ChapterEleven
Tamsin
Tamsin’s mind still…spun.
That was the only word that fit.As the ground sped past beneath their airplane, she tried to absorb the fact that her father was now dead.
Confirmeddead.
She didn’t regret asking Duncan and Badger to see the pictures, either.She forced herself to stare at them for a long moment, giving thanks she didn’t see Maisie and Rupert’s bodies after the attack.Moments before the attack happened, they’d all been happy and laughing, and she chose to focus on that memory, that brief, bittersweet perfection.
Closing her eyes, she imagined how satisfying it’d be to play football with the man’s head—she couldn’t think of him as her “father” and hadn’t for a long while—and that was the only regret she’d have.But necrophilic soccer was such a minor thing in the grand scheme of things that she was at peace with it.
He was dead now, and she could finally start making plans for her future and what she wanted to do.
Where she wanted to live.
After Duncan gave Tamsin the brief overview of what Donnel had tone to Bryn, the unforgivable betrayal, he’d asked if Tamsin wanted to meet Donnel and Hyacinth while they were in Idaho, and she’d refused.
No, she’d love Hamish and cling to him as the kind of father she wished she’d been blessed with.Him, and Duncan, and Badger—and Trevor, obviously.
The limbo of what she wanted to do about her mother was a different beast entirely.Fortunately, they weren’t pressuring her for a decision.
No matter what happened, her mother wouldnevermeet Maisie Rue, and that was for certain.Now knowing the background about the events and her mother’s true past, she felt a little bit more charitable toward her, but that didn’t erase the anger and hatred in Tamsin’s heart.
But now Tamsin needed to decide her eventual next step.
While part of her wanted to return to the UK, the other part of her wasn’t certain.
She had the large, loving family she’d always wished for with the Bleackes and the Targhee Pack.She adored teaching the children and didn’t want to give up doing that, either, especially since there were plans to build a pack school on the new properties.
Yet she missed Trevor and Elizabeth and didn’t want them to lose more time with Maisie Rue.Fortunately, it was another decision no one was rushing her to make.Returning to the UK wouldn’t happen before the lab raid, regardless, and that was weeks away.
But now, perhaps Elizabeth could come visit and meet everyone and have a lovely holiday with them.A chance to start helping the woman heal her soul the way the Targhees had helped Tamsin heal hers.
No, the pain and grief of losing Maisie and Rupert would never leave her, but Tamsin could now picture a good life ahead for her and her baby.A happy life.She had a daughter to live for.Giving up would be the ultimate act of selfishness when her baby would pay for that the most.And Maisie and Rupert wouldn’t want her to do that, either.
Leaving Idaho meant a long day full of travel, but she was excited to return home to Florida and resume teaching the wee ones.
And perhaps get to meet Aisling.There’d been no chance for her to properly spend time with the Irish Wolfhound shifter before they rushed out to Idaho, and she’d heard nothing but good things about her.
Even Dewi, who told Tamsin about the kitchen greeting, admired and respected Aisling.
Tamsin loved Brianna as a sister, but knowing she’d be moving to Idaho with Da’von in the near future left Tamsin feeling glad that she’d potentially have a new friend in Aisling.
It was so late when they returned that Tamsin accepted Dewi’s invitation to spend the night there in the pool house.Better that than to disturb everyone coming in so late with all of her things.
The next morning, Duncan drove her and Maisie home.When she walked into the living room, she nearly burst into happy tears, falling into Carl and Mateo’s arms for welcoming hugs.
This truly is becoming my family.
And perhaps that was her answer.
They helped her move everything to her room, which looked pin-neat.Even the sheets were clean, and the bed made so tidy it almost looked like a hotel room.A pleasant scent lingered in the room that she couldn’t quite place, either, but she liked it.
“Where is Aisling?”she asked.“She didn’t need to go to all this trouble.”
Carl smiled.“She’s former military, remember?”
