“Gary is fine.”
“Well, Gary, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.You’re Tamsin’s mate.I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you if I could do anything to avoid it.”
“Not a lot of people feel the same way.”
“Not a lot of people can see past their fear.I won’t say I’m perfect when it comes to that, but I’m not willing to condemn you for being a Kudlak.You can’t help what you are, and when it mattered, you showed us that we could trust you.You stood with our clan against Parrish.That means something to me.It should mean more to everyone else, too.”
Nic didn’t care about anyone else.As long as Tamsin accepted him, he’d be fine, but it was nice to know that Tamsin wasn’t the only one.Hopefully, Devon would end up forgiving Nic, so it seemed like Nic would have three people, maybe four if he counted Ryan.He wasn’t as alone as he’d thought.He definitely wasn’t as alone as Parrish had made it sound.It was something that Parrish would use against him if he could, but at the same time, it gave Nic more reasons to fight.He didn’t care much about what happened to him, but he did care about what happened to his mate, and now, his mate’s friends.
Hisfriends, maybe.
* * * *
TAMSIN WANTED TO PUTas much distance as possible between Nic and Parrish.Parrish might seem gone for now, but Tamsin couldn’t swear that he wasn’t out there lurking, and he didn’t want his mate subjected to anything else from the Kudlak.Nic had just found out that his parents had been killed by the man who’d raised him.Even though he’d always known that Parrish was a monster, it couldn’t be easy for him.The fact that two of Tamsin’s friends didn’t seem to be accepting him also didn’t help.
Tamsin looked ahead at Gary, who was rushing forward.He’d said that he didn’t care what Nic was.He was Tamsin’s mate, and that was that.Tamsin was glad, but he knew that not everyone would be like Gary.Este and Anita hadn’t been happy to see Nic earlier, and even though they might change their mind, they’d been clear.They’d accept Nic because of who he was to Tamsin, but they wouldn’t make it easy on either of them.Tamsin didn’t care about himself, but he wanted Nic to feel like he belonged.He’d gone without a family for too long because Parrish had killed them.He deserved to have people who cared about him, and so far, that group only included Tamsin and possibly Devon.
Tamsin would have to do something about that.He didn’t know what yet, and now wasn’t the right moment to think about it, but he’d find something.No matter what Nic was, he deserved to be happy, and Tamsin would do everything in his power to make it happen.
Rowan and Clay’s door was open when Tamsin and the other two reached it.Este and Anita were on the porch, talking to the two clan leaders.Este frowned when she saw them, while Anita didn’t even turn toward them.
“Is everyone all right?”Rowan asked when Gary, Tamsin, and Nic reached him.
“We’re fine,” Tamsin confirmed.“Nic just needed a minute.”
Rowan looked serious.“Understandable.How are you doing, Nic?”
“I just found out that the man who raised me killed my parents.Hell, he probably killed them to get me.In a way, they died because of me.How do you think I’m feeling?”
Tamsin didn’t think that Rowan would be offended by Nic’s tone, but Este appeared horrified.She glanced from Rowan to Nic as if expecting Rowan to snap.He did react, but probably not the way Este hoped for.
“I blamed myself for what happened to my clan for a long time,” Rowan said.“I was the only one still alive.I thought it was my fault they’d died.”
“Parrish would have killed you, too, if he could have.”
“I know that now.In a way, I’ve always known it.That doesn’t mean I didn’t blame myself.I’m not going to tell you not to feel the way you do because I know how hard it is, but what happened wasnotyour fault.It’s all on Parrish.”
Nic sucked in a breath.Tamsin stepped closer and pressed a hand against his back, wanting to be there for his mate.He wanted to support Nic, but he wasn’t sure how.
Everyone here had lost people to the Kudlaks.Rowan had lost his entire clan to Parrish.They knew what it was like to feel guilty, to feel like they should have done more, to dream that they’d died with their loved ones.Nic wouldn’t find anyone condemning him for not doing more for his parents, especially since he’d been six when Parrish had killed them.
Nic rubbed his face with both of his hands.“I guess I know it’s Parrish’s fault, at least what happened when I was six, but I hate that for years after that, I followed his orders.”
“Did you do it because you wanted to make him happy?Because you saw him as a father or a father figure?Because you agree with his views?Or did you do it because you were terrified of him?”
Nic looked at Rowan.“I’ve always been afraid of him.”
“So you did what you had to in order to survive.He showed you the kind of person he was when you were a child.You knew what would happen to you if you didn’t go along with what he wanted.I’m not going to say that everything you did is excusable because I don’t know everything you did, but I think you should give yourself a little grace.I also think that your parents would’ve wanted you to do what you could to save yourself.It’s all a parent wants.”
Nic closed his eyes for a few seconds.He nodded as if accepting Rowan’s words, and when he opened his eyes again, there was a new determination there.“All right.We should probably talk about what Parrish was doing here and what we should do to keep him away.”He pressed his lips together and looked around their group.“Or you should talk about that, I guess.It’s not my place.”
“Considering you’re the person here who knows Parrish best, I think that maybe itisyour place,” Clay said.“And if anyone wants to argue that, they know where to find me.”
Clay waited, maybe for someone to argue with him.No one did, though, not even Este.She was frowning, but she didn’t suggest that Nic leave or say that he shouldn’t be here.
“What do we think Parrish is looking for?”Clay asked.
