“He didn’t mean what he said,” the shifter said to Angeline when he stopped at the edge of the forest.

“About trespassing?” Angeline asked.

His huge frame sagged a bit. “No, I’m afraid our alpha was very serious. Killian, he didn’t mean what he said about your mother deserving to die. He wanted to scare you away so that Darian wouldn’t be forced to kill you. It’s very hard for an alpha to go back on his word. Don’t trespass again, Angeline. He’ll kill you.”

Angeline nodded. “I understand.”

“Killian, if he changes his mind about helping with your mother, he’ll come to you.”

“He won’t come. He’s too proud.”

The smile that won over the face of the handsome face of the shifter surprised Angeline. “You might be right. You sound like you know him pretty well for someone who hasn’t spent much time around him.”

Angeline was just about to ask him if he would ask Killian for her if he would come to Freebasin but the shifter departed, racing off into the forest.

He left her near the well instead of by her home as Killian did. Angeline walked into town and filled a bucket of water for the household since she was already there.

“Morning, Angeline,” Malleck Paragon said dashing up to the well. “You look beautiful today.”

Angeline exhaled trying to keep a brave face when she felt like crying. There had to be something that they wanted, enough to help her mom.

What could they want?

“You were short on rent this month, Angeline,” Malleck said with a smile on his face.

Angeline set the bucket down next to the well. “By how much?”

“Five marks.”

“I can get you the five marks by the end of the day,” Angeline said forcing a smile.

Malleck scanned the area to see who was watching. There were enough people moving about to make him keep his voice down. “You can keep your marks if you come over to my place this morning.”

Angeline knew when she agreed to have sex with Malleck so that they could have a home to rent and not have to live in the forest when they first moved to Freebasin that it wouldn’t be a one-time thing. Even when Malleck promised it would only be a one-time occurrence she’d known by the way he looked at her, that he would proposition her again, and again. And he had.

“Malleck, as much fun as that is, I need to plan for the future. If you get me pregnant I will be in a lot of trouble and so would the baby.”

Malleck bent down and picked up the bucket of water. He wasn’t a bad looking man and aside from his constant propositioning, he was well thought of by the town. Most considered him kind. When she’d slept with him he’d been gentle the first time. The second time not as much but his vigor seemed to be connected to his desire for her.

Angeline didn’t know if it was because Malleck offered to take sex as payment for the rental that she couldn’t get past her indifference to him or what. She just knew that he didn’t excite her the ways she’d heard sex could be for women.

“What if I give you back a half month’s marks? I imagine you could use them. I heard your mother is still struggling with her health. You’ll need to have a doctor see her, won’t you?”

“Yes, probably.”

Malleck reached for her hand. “Let’s go to my place.”

“Angeline,” Herro said her name with a sharp tone that startled Malleck and he stopped reaching for her. “Hurry up with that water. Mom needs you.”

Angeline turned to take the water from Malleck. He leaned forward and whispered. “Does he know about us?”

Us?

“No. I told you I don’t want my family to know.” Angeline accepted the bucket as he handed it over.

“Come to my house, Angeline. I’ll give you back all of the marks for this month. My body craves you.”

Angeline looked over at Herro to see if he’d heard Malleck. He hadn’t but was growing impatient waiting for her. “I have to take care of my mother first.”

“That’s fine. Whenever you can. Tonight, is fine, tomorrow even. Just come. Okay?”

Angeline shrugged one shoulder. “I’ll try.”

Herro approached and Malleck stepped back. “Sorry, I was keeping her. She’s a very lovely woman, your sister.”

“I don’t like the way you look at my sister, Malleck,” Herro said surprising Angeline and Malleck. “You may own the house we’re renting but you don’t own us. You don’t own her, or her time.”

“Of course not. I never said I owned anyone. You are short on rent Herro.”

“Yes, and I’ll get it to you. Me. Or my father will get it to you. Not Angeline.”

Malleck nodded. “Great. Sorry if I caused you to worry. I’m harmless, Herro. I would never hurt your sister or do anything to her that she didn’t want me to do.”

“Let’s go, Angeline.” Herro steered her away from Malleck back toward the house. “Mom’s fever is back.”

“It is?”

“Yes, but I can see her skin has begun to heal. Where you were administering the medicine last night, at her neck, it’s almost completely smooth.”

Angeline nearly dropped the water. “It is?”

“It is but you don’t have any more do you?”

“No.”

Herro nodded looking down at his feet as they walked. “You went to ask him for help this morning, didn’t you?”

Angeline nodded.

“He refused I take it?”

“Yes.”

Herro scowled over his shoulder back toward the well. “I don’t like the way he looks at you, Angeline.”

She felt her cheeks beginning to burn. “I have no control over how someone looks at me, Herro.”

“Don’t be around him by yourself. He doesn’t have pure intentions.” Herro turned his gaze to Angeline. “How did you get him to agree to rent us the house?”

Now he asks?

“What does that matter? I got us the house, didn’t I?” Angeline sped up her pace. “Mom needs this water. Let’s go.”

“That wolf was right when he said that I should have looked out for you better, as your brother. I should have. I… I feel like I might be too late for some things, but I’m here now. Okay?”

Angeline continued walking. Her bottom lip was trembling and she didn’t want to cry. She nodded jerkily. He didn’t say anything else the rest of the way back to the house.

As they drew closer to the house Angeline could hear her father inside. “Hold her down Barthos, she’ll hurt herself.”

