by Cali MacKay
“You what?” Arthur looked ready to lunge across the table and strangle Greyson. And he certainly looked capable of it, since he not only had rage on his side, but was in great shape for his age, given that he had to be in his late forties or early fifties—except for the small fact that Greyson was a shifter.
Juno gave her parents a pleading look, filled with apology. “We got married—and I really am sorry we didn’t tell you beforehand. It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, and not something we’d planned.”
“This is crazy and irresponsible. You barely know each other, Juno.” Gaby glared at him, making it clear where Juno got her fierceness from.
“What I know is that I love Greyson, and he will always be there to support and protect me—which he’s already proven on more than one occasion. Look…I get that you’re not happy about this, and it’s a shock, but marrying Greyson was the right thing for me, and I’m asking for your support.” Juno’s hand tightened around Greyson’s, their fingers linked as one, though her gaze was focused completely on her parents, and she wasn’t backing down.
“I, for one, think it’s terribly romantic.” Sadie gave them all a dreamy smile, even if her parents still weren’t happy. “To be so swept off your feet that you throw all caution to the wind for a whirlwind romance…I can’t imagine anything could compare to that sort of feeling.”
Her father sent her a scolding look down the table. “Try comparing it to reality when it slaps you in the face. What do you even do for a living?”
“I work as a securities consultant, and you have my word, Juno will want for nothing.” Greyson knew he should probably leave the next bit to Juno, but he knew this had been hard enough on her, and they might as well get all of it out in the open while her parents were already angry with them. “You should also know that Juno’s pregnant—though that didn’t happen until after we got married, in case you’re thinking that was the reason for our marriage. Because it’s not…the reason we got married is because we love each other—and she’s my everything.”
“Holy shit, I’m going to be an auntie! And you’re going to be a grandma and grandpa! This is awesome.” Sadie’s smile couldn’t have been more genuine, and for that Greyson was grateful, even if her parents looked miserable.
Yet, before things could go any further, their waitress came to take their order and bring them coffee, and luckily, the conversation drifted to more neutral ground, though Juno’s parents said little else. On the other hand, Sadie was happy to chat away with an exuberance that had both Ryder and Thayer mesmerized.
Sadie leaned in to address Juno with a smile that lit up her blue eyes. “So, your new place with Greyson…is it big enough for company? You know…in case I wanted to come visit, since there are bears near our uncle’s cabin.”
Fuck… A clueless human on a mountain full of shifters.
Juno shot him a slightly panicked look, but managed a smile in her sister’s direction. “I’m still sort of settling in, but maybe…”
And then Ryder and Thayer both chimed in, making Greyson want to slam their heads together and ask them what the hell they were thinking—though that was pretty obvious. “There’s always room, if you want to visit.”
“I’d love nothing more.” Sadie split her smile between Ryder and Thayer, though it was clear her parents weren’t happy about it. Yet, given the fact that their daughter was in her mid-twenties, there was little they could do but voice their displeasure—which Greyson had no doubt they’d do the moment they were alone.
Breakfast seemed to last an eternity, and by the time the check came—which Greyson paid in a hurry, before Arthur could grab it—it seemed like everyone was grateful their day together had come to an end. And yet, as they headed toward the parking lot, Arthur pulled Greyson aside. “I don’t know exactly how you convinced Juno to marry you, but I’m just letting you know that if you fuck with my baby girl and hurt her, I will make it my life’s mission to destroy you.”
Greyson couldn’t keep his lips from quirking into a smile, though he couldn’t help but wonder if this would be him someday threatening his daughter’s suitors. “I truly love your daughter with all my heart, and I need you to know that I would lay down my life to protect her and would do anything and everything to make her happy. We both regret that you weren’t able to be there for the wedding, and I know that you’re worried that this all happened so quickly—but it doesn’t mean we love each other any less, or that this is something we’re going to grow out of.”
“I guess time will tell—although…” Arthur let out a sigh, and gave his head a shake. “Honestly, I do hope you’ll make each other happy. She seems to love you, and she’s always been a good judge of character.”
“I appreciate the leap of faith.” They stayed there for just a moment more and then headed back to Juno and the rest of their party.
Juno grabbed his hand and stole a kiss. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah…it’s all good.” He gave her a smile, not wanting her to worry, especially when things had gone better than he’d expected. Though her parents weren’t happy about her getting married out of the blue, they seemed to have resigned themselves to this new reality, no doubt realizing that there was little to be done now and it was better to be supportive of their daughter rather than try to stand in her way, which would likely just drive a wedge between them.
Gaby pulled Juno into a hug good-bye. “How long will you be in town? We’d love to see you all again before you go.”
“We’ll probably head back in a few days, though we’ll try to swing by before we go.” Juno then gave her dad a hug.
Yet Sadie was nowhere near ready to say good-bye to her two new admirers. “Don’t know what you all have planned for the rest of the day, but I need more time with my big sister so I can get all the juicy details—and make plans for my trip to the mountains.”
Juno just shook her head with a laugh. “Come on then. We can hang out by the pool.”
Perfect. Why did Greyson have a feeling this would not end well?
