I raise my eyes to his, and he shakes his head. “Never,” he says quietly. “We will be with you. And if we leave, we leave together.”
I nod. Together.
I climb back into my seat, Gray’s hand sneaking through the gap as he sits forward in the middle seat and taking my hand. Tristan keeps his hand firmly on my leg as we pull off. Emmett pulls out behind us, he and Jess and David following as we approach the gates that will welcome us back to Navarre.
For a second, I wonder if they’ll open at all, but there’s a screech, the doors sliding apart enough for us to move smoothly through.
It happens in an instant, just as quickly as I went through the first time. The dark greenery of the forest gives way to paved stonework, the truck gliding smoothly to a stop in front of the group waiting for us.
As I see them, the tears I’ve been holding back start to spill, and I grab blindly for the doors. There’s a slamming sound, and then Jax is there, his hand out as he smiles crookedly.
“Here we go, shortcake. You ready?”
With a sob, I grab his hand, allowing him to lift me out of the truck. There’s a cry, and I turn away from my pack as I stumble forwards. My knees are about to give out, but I’m caught in strong, familiar arms.
“Sienna.” My dad is crying, heaving sobs as he reaches me. “Sienna!”
My dad wraps his arms around me, both of us going down in a laughing, crying pile. My mama drops down next to us, her hands cupping my cheeks.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she sobs. “There you are.”
Elise is burrowing under my arm, and I’m surrounded in so much love and emotion I can barely breathe for feeling it.
“I’m sorry,” I gasp. “I’m so sorry – mama—,”
“Don’t be silly,” she breathes. Her hand smooths back my hair shakily. “You have nothing to apologize for, baby.Nothing.”
I pull back, wiping my eyes as I look behind me. Emmett and Jess are out of the truck, and Jess has her arms wrapped around Monty. Tall and impeccably dressed as always in his suit, the butler closes his arms around her gently, but I catch him giving Emmett the side-eye, and I snort out a teary laugh as my pack comes to stand behind me.
My father helps me up, his hand staying in mine and his mouth turning down as he turns to Tristan.
“Sir.” Tristan nods respectfully, his eyes sliding to me.
This feels… a little awkward. My dad’s hand tightens in mine, before he turns away, dismissing Tristan completely.
“Come on, sweetheart. We’re taking you home.”
Wait. What?
I dig my feet in, pulling gently on my dad’s hand. “Dad… I have a house.”
It’s not a home, not yet, and maybe it never will be. But I’ll never resolve things with my pack if we’re on opposite sides of the city.
My dad’s mouth firms, but my mama interjects, her hand laying on his arm as she gives him a look. “We talked about this,” she reminds him. “Sienna needs to be with her Soul Bonded, John.”
My dad gives Tristan a look filled with utter contempt. “They arenother Soul Bonded. They nearly killed her!”
I flinch, and Tristan takes a step towards me. “Mr. Michaels,” he says quickly, lifting his hands up as he moves closer. “I know that I can likely never make up for what has happened, but we are committed to giving Sienna everything – and more – that we should have from the day we met.”
My dad looks furious. “I don’t like you,” he says plainly, looking around at the rest of my pack. “Any of you. If it’s Sienna’s choice, then I will respect it. But you better remember that the Trials are over now. So I will be making regular checks on my daughter’s welfare, and if I find a single hair out of place, I will end you. Tell me that you understand that, Cohen.”
“You wouldn’t have to, Sir,” Tristan says, but his eyes are on mine. “We’d end ourselves before we let any further harm come to Sienna.”
Dad humphs, but he steers me a little way away from the pack. My mother follows us before his hands move to my shoulders. His eyes still look damp.
“Tell me they’re treating you right,” he says brokenly. “Sienna – when we last saw you – I know I can’t interfere. But it kills me that they let that happen to you.”
Wrapping my hands around his waist, I sink into him just the same as I did when I was a little girl, and it’s just as comforting now as it was then. “I’m alright, Dad. We’re working it out. And they’re not forgiven, not yet. We’re just… a work in progress. But I can’t come home right now.”
