He put an arm around her. She tensed, then relaxed. In her mind, their lions nudged against one another.
“I would. We’re one pride, Frankie. And, yeah, that’s the problem. I left you to be everything a Delacourt was meant to be. For both of us. And we both know there’s no room for weakness there.” He growled. “But that’s not what I meant. Forget being a Delacourt. Us all, here. We’re a pride.”
“You’re lucky to have that.” And she was so goddamn grateful that he did. Her brother deserved all the protection and companionship of a chosen pride, after what had happened to him.
He huffed, scraped his knuckles against her hair, and let her go. “You’re lucky too, because I’m bringing you in.”
“Bringing me in?” She tensed again.
“I never should have left you on the outside for assholes like Harper to pick off. You—” He looked at her and frowned. “What did you think I meant?”
“I’ve been waiting for you or Lance or one of the others to try to arrest me since you arrived,” she growled.
He raised one eyebrow. “You know he’s not really police, right?”
“I know that doesn’t matter. He got Harper put away.” Somewhere Harper had then been assassinated, she thoughtbelatedly. “He must have some plans for the ringleaders here, as well.”
“Yeah, he plans to grow more hair specifically to tear it out in frustration.” Mathis ducked his head, then looked up at her. “Missed you, sis.”
There was a lump in her throat. She swallowed, and it was still there. “Missed you, too.”
“If I promise not to get kidnapped again, you promise not to run away and get yourself almost killed either?”
She grimaced. “We just potentially set loose an ancient shifter god with the ability to destroy shifters forever. I don’t think I can make that promise.”
“True. We’ll have to do our best.”
This time when he hugged her, she hugged him back.
“Have you talked to Mom and Dad?” she forced herself to ask.
“Figured we could save that for when I found you. Two against two is easier odds.”
“Typical.” She let him go, sniffing slightly. He handed her a tissue.
“Congrats, by the way,” he said, grinning.
“On finding my fated mate?”
“That and becoming an aunt.”
She froze. “What? You and Chloe—?”
“No!” He looked hunted. “I mean the little dragon. She’s Julian’s niece, right? So she’s yours, as well. Based on the way you two seem to be, uh. Getting along.”
Her niece. That little child.
“Yes,” she said unsteadily. “You’re right. She is. We’re … family.”
“Same as us.” He squeezed her shoulder, his eyes bright. “How long do you want to put off calling Mom and Dad?”
“There’s someone else I need to talk to first.” She hunched her shoulders and forced them down.
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Mathis’s voice was full of pride.
“What?”
Mathis held out his phone. She recognized the number already dialed in.
