“You killed a bear for her. I think she knows.”
“What I meant to say is I’m not courting her. Not yet. I don’t think she’d accept.” Tak’s eyes blurred, and he struggled to keep them open.
“And why is that? Have you offended her in some way?” Lorenzo’s sharp tone raised the hair on Tak’s arms.
“My past might offend her,” he replied wearily. “Or it might offend you, and your opinion is what she cares about most.”
Lorenzo put out his cigarette in a paper cup and set it on the floor beside him. “I know what the markings on your face mean. You dishonored your tribe.”
“I would never dishonor Hope.”
“How can I accept that promise when I don’t know what you’ve done?”
Tak couldn’t stop touching the necklace as he stared at the ceiling. “I used to drink a lot. I’m not proud of it, but I was young and foolish—a spoiled son living in his father’s long shadow. One night, I drove drunk and crashed my car. It should have been me who died, but it was the woman I loved.”
His admission was met with silence.
“In the human world, I would have served time. But it doesn’t work that way with us. I’ve had to live with the guilt. When my tribe stopped reminding me of it, I got the tattoo. I understand if you don’t trust me with your only daughter,” Tak continued. “But I’m not that same man anymore. I changed my ways a long time ago, but Hope is the one who’s changed me the most.”
“How?”
“I took responsibility for my actions, but I never forgave myself. I thought avoiding my vices made me a strong man, but I was wrong. Love made me a warrior.”
Lorenzo looked away and shook his head. “What do you know of love?”
Incensed, Tak leaned up on his left elbow and settled his weight on it. He gave Lorenzo a good look at the raw wound across his shoulder and chest. “You can take off a necklace, but you can’t erase scars. I’ve chosen to wear these for the rest of my life as a warning. Every man should know what I’m willing to do for someone I love. My wolf called me to her. I can’t explain it, but my people believe in soul mates. Our wolves can sense when the other is in danger. That’s why I showed up when I did. Had I not loved her, I would have played another game of pool while your daughter confronted a man holding a can of gasoline and a match. Maybe Wheeler would have fought for her, but would he have died for her? A man with his own family thinks twice about such sacrifices.” Tak fell onto his pillow and almost passed out from the pain as it burrowed into his flesh and hollowed him out.
Lorenzo sighed and leaned forward on his elbows. “Why don’t you put yourself out of your misery?”
Tak couldn’t help but laugh. “If you think I’m going to eat a bottle of pills, think again.”
Hope’s father stood up and approached the bed, a small purple bottle between his fingers. “It’s liquid fire. End your suffering and shift. An injury like that requires more than two more shifts to heal completely, so don’t worry about losing the marks. When your wolf shifts back, put some of this on the scars you wish to keep. It’ll hurt like hell, but it’ll do the job. I know it’s not something your people traditionally use, but my stomach turns every time I look at that baseball on your forehead. If you don’t do as I say, it might become a permanent attraction.”
Lorenzo dropped the bottle into Tak’s left hand. “I’m not giving you my approval,” he clarified. “I’m only giving you liquid fire. You sacrificed yourself for my daughter, and for that, I’m grateful. But you still need to earn my respect. You might want to start by not telling me to fuck off so much.”
The two shared a smile before Lorenzo turned away. Tak briefly wondered if this man walked around with liquid fire in his pocket. But Tak had been knocked out for a while, and Lorenzo could have easily acquired some from a neighbor in the building.
“Sir?”
Lorenzo peered over his shoulder, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Yes, boy?”
Tak wanted to fire a comeback, but not as much as he wanted to know that Hope was okay. “Can you send her in?”
“She’s gone at my insistence. There’s work to be done. Lakota photographed the damages at the store, and they’re calling around for repair estimates. Part of the roof caught on fire.” Lorenzo stood still and centered his eyes on Tak. “If the fates brought you here to save my daughter, then you have my gratitude. But careful not to mistake that for entitlement. No man deserves my daughter. She is more precious and unique than any gem she sells in her store. The man who wants her heart must honor her in every way. How he speaks to her, provides for her, cherishes and loves her. He must be willing to give her as much love as I do, and that is a high bar to reach.”
When Lorenzo gripped the doorknob to leave, Tak chuckled. “I’m a good jumper.”
Lorenzo turned around. “I’m going to give you a piece of advice. Not because I like you, but because every man should know this before he starts thinking about a family. It’s easy to fall in love; the hard part is being worthy of that love. It’s work… every day… for the rest of your life. Some people give up, and they lose everything—even themselves. I can see you’re not a young wolf, and maybe that’s why I want you to tread carefully. An old wolf misled Hope to betray her Packmaster. She’s a stronger woman for it, and I’ll not see her weakened by another man again.” He held his fist to his chest. “On my word, I’ll put that man in the ground.”
“So will I,” Tak said. “So will I.”
Chapter 28
After the contractors surveyed the damage, they told us to shut down the store so they could make repairs and bring it up to code. The fire had infiltrated an opening and spread to the shop next door, taking out a larger section of the roof than I’d first thought. Smoke had poured in and left black soot on the walls, which had to be cleaned and repainted—especially in the break room. We also had no electricity, so we hired an additional team to handle that repair.
I leaned back against the counter and stared blankly at our empty store. The front and back doors had been open all morning while we boxed up the merchandise. Some of Mel’s outfits were unsalvageable. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
Melody put her arm around me. “Just think of it as a vacation while they’re doing repairs. When’s the last time we had one?”
