He sighed as if the story itself was a heavy burden. “A year ago, I was walking through the forest. A familiar path of ours. I found a grove of plants I’d never seen before and, standing inside it, your mother.”
“I don’t understand. So you rekindled some sort of secret friendship with my mom? How would that get her killed?” I asked.
“It was more than that,” he said and his voice gentled the way people did just before they delivered horrible news. Beside me, Carter’s fingers fluttered against mine, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t. Dread was winding its way along the outer reaches of my heart. I thought I knew what was coming—and I didn’t want to hear it.
But Valentino had clearly come here to say it. “Myra and I were in love.”
My throat closed up. My hands and feet went numb. I vaguely felt Carter’s arm come around my waist and the pressure increase until he was all that kept me standing. After a moment, I gasped. Air rushed into my lungs fast enough to make me dizzy.
“Regan? … Regan?” Carter’s voice in my ear was low and insistent. “Should we go?”
Valentino hadn’t just seen my mother that single day in the woods, I realized with sickening awareness. He’d kept seeing her. They’d had an affair. And it had gotten her killed.
“I know this is a shock, but I promised your mother I would do whatever was necessary to keep you safe. For a time, that meant staying away, but now…I think you need to know the truth. Someone found out about us and they killed her.”
My temper flared. It was either that or let the grief and betrayal drown me. I glared at Valentino with everything I had. “I don’t need your protection,” I spat.
His face hardened again, the same way it had when he’d said that he loved my mother. Not angry, just protecting himself from the pain. I hated that he could do that and I couldn’t. “I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for her,” he said.
I blinked, speechless. I didn’t know how to respond to that.
“So you’re not the one who left the bloody heart in Charlie’s room backstage?” Carter asked. But it was more speculation than question and I realized he believed Valentino’s story too. That made it worse.
“No.” Valentino shook his head and a frown creased the corners of his mouth. “I didn’t even know the details of it until tonight. I only knew there was a disturbance. They kept it quiet. To protect you, I think.”
“And to ferret out the traitor,” I murmured, my mind working faster as I finally processed things beyond the hurt of my mother’s lies. “But there’s a hole in your theory. A vampire bit her, drained her of blood,” I said. “And they didn’t get in without help.” I turned to Valentino. “How did you get into my room?”
“When was he in your room?” Carter demanded, and I winced as I remembered I hadn’t told him that part.
“I jumped,” Valentino said with a shrug. “Same way I left.”
“But my mother’s window wasn’t open,” I said, thinking back to the little I remembered of the night she’d been killed.
“Brent and the other house guards didn’t see anyone coming or going,” Carter added.
Valentino opened his mouth then closed it again, shifting gears before saying, “There was the hidden hallway.”
“The … how did you know about that?” I asked, my tone sharp—mostly because I was embarrassed I’d forgotten. I’d only been inside it once during a game of hide and seek and Mom had yelled at me so bad for it, I never went inside again. Besides, it hadn’t been used in decades. Probably sealed for all I knew.
“I used it myself,” Valentino said and I decided I didn’t need to hear this after all.
“Never mind,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest.
“But someone would have tipped them off that your mom was alone, right?” Carter said. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t know your dad was out. My dad was gone that night. And you too. Rare for her to be so alone. Someone had to have sent a message.”
I sighed, hating that we were pointing fingers at our own. But he was right. It made sense. And the heart—no vampire could have planted that. Not without a werewolf noticing.
Behind us, voices spilled out into the night, coming from the direction of the house. Carter’s hand tightened around my waist. I didn’t shake him off. My feet felt steadier now that the initial shock had worn off, but his hand there was comforting.
“We need to get back,” Carter said quietly.
I ignored him and looked at Valentino. “I’m not saying I believe you, but if I did, which vampires would be trying to hurt Charlie and I? I need to know where to look on your side too.”
Valentino shot a glance toward the house, then back at me. “I don’t know. I’ve been out of the loop for too long,” he said.
Somewhere in the garden, someone laughed. A rich, deep sound that I suspected belonged to Mr. Rossi—if he was capable of a good mood. My muscles tensed.
