Karissa did a double take at that. She might be new to this whole werewolf-pack thing, but Hale had said that the connection between them was stronger than family. He’d told her about that night at the auto plant and how, in the midst of the fight, Carter’s inner werewolf had taken over so completely that he’d no longer been in control and that he’d ended up killing the Balaur he’d fought. Carter hadn’t even realized what he’d done until after the fact. It might have been justified, but doing something like that with no memory of it happening had to be difficult.
It had taken Mike until sunrise to track Carter down afterward. He’d run nearly twenty miles in that time, collapsing in a recently harvested corn field with half a dozen bullets still buried in his body. Getting him back home had supposedly taken a minor miracle.
“Isn’t there anything we can do to help?” she asked, glancing in Carter’s direction to see him with another SWAT officer she’d only met briefly. The guy was helping Carter flip the burgers, hot dogs, and steaks, unsuccessfully trying to get his pack mate to talk. “I hate the thought of him going through this alone.”
“Carter will never be alone,” Mike said, appearing at their side suddenly and sliding onto the bench across from them. “In fact, Cooper is over there talking to him right now about someone we know who can help him.”
“Who?” Karissa asked curiously. “I mean, are there werewolf therapists out there or something?”
The corner of Mike’s mouth curved. “Actually, there is one. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
Karissa waited impatiently for him to elaborate, but before Mike could continue, Cooper shouted that the food on the grill was ready. Mike immediately jumped up. Hale was right behind him.
“You stay here and hold our seats,” he said, leaning back down to give her a quick kiss. “I’ll get our food. I know exactly how you like your burger.”
She smiled as Hale got in line with everyone else collecting in front of the grills. He probablydidknow how she liked her burger. Then again, considering how much time they’d spent together over the past week, there likely wasn’t much he didn’t know about her.
Karissa had officially moved in with Hale the same night she’d defeated Bagley, and had never looked back. Not that there had been much to move in. She’d always traveled light and there’d been very little left behind in her hotel room to bother with. She didn’t have much in the way of stuff back at her parents’ home outside of Chicagoeither, so shopping was one of the first things on her to-do list.
“How’s my favorite sister?” Deven asked as he sat down on the bench across the table from her, carrying a paper plate piled high with a hot dog, cheeseburger, barbecue beans, and coleslaw. “Life with your soul mate as blissful as you expected it to be?”
“First, I’m your only sister,” Karissa pointed out with a laugh. “And second, no, life with my soul mate isn’t as blissful as I expected. It’s better.”
There’d never really been any doubt about Hale and her being soul mates, but if there had been, they were washed away when Karissa saw him carrying her sword. They’d spent a lot of time talking about it since then, even conducting a few experiments. While he couldn’t summon the blade, he could easily handle it. Their conclusion was that it was the soul mate bond that allowed Hale to use her weapon, as if the sword now viewed them as one instead of two separate people.
And yeah, Karissa couldn’t help but think about how much that all sounded like a marriage vow…two becoming one. She found herself extremely comfortable with that idea.
Her brother chuckled as he picked up his burger. “I’m glad. If anyone deserves some happiness out of this screwed-up situation, it’s you.”
Karissa knew exactly what her brother meant byscrewed-up situation, so she didn’t bother asking for clarification.
The morning after the fight at the auto plant, Lorenzo had shown up at Hale’s place to convince her and Deven to go back to Chicago with him so they could try and repair themisunderstandingthey had with their parents. Karissa had immediately refused, saying that her place was with Hale now. Lorenzo hadn’t seemed surprised to hear that, but he’d genuinely been shocked when Deven announced he wasn’t leaving, either.
“I’m staying with Karissa,” he’d announced firmly. “She’s family. Or at least the only family I trust.”
Lorenzo had been speechless and left for the airport less than thirty minutes later. Neither of them had heard anything from him or any other member of their family since. In all honesty, Karissa wasn’t that torn up about it. Maybe she’d attempt to reconnect with her parents and other brothers in the future. Lorenzo had risked his life to try and save her, so she owed him that much at least. But even with that in mind, it might be a long time before she was ready to forgive any of them. Even a little.
Hale came back to the table then, carefully balancing two plates full of food. Mike and Connor were right behind him, followed by Carter. The latter didn’t say anything, instead sitting at the end of the table and focusing his attention on his barelycooked steak and generous helping of potato salad. Though when Tuffie came over and sat down near the bench beside him, he quickly reached out and gently ran his hand over her fur.
“What were you two talking about?” Hale asked curiously, picking up his burger as he looked back and forth between Karissa and Deven.
She lifted the top bun and checked her cheeseburger, confirming that it had dill pickles and extra mayo, then threw a pointed look at her little brother. “Actually, I was just about to ask Deven how his college search has been going. He mentioned a couple of days ago that going to school was something he was interested in, but he hasn’t picked one yet. If he gets all the paperwork done, he can start classes next semester.”
Everyone at the table turned to look at her brother, putting him on the spot to answer. Which was what Karissa had intended. The moment Deven had mentioned going to school, she’d been behind it one hundred percent, even saying she’d find a way to help pay for it. She wanted her brother to have a chance to do something she never had. But since their initial conversation, Deven had blown her off every time she’d brought up any of the local colleges. It was starting to get irritating. Mostly because it felt like she was momming him. And she was definitelynota mom.
Deven took a big bite of his hot dog, clearly togive himself more time to fabricate a lie to cover up his procrastination. She was surprised when he looked up with a smile on his face after he finished chewing.
“Turns out,” he said slowly, and Karissa got a quiver of concern in her stomach when her brother’s expression suggested he was worried about something, “I’ve already applied at the college of my choice and been accepted. I start right after New Year’s.”
Everyone at the table, and at those nearby, cheered and offered their congratulations. But while Karissa was certainly thrilled at the idea of Deven going to college, she couldn’t shake the sense of hurt filling her at the fact that he hadn’t let her be part of the process.
“That’s great,” she said, hoping her smile was believable. “What kind of program are you going into? Which college did you pick? How much is it going to cost?”
“It’s a computer science degree, majoring in cybersecurity and information assurance,” her brother answered, still grinning. “Working with my contact at STAT got me really interested in the subject.”
Karissa was waiting for him to answer the rest of her questions but was forced to sit there stewing as Deven hid behind another big bite of hot dog. And then a forkful of beans. Okay, he was seriously pushing his luck now.
“So…computer science?” Hale asked, looking like he was about to laugh at how impatient she was being. “You going to North Texas? A&M maybe?”
