“We won’t let that happen,” Calan growled.
“Indeed we won’t,” Finn said. “You’ll have a guard on you around the clock, Reid. We won’t let yer father or any other clan members near ye.”
I stared at him. They had to be kidding, right? But from the unblinking way the three of them were watching me, they weren’t. “Absolutely not. I’ll be fine on my own.”
“The Clarkson Clan are dangerous, Reid.”
I was on my feet in a flash, hands on my hips as I facedFinn. “You think I don’t know that? Why the fuck do you think I want to run? I don’t need to be reminded that I’m weak, Finn. I know full well that any of them could kill me with little more than a flick of their wrist. I spent every day of my life being reminded of that fact. I don’t need you to remind me of it again now.”
Finn paled. “Reid, no, that’s not what I meant at all. I just?—”
“Let me.” Logan interrupted, inserting himself between us and facing me. “None of us think you’re weak, Reid. The fact that you’re standing up for yourself in a room full of dangerous shifters proves that.”
I harrumphed but let him continue.
“Like ye said earlier, Clyde showing up as we appear in yer life can’t be a coincidence. Whatever his plans are, we’re likely to be involved somehow. Therefore we’re at fault. Therefore you have to let us guard ye. It’s the only logical conclusion.”
My brain was used to keeping up with convoluted thought processes, but I still wasn’t sure how he’d reached that point. “Um, sure?”
“Great.” He beamed at me. “Glad that’s all settled. I’ll take the first shift. We’re going to have so much fun together, Reid. Just you wait and see.”
Chapter 9
Evan
When Reid stepped out of the clan house, I was waiting for him in my human form, having once again raided the chest of clothes we kept on the porch. I didn’t think Reid would chop my balls off, but I’d rather not have them on display in case it gave him ideas.
I knew he kept telling me to keep my distance. A better male would have.
I was not a better male.
My wolf needed to know Reid was okay.Ineededto know. We’d listened to him speak through the wall. Listened to him cry.
Learning exactly what he’d been subjected to…Let’s just say it was a good thing I’d already been shifted. I didn’t think my wolf could’ve heard and not forced it on me.
It had been hard enough listening to what Reid had been through before my arrival on Clarkson land. Hearing what he was put through after?
It broke something in me.
While he didn’t say it, I suspected that my interference had had an impact I could never have predicted. Whatwould Clyde have put Reid through knowing he’d asked an outsider to help him? Worse, an outsider from a clan with which they shared a bloody history?
The memory of him walking into his father’s office that day haunted me. At the time, I’d thought Clyde was going to comfort his son. To learn what he needed to make him feel happier within the clan.
I feared that was far from the truth.
The reality of what had likely happened had me wanting to kill Clyde. To tear him limb from limb and burn the pieces. Only Reid’s pleas had kept me here.
The most horrifying part of all this was that I didn’t think he’d shared the whole story. There’d been moments when he’d stopped himself mid-sentence or changed the subject part way through. I suspected it wasn’t because of his ADHD.
I think it was because he couldn’t bear to share the full extent of his trauma.
It shattered my fucking heart. This was because of me. Not completely, but I’d contributed.
I’d never be able to forgive myself.
Reid drew up short, his eyes narrowing as he spotted me. “You’re not furry.”
“I get waxed regularly.”