Valentino darted a glance over my shoulder. “It’s not safe for us to be seen here,” Valentino said. He took a step back, toward the encroaching forest.
“How will I find you again?” I asked.
“When you need me, I’ll be there,” was all he said. Then he turned and ran.
“Should we go after him?” Carter asked.
Inwardly, I screamed yes! This man dared to defame my mother’s memory by claiming that she could love one of them—a vampire. Yet he’d looked so sad for her. It was like looking into a mirror and seeing my grief reflected in his eyes. I wanted to chase after him, pin him down, and force him to tell me everything else he knew about his people and who would have hurt her. But the party was moving through the gardens.
I shook my head reluctantly. “No, we should get back inside before we’re missed.”
I turned to walk back the way we’d come, but Carter’s hand on my hip pulled me to a stop. “Regan…” He looked down at me, his eyes searching mine. I knew he was looking for some sort of reaction to everything Valentino had said.
I squeezed my eyes shut. The temptation to let him see my confusion, my pain, was strong. But I couldn’t put into words what I was feeling. Not yet. It was too fresh. I knew if I tried, I’d lose it—something I refused to do on vampire territory. “Carter, don’t. I want to talk but … not now. I need some time to think.”
He nodded. “Later, then,” he agreed. And I knew he meant it.
We made our way back in a wide arc, careful to keep clear of the small group near the pond including Blaine and my dad.
I blinked against the lighting as we got closer, adjusting my pupils after the complete darkness we’d left behind. Most of the bulbs out here were soft white, but a yellow beam slanted through the corner of the yard, reflecting from above. My gaze followed it until I found the window it spilled from.
Two stories above my head, the curtains were pulled back in what must’ve been a bedroom. Two figures stood locked in what appeared be a heavy embrace. Their arms were wrapped so tightly around each other it was hard to decipher where one body ended and the other began. Until I caught sight of the halo of soft brown hair pinned ornately to the female’s head. I stopped walking and squinted at the red fabric of the dress, momentarily shocked into confusion at the sight of Charlie kissing someone.
For a second, I felt embarrassed at witnessing such a private moment. But then confusion took over. Who the hell could she be kissing? We’d left any eligible bachelors behind in Paradise.
As soon as the porcelain cheekbone flashed into view, I knew.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I hissed.
“What is it?” Carter followed my gaze and stared at the couple in the window. “Is that Charlie?” I barely heard him over the buzzing in my ears. “And Owen Rossi?”
My answer was a growl.
I took off for the house at a sprint, not caring who saw me. I managed to hold my wolf at bay but only because if I shifted, doorknobs would be a problem.
I no longer cared about the treaty. As far as I
was concerned, Owen had just voided it.
I slammed into the house and up the back stairs. I heard Carter calling me as he tried to follow. I didn’t answer. All I cared about was getting to Charlie. And stopping Owen.
Upstairs, I counted the rooms until I found Charlie’s. I flung open the door and they sprang apart. Charlie stumbled, but Owen caught her from falling. Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths and she looked confused then alarmed, but I ignored her.
I zeroed in on Owen across the room and stalked toward him as he stepped sideways, trying to get between me and the door. His expression was a mask of neutrality. It was infuriating.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded.
“Regan?” I heard Charlie calling uncertainly.
“Shut up,” I called over my shoulder. I didn’t turn from Owen. “You’re dumber than I thought,” I said to him. “Ballsy, but utterly stupid.”
“You don’t want to do this,” he said. I detected the warning underneath his calm exterior. After everything I’d learned tonight, it only made me angrier.
“You have no idea how wrong you are,” I hissed. “I want to do this very much. And now that you’ve voided the treaty, I can.”
“Voided the treaty?” Charlie echoed, her voice shrill with panic. “Regan, what are you talking about?”
Instead of answering her, I lunged at Owen. He dodged me and I ran into an end table. The stained-glass lamp crashed onto the floor and shattered. I leaped toward him again and my hands closed over the fabric of his shirt. I yanked. Buttons popped and his shirt came untucked as he danced away.