Chapter Nine
Juno knew she’d have to dodge all sorts of questions and skirt around her current reality, but she hadn’t seen her sister in months, and it felt damn good to be able to spend some time with her. They’d always been so close, and leaving Phoenix had been hard on both of them. All she’d have to do is stick as close as possible to the truth, and keep her lies to a minimum.
“No way…you’re staying here?” As they pulled down the driveway, Sadie playfully slapped her shoulder from where she was sitting in the backseat, sandwiched between Ryder and Thayer. And when Greyson let them in, she was even more impressed. “Did you guys win the lottery or something?”
“Greyson’s business and investments do fairly well—and we may not have won the lottery, but…to me, it feels like it.” It was the truth when it came to how she felt about Greyson, even if things kept getting in their way.
Greyson wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. “I’m the lucky one. Why don’t you go sit out in the cabana, and we’ll put together some drinks and snacks.”
“Do you need any help?”
But he was already shooing her away.
There were several loungers located under a canopy, for which Juno was grateful. Despite having grown up in the blinding sun of the desert, she much preferred the cool temperature of the wooded mountains she now called home. But the moment they grabbed a seat, her sister started in on her. “I can’t believe you didn’t call to let me know you were getting married. You know I would have hopped on a plane.”
“It really was a spur-of-the-moment thing. You know I would have wanted nothing more than to have you there.” Even if the last thing she wanted was to have her sister show up at Wild Creek with shifters running around the place and bears wanting her dead. How the hell would she explain it all? Because she had no doubt someone would eventually show up naked, and that wasn’t exactly the norm anywhere but Wild Creek.
&n
bsp; “So…Ryder and Thayer, huh?” Sadie’s blue eyes sparkled with far too much mischief—mischief Juno could not let her sister get mixed up in. Not when both of the men she was making eyes at were shifters.
“There’s no ‘huh’ about it. Get your mind out of the gutter, because you can not go down that road.” Not that she could tell her sister the truth about them.
“Why?” Sadie’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I thought they were single.”
“They are, but…” Juno groaned. But they’re shifters, and you could be putting your life at risk. Except that she couldn’t say that.
“Then I don’t see what the problem is. Because they are both smoking hot—and you already snagged Greyson, who is definitely one hell of a catch.” She waggled her eyebrows, and then tilted her head toward the house. “Speak of the handsome devils.”
“Just don’t, Sadie.” It was all she had time to say before the men joined them, and their conversation turned to Sadie asking questions about Wild Creek, while Ryder and Thayer flirted with her—and she flirted right back, making Juno want to groan.
And then it occurred to her that there was a good chance Thayer’s interest might go well beyond trying to get laid. She and her sister had the same parents—the same genetic stock. Could it be that Sadie was also a Laighir?
Despite being incredibly close to her sister, Juno had still never told Sadie about the attacks, and about her curse. Could it be that her sister had the same abilities and just hadn’t told her? Or maybe they’d never had a reason to manifest and she still wasn’t aware of her abilities? Then again, maybe Sadie had been lucky enough to have the curse skip her, and she’d been born entirely human rather than Laighir. Not that Thayer wouldn’t be hedging his bets.
Ryder, on the other hand, was likely just looking for someone to temporarily warm his bed, and though Juno truly liked and trusted him—this was her sister, and he was a shifter. If this became anything more than flirting, she didn’t want Sadie to get caught up in something that would freak her out or could put her in danger.
Juno leaned against Greyson, who’d sat down by her side, loving that he pulled her close and kissed her before whispering in her ear. “It’ll be okay, love.”
Of course, he’d know exactly what was worrying her. How could he not when she’d done nothing but freak out since he met her? And yet, he’d still stuck by her side, despite all the craziness and her constant attempts to run away from it all. And now? She didn’t know what she’d do without him in her life.
Thayer’s phone buzzed, and after a quick glance, he excused himself, already speaking to someone on the phone as he disappeared back into the house. If Juno had to guess, it must have been something important, since he was giving his rival for Sadie an advantage. But as she watched Thayer go, Juno couldn’t help the nagging feeling that some sort of cosmic shift in her world had occurred.
And she was right.
It was a good twenty minutes before Thayer returned—and that was only to grab Greyson. She wanted to ask if everything was okay—but it was pointless. She already knew something was wrong, and at this point, she needed to keep her sister from finding out the truth about Juno’s life since she’d moved to Wild Creek.
Not that her sister was stupid. Far from it. Sadie’s bubbly and fun personality might have some people thinking there was no substance to her, but the truth was, she’d graduated early and at the top of her class, had gotten her masters by the time she was twenty-two, and was now working on her PhD—in biomedical engineering. So, if Juno had any hope of her sister not noticing that something was wrong, she better find a way to set Sadie’s worries aside.
Luckily, Ryder was far better at distracting her than Juno was, as he turned up that shifter charm that would no doubt have Sadie jumping on the first plane to Wild Creek for a visit. The only thing working in Juno’s favor and keeping that from happening was that Sadie was busy working on some sort of project, and it was doubtful she’d take a vacation in the middle of it.
