate, I’d help you. No one deserves what these bastards are doing. No one should have to live in fear. What happened to you is awful. You’re alive and you need to cherish each moment. I ask you again: Come back to Crimson Hollow where you’re safe. Jase, Sin, and everyone wants you back.”

“If I can’t keep my emotions under control, Jase will have to ask me to leave.” She dragged her hands through her hair, tugging the strands just enough to feel. “I left once but if I go back, I’ll never have the courage to do it again. I’ve practically had to tie myself to the bed so I wouldn’t go running back with my tail between my legs. I’m no good for the tribe like this.”

“We’ll work together; we’ll keep your anxiety at bay. You have to keep telling yourself that the shadows in the dark—the ones you fear—are dead. No one is coming for you. This terrorist organization hunting shifters will be eliminated, but it’s going to take time. I’ve reached out to my contacts and they’re working on stopping them. Until then, we’ve got to do our best to keep each other safe.”

“Safe. What a joke. Is anywhere even safe anymore?” Her voice rising until she was almost yelling—but she couldn’t stop herself.

“Jase, Ari, Kaden, and everyone else have put a lot of work into making Crimson Hollow safe. We’re stronger in a group. There are more of us to watch each other’s backs. Come home.”

The door opened and Noah strolled in with the food. Even as the delicious aroma of Mexican fare drifted toward her, she couldn’t shut off her thoughts. Home. That one word sounded so heavenly. She wanted to be back there, surrounded by the people she had come to consider family. She wanted to see Sin again, and Jase, too. To be safely hidden behind the perimeter fence, with guards protecting the whole tribe. More than that, she wanted to be back in her own bed, in her own cabin.