“I wanted to understand what—what happens to them. Aaron wouldn’t talk about it.”
Nicole let her go. Stood and took a step back.
“I’m sorry.” Tears came again, but she shoved them down. “I’m so sorry. I’ll tell them. I’ll never—I know it’s not enough but I’m so sorry.”
“You’re right,” Sydney said. “It’s not enough.”
“Please,” Ember said with no idea what she asked for. “I’m sorry, please.”
Sydney stood looking down at her, ice in her eyes, as if Ember had threatened the pack, the people Sydney held dear. But that wasn’t possible. Or maybe it was. One more thing Ember didn’t understand.
Nicole sighed. “She’s Aaron’s mate.”
“That makes it better?”
“Kind of,” Nicole said.
Sydney planted her hands on her hips. “Excuse me?”
“Oh come on, Sydney. You were born into wolf culture. You have no idea what it’s like to fall into it—having a million questions, sorting through the rumors and legends.”
“I’d never trespass on the paddock. Never.”
Nicole rolled her eyes and reached down to tug Ember to her feet.
Ember locked her knees, pressed her lips together to prevent her teeth from chattering, but the women’s argument was a helpful distraction. Her pulse began to level, though the waning panic left her shivering. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Thanks, Nicole.”
“Come on.” Nicole led her to a red jeep, nudged her into the passenger seat, and called back to Sydney, who hadn’t taken a step. “We’ve got to take care of her. For Aaron’s sake. Meet at the Freeman place?”
Without a word, Sydney crossed through Nicole’s headlights, got into a car, and drove away. Nicole sent another eye roll in the direction of the leaving vehicle.
“The Freeman place?” Ember said.
“Lucy’s aware too. She called me, but of course she couldn’t leave the kids.” When they arrived, Sydney’s car was parked in the driveway, and Nicole laughed. “I knew she’d want to stay in the loop.”
Or she had a few reprimands left in her. Better to be dressed down than shut out. Ember kept her chin up as she followed the women up to Jeremy and Lucy’s cabin.
Lucy met them at the side door into the laundry room, eyes wide. “Ember? Oh no… Did you…?”
“She did,” Sydney said.
“Oh.” Lucy watched them shed their shoes, then said, “Okay. First things first.” She pointed a finger at Sydney. “No yelling, Syd. If Gigi wakes up, it’ll take multiple readings ofTen Little Ladybugsto get her back to sleep.”
“I’m not going to yell.” Halfway down the hall she said, “Though I have every reason to.”
Lucy didn’t contradict her. They took seats around the dining table—a council, not a girls’ night. Ember sat on one side, across from Lucy and Sydney, but Nicole sat beside her and took her hand.
“Oh, you’re cold,” she said. She got up and came back with an ivory woven throw and spread it on Ember’s lap. “And you’ve got a few scrapes—your face and your arms.”
Ember touched her forehead and cheeks. Ouch. A few stings, here and there. “It’s not important.”
Before anything else could be said, Sydney stood up from her chair and flattened her hands on the table to lean forward. “If we’re going to do this, let’s do it. Why did you go to the paddock?”
No stammering, no ducking from their eyes. She’d done wrong, and she would own it. She looked across at Lucy and let it sink into her—the betrayal of such new trust, of such willingness for friendship as Lucy had extended. Lucy’s usual warmth had receded—not gone but shielded.
“You said you’d never seen them in that form,” Ember said quietly—to Lucy, not Sydney. What Sydney thought of her mattered less. “And you couldn’t share Jeremy’s perspective, and Quinn called it the worst part about being a wolf, and…and Aaron told me nothing at all. He just said he couldn’t talk about it.”
“And so,” Lucy said, her tone low to match Ember’s, “you figured you’d go out there, as an outsider without an invitation.”
