Becca looked like she was going to interject again, and even June tensed. I sent both of them a reassuring smile before answering. “I’m staying here because I’m a friend of Evan’s. Do ye know Evan?”
He nodded enthusiastically. “Evan brings me ice cream when Mama’s tired.”
Becca rubbed his hair fondly. “Aye, he does. It was a rough pregnancy all round, and Evan liked to pop in and see if we needed anything. Strangely, Hayden always needed ice cream.”
I shot a conspiratorial wink at Hayden. “That’s because ice cream is the best. I think I’d need it too.”
Hayden bounced on his toes in a move that was as familiar to me as breathing. “Did you know you can get curry banana flavour?”
I didn’t have to fake my recoil. “I didn’t. Have ye triedit?”
“No. Yuck.” Hayden wrinkled his nose. “But someone must have. Why else would they have made it?”
“Hayden’s very inquisitive.” Becca smiled fondly at her son. “Never met a topic he can’t ask us to Google.”
That too sounded familiar. “Well, that’s one way to find out all the fun things.”
“Yes.” Hayden grabbed at my hand, his eyes rounding. “Can I show you my cars? I’ve got lots upstairs. Da keeps having to build more shelves for me.”
His quiet enthusiasm was mending something I hadn’t realised was broken. I shot a look at his mother. “Is that okay with you?”
“Of course,” Becca said, just as the baby started to fuss. “Just shout if ye need anything.”
I got to my feet, smiling down at Hayden. “Lead the way, little man, and tell me everything. Don’t leave anything out.”
Chapter 30
Evan
The information Logan had uncovered weighed heavily on my shoulders. Finally, we knew what the Clarksons had planned for Reid. The insane reason they were so insistent on his returning to their lands.
I still couldn’t quite believe it.
I’d passed through all the stages while Logan filled us in.
Denial. “They can’t be fucking serious. This has to be a joke.”
Anger.“I’ll fucking kill all of them. Every last one. This isn’t happening. Not even over my own dead body.”
Bargaining.“Is there nothing we can offer them as an alternative? What about the other clan? Surely they won’t want to go through with this if they know the consequences?”
The final two stages, depression and acceptance…those I hadn’t allowed myself to feel. To become depressed would mean I was considering the possibility that this might actually happen. That the Clarksons would somehow find a way to pull this harebrained scheme off.
That I might lose Reid in ways I hadn’t even considered.
As for accepting it? Absolutely not. It wasn’t happening.
I stepped outside the clan house and tried to pull myself together. We’d all been in agreement. We wouldn’t be handing Reid over.
Even if it cost us our immortality.
Now though, I had to tell Reid. How the fuck was I meant to add to the weight he already carried? I was supposed to be alleviating it, giving him the sense of peace he’d been sorely missing these last few months.
Instead, it was all about to come crashing down.
I rubbed at the back of my neck as I stared at the clouds in the distance. A storm was coming in, which seemed apt. Our life here was about to be disturbed. We couldn’t continue in this peaceful lull, not knowing what we did now.
A childish laugh snagged my attention. Another joined it, this one fuller, richer. One that had my wolf excited and my feet automatically heading in that direction.
