“The key to our new home. Good thing I didn’t entrust it to my son. Can’t believe he sold Aidan Michaels our inn.” Jeb was so red I worried he would give himself an aneurism. Not that wolves could die ofaneurisms.
I crouched to retrieve the keyring. “What happens once Lucy isreleased?”
My uncle stopped muttering and peered up atme.
I stared at the small silver key nestled in the palm of my hand. “I don’t want to live with her, Jeb. I can’t,” I said raising my gaze back to myuncle.
“I’m filing fordivorce.”
Oh.
Jeb walked over to me and gripped my shoulders. “We’ll get through this,Ness.”
His renewed desire to live restored my hope that we could heal from the deepest of wounds. Changed and scarred, but we survived. Even though I sensed Evelyn would put up a fight, I was touched that my uncle hadn’t abandonedme.
“You know, Callum was always trying to give me pointers about how to raise my son. It drove me insane, but now, I wish I’d listened to him.” He gave my shoulders a squeeze before letting go. “You’re a good kid,Ness.”
I pressed my lips together to drive back the emotion rising in mythroat.
“Now, go pack yourbags.”
I nodded and started walking toward the door but remembered the papers I needed him to sign. I took them out, and he signed them, telling me not to schedule driving lessons, that he’d give them to mehimself.
Another wave of emotion surged within me. Jeb could never replace my father, the same way Evelyn had never taken my mother’s place, but I was glad for his support and his presence in my life, and hopeful that it would take some weight off my shoulders. I would never get to be a kid again—I didn’t even desire it—but I wouldn’t mind splitting some of my responsibilities with anadult.
16
By the timeLucas and I reached Tracy’s, Sarah was alreadythere.
I’d packed my bags and swung by the new apartment to drop them off and make a list of cleaning products to purchase. Jeb’s investment was on the top floor of a two-story house, about ten blocks away from Tracy’s. The bedrooms were small, but they had their own bathrooms, and the living area had an open kitchen and an obstructed view of the mountains. In spite of the musty smell and the bare furnishings, I decided I didn’t hateit.
What would’ve been the point in hating it? It was to be my new home. Besides, I’d hopefully be moving into a dorm room soon. I was glad all my stuff fit in two blue Ikea bags. If I’d owned more things, relocating would’ve been a much bigger hassle. Besides, I adhered to my mother’s philosophy thatthingsand the desire to always amass more stripped people of happiness and freedom.“The lighter you travel, the farther you’ll go,”she used to tell me. Back then, it had frustrated me not to be able to get a new backpack at the start of the school year or the Adidas sneakers everyone else was sporting, but I’d learned to stop wantingthings. It had taken years. To be honest, it had taken my mother falling ill. Nothing else but finding a cure to keep her alive had matteredthen.
I walked past the bar toward the wooden table Sarah was sitting at, drumming her perfectly manicured fingernails in time with the rain battering the windowed façade. She smiled when she caught sight of me, but then her smile wilted when she caught sight of mybodyguard.
Instead of sitting at another table like he’d done at the inn, Lucas plopped down on the seat beside Sarah. “If it isn’t my favoritePine.”
“You don’t have a favorite Pine,” Sarah shot back. Then to me, she asked, “Why is the Neanderthalhere?”
Lucas smirked, twisting the cap on his head. “Still at it with the name-calling, Isee.”
Sarah glared at him, eyes a condemning shade ofbrown.
I sighed. “Longstory.”
“I’m listening.” Sarah leaned back in her chair and folded her arms, making her extremely generous cleavage pop. I caught Lucas checking her out, and not just for a second or discreetly. He stared at her chest almost a full minute.Sleazeball.
Once I was done giving her the highlights, she uncrossed her arms. “Shit, Ness. That fuckin’sucks.”
“Tell me aboutit.”
“I hope they get your cousin today. If only so you’re no longer stuck with this one.” She tipped her head toward Lucas who stole another lengthy look at her chest. “Eyes up, Mason. Didn’t your father ever teach youmanners?”
Lucas’s gaze slid up to her face. “My father died before I started noticing anatomical differences between girls andboys.”
Sarah surely knew that Lucas had lost his parents—unlike me, she’d had a thorough werewolf and pack education. When a breathy gasp stumbled out of her mouth, Ifrowned.
“Forgot about that,” she said, a tad moregently.