Angeline and Herro rushed inside. Her mother was shaking, her eyes were rolled into the back of her head. Barthos and her father were holding her arms as she thrashed in the bed.

“Is it a seizure?” Barthos asked looking to Angeline.

“I don’t know. Maybe convulsions.” Angeline rushed over and felt her mother’s head with the inside of her wrist. “She’s burning up.”

Herro dunked the cloth in the bucket and held it to her forehead. “I’ve never seen her this bad,” he said looking to their father.

“Me either.”

Barthos looked to Angeline. “What did he say?”

Angeline shook her head, knowing he was referring to the help she tried to go and get. “Sorry.”

“I’ll go for the doctor,” their father said and stalked out of the room. “Can’t we pay him to help? Isn’t there anything we can do to change his mind? She’s going to die. Look at her.”

Angeline was afraid that Barthos was right. If her mother died, Angeline knew she wouldn’t be able to go on living herself. She looked back toward the hall to be sure their father was gone. “There might be one way.”

“Whatever it is, do it,” Herro said. “I can’t go on seeing her like this.”

Angeline nodded. “Alright.”

****

“You probably shouldn’t have done that,” Errol said his face still red from laughing too hard.

“Why are you following me anyway, Errol?” Killian asked as he climbed the mountain again.

Errol chuckled. “Well when I found you in the forest after I dropped off your lady I figured you were going to get her when you took off toward Freebasin. But no, you wanted to scare the shit out of that guy trying to hook up with her.”

Scare the shit out of him? I wanted to rip his dick off and choke him with it.

“I thought you were serious when you told him you’d kill him if he spoke to her again.”

“I was.”

Errol laughed again. “Yeah, you’ve got it bad, Killian. You’ve never been the violent kind. But why are we back here when you want her? Go get her.”

“She put us at risk by not coming forward, Errol. We lost Rayhanna. Remember?”

Errol shoved Killian from behind sending him skidding across the rocky plateau. “You, asshole. Do you know how lucky you are to have a predestined mate?”

Killian leaped up growling as he turned back toward Errol.

“I’d practically give my twin brother for a predestined mate. You gonna threaten every man that wants Angeline? She can’t be with anyone else even though you don’t want her?”

Killian tackled Errol but Ian showed up as he always seemed to when it came to having Errol’s back, joining the tangle of fists, elbows, and kicks. They tumbled as Ian and Errol tried to pin Killian.

His anger at himself and frustration with Angeline fueled Killian beyond his regular strength. He had both Ian and Errol pinned by the fourth roll.

The twins were both giving him the same surprised look. “Damn, Killian. This lady problem you’re having has you pretty riled,” Ian said trying to catch his breath.

“Maybe you should be taking some of this energy out on her,” Errol suggested.

Killian stiffened above them. “No way.”

Errol’s smile fell. “She’s coming.”

“She’s crazy,” Killian gasped. He leaped off of the twins and tore down the mountain at a breakneck speed. He nearly passed her and startled the horse she was riding. The brown and white horse reared up, kicking his front feet.

Angeline held on managing to stay in the saddle.

Killian took hold of the reins pulling the horse back down onto all fours. With a gentle hand on his nose, Killian tried to put out a calming energy, something he didn’t feel.

Angeline slid down off the horse and took the reins from him. “Where is your alpha?”

“He’s on his way here prepared to kill you I’m sure. What are you thinking?”

Darian landed next to Killian in his wolf form.

Without thinking Killian shifted, ready to defend Angeline. She tied the reins off to a tree branch and then she lay down in the dirt, stomach up.

Killian watched her, shocked by what she was doing.

Darian circled her snarling and growling. His huge jaws clapped together like a steel trap only centimeters from her face but she didn’t move. Nostrils flaring and heart racing she held still.

Darian backed up and began to shift back to his human form. “Get up.”

“No. I came to make peace with you. I need your help and I’m willing to do anything to get it.”

“It’s too late for that,” Darian snarled.

Killian put his back toward Angeline facing Darian. The Alpha looked at him in surprise. His eyes darting between Angeline who was still laying on the floor and Killian.

“You want me to take responsibility for finding Unis, right? I’ll do it. And I’ll take responsibility for finding Morgana too. Do you want me to claim to be responsible for the murders too? I’ll do it. Just tell me what you want.”

Darian met Killian’s gaze again. The pack was showing up to back up Darian. The alpha signaled Killian to come to the side. Killian shifted back into his human form as he approached Darian. They turned their backs to Angeline.

“What are you doing siding with her? You hate humans and you know what she cost us.”

“Do you remember when you wanted to see me in your shoes with a predestined mate?”

Darian’s eyes widened. “She is your predestined mate? Fated for you?”

“I was more surprised than you are,” Killian admitted. “I can’t allow you to harm her, Darian. You’ll have to go through me to get to her.”

Darian growled as he looked at Killian. “You want me to forgive her?”

“I’ll not ask that of you, but I won’t allow anyone to hurt her.”

Darian looked back where Angeline lay in the dirt. Her body shaking with fear and adrenaline. “Of all the humans you could belong to, it had to be this one?”

“Yes.”

Cara was smiling as she joined them. “I thought there was something special about her.”

Darian growled. “I don’t think I can forgive her but for you, Killian. I’ll try.” Darian turned back toward Angeline. “You’ll take responsibility and you’ll do it in front of the whole town,” Darian said. “Right now.”

Angeline sat up. “And then you’ll tell Killian to help my mom?”

Killian didn’t like the way she was talking around him.

“Yes,” Darian answered.