Except that fate always did have a twisted sense of humor and excellent timing.
“Did I tell you I’m putting my studies on hold?” Sadie gave her a nonchalant shrug, like it wasn’t that big a deal. “I was feeling burnt out, so I decided I might take some time off to travel a bit while I can. Figure out what I want to do next, without rushing from one thing into another—and before you go freaking out like Mom and Dad, I’ve been planning this for a while, and have enough saved to live comfortably for a little while.”
It was all becoming far too clear. “And while you’re figuring it all out, you’ll come and stay with me for a little while. Huh?”
“Since you’re asking—sure, I’d love to.” With a huge cheeky grin, Sadie leaned over and gave her a huge hug. “You’re the best big sister ever.”
“And you’re a brat.”
Chapter Ten
“If Flint’s on the move, we need to do this now, before he disappears. Juno will lose it if she has to constantly look over her shoulder, wondering when that fucking bastard will come back for her.” Greyson needed to hunt him down and put an end to it. It’d be the only way for them to truly move past what happened to her. Because as long as Flint was out there, Juno would never stop worrying.
“My men are tracking him. If we leave now, we can catch up to Flint and get this taken care of once and for all. But it’s your call.” Thayer shifted his weight and leaned back against the sofa, stretching his long legs out in front of him. “I can take care of it for you, if you want. And since he wronged my pack, I’d have every right to, though I’m deferring to you on this because of Juno, and all she went through.”
“No…I want to do this.” He’d failed to protect Juno the first time—but he wouldn’t fail her again.
“Then we need to get moving, especially since it’ll take some time to get a jet ready.” Thayer pulled out his phone and started making arrangements, as Greyson headed out to the pool to let Juno know they’d need to leave.
But first, they’d have to take Sadie home, though by the looks of it, Ryder would be happy for the privilege. It was rare to see Ryder so smitten with any woman. Not that he wouldn’t flirt up a storm with any pretty girl. But Greyson knew his friend, and there was something far more sincere and intense going on with Ryder when it came to Sadie, even if Thayer looked like he’d be more than happy to give him some competition for her affections.
Greyson sat down by Juno’s side and took her hand in his, pulling her close for a lingering kiss before whispering in her ear. “We’re going to need to go, love. Flint’s on the move, and we don’t want to lose him.”
She tensed at his side, and he swore he could hear the pounding of her heart as she nodded. “I’m so sorry, Sadie. We have to head back to Wild Creek. Something’s come up, and we need to take care of it.”
“Yeah…sure. No worries. Anything I can do? Do you need me to come with you?” Sadie looked genuinely worried about Juno, and this time, when she asked about heading to Wild Creek, it was clear her interest had nothing to do with Ryder or Thayer, and she was just concerned for her sister.
“I honestly appreciate the offer, but it’s just business and local town politics.” Juno managed to give Sadie a reassuring smile, though he knew just how anxious she was about finding Flint. “Honestly, there’s nothing for you to worry about.”
If only that were the truth.
***
Their flight back was tense but uneventful, though they didn’t discuss Flint or their plans to deal with them. But one thing was certain. Juno would not be coming with them. All he had to do is find a way to keep her safe, and stop her from getting into any trouble.
It was close to midnight by the time they got to their home, and luckily, Cullen had gotten Greyson’s message and was already there waiting for them. As his dad swapped their suitcases for guns and ammunition, Greyson saw Juno to the front door, though he didn’t want to linger, knowing that they needed to catch up with Flint and time was of
the essence.
He pulled her close and kissed her, not wanting to let her go, even though he knew he had to do this, and he’d see her again before long. “Promise me you’ll behave yourself, Juno. Do not do anything stupid or dangerous. Just stay put with my dad, and if you need anything while I’m gone, just call my brother.”
She went up onto her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck and stealing one kiss after another, as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Please come back to me, Greyson… I can’t have this baby without you.”
“You won’t have to, June bug…I’ll always find my way back to you.” Greyson wiped her tears, and then kissed her one last time, as if it might be their very last, and then somehow found the strength to step away from her, even as she clung to him. “I need you to be strong for the three of us, love. And I promise, I’ll be back to you by morning. You have my word.”
She stole one last kiss and then let him go, though he waited for her to go inside, his heart aching when she turned to look at him one last time, her eyes dark with worry. But he had to let her go…had to make sure he put an end to her nightmare—even if it cost him his own life. He just had to make sure he kept her and their child safe. Nothing else mattered—even if he had every intention of making it back to her.
They drove for the next hour and a half as Thayer relayed the directions he was getting from his men. And then they started heading deeper into the forest, until they finally came to a stop. “Flint’s supposed to be just up ahead in a small clearing, at some sort of hunting lodge. My men are waiting for us a safe distance from there.”
Greyson hated these sort of situations, especially when he didn’t have his men at his side. Sure, he trusted Thayer—but only to an extent. And though Ryder was with him, and they’d have each other’s backs if this thing went sideways, it still left him on edge that they were outnumbered. Yet, if it put an end to Flint so Juno could live her life in peace, then it was well worth the risk, even if he didn’t make it out of here.