I moved to attack again but Charlie jumped in front of him, flinging her arms wide to block his body. I pulled up short and glared at her. Owen watched me over her shoulder, the coward—using my sister who was, no doubt, entranced with his vampire guile—as a human shield. I was going to kill him.
“Move!” I yelled.
“No. Regan, stop, please. I can explain,” Charlie insisted.
The pleading note in her voice took me back. I stared at him over her shoulder. “Don’t tell me you’ve convinced her you actually care about her? That’s a hell of a trick, Rossi. You’re sick.”
“He does care about me, Regan. And I care about him, too. Please stop and listen,” she pleaded. Tears glistened on her eyelashes, and she reached out to grab my wrists in both of her trembling hands. “Owen and I have been seeing each other for a few weeks now. I didn’t want to tell you because—”
The rest of her words were drowned out as I shoved her aside and reached for Owen’s throat. I saw nothing except his face and neck—and my hands reaching for his esophagus.
Something crashed behind me just as I felt hands yanking me back. My fingers brushed Owen’s skin, my nails leaving shallow scratches, and then he was out of reach.
“Argh!” I struggled against whoever held me, but couldn’t break their hold. I knew then it wasn’t Charlie holding me. I’d have broken free by now if it was. “Carter, let me go!” I demanded, still kicking and struggling as he dragged me toward the door.
“Calm down.” His words were punctuated by grunts and heavy breaths as he did his best to restrain me.
“Owen won’t hurt me,” Charlie said as she let Owen pull her to her feet, but I barely heard her. I was so consumed with the sight of her hand in his. Carter tightened his grip on me, and I wondered if he saw the contact, too.
“You’re going to bring the cavalry if you keep this up,” Carter said in my ear.
“Let them come!” I yelled. “He’s playing with her. For all we know he was going to eat her.”
“Regan, you bring them running and Charlie could get punished just as easily as him. Do you want the vamps blaming her for this? In their territory? Or worse, our own pack disciplining her? We both know how that could go for her.”
I hated it so much that he was right. I let out another growl before giving up on fighting his hold. He didn’t ease his grip, though.
“I’m done,” I snapped. “You can let go.”
Instead of releasing me, he slid his hand into mine and held tightly. His way of making sure I didn’t go back on my word. Still, it felt a lot like something else. Something I didn’t want to show Owen and Charlie. I grimaced when my attempts to pull away were unsuccessful.
“Now, Charlie,” Carter said, “you want to tell us exactly what’s going on here?”
Charlie’s brow rose at the sight of our joined hands, but she didn’t comment. Instead, she took Owen’s hand in her own again and sent me a tremulous smile. I rolled my eyes. She evidently trusted Carter’s ability to restrain me.
“It’s like I said before,” she began, her voice shaky. “Owen and I have been seeing each other for a while. I didn’t say anything for obvious reasons. But he’s not using me and he’s definitely not hurting me. So, you shouldn’t hurt him,” she said, giving me a pointed look.
“Huh. So this is consensual then?” Carter asked, as if that made it okay.
“Don’t encourage them,” I hissed.
“It is,” Owen told Carter, ignoring me. He met Carter’s gaze and something passed between them. The buzzing in my ears, which had dulled to almost nonexistent, roared all over again.
“This is ridiculous!” I turned my glare on Charlie. “If it’s true then you’re a traitor to your own kind,” I hissed.
Her expressions ran the gamut. First shocked then hurt. It settled on some combination of betrayal and anger. “A traitor?” she echoed. “A traitor?”
She took a step forward only to have Owen yank her back. He seemed unwilling to let her cross the invisible line we’d created between us. She was on his side. The knowledge made my cheeks burn with rage.
“You can’t betray a pack that isn’t yours,” Charlie hissed. “You think I owe you some sort of loyalty, but loyalty is earned, through respect. Of which I’ve had absolutely zero. You want me to call you family, to abide by your rules and stupid prejudices, but then you ignore me the moment your pack starts to suspect you see me as equal. Which you don’t. I’m a liability, nothing more. You’ve made that clear in the way you babysit me rather than accompany me anywhere. So don’t stand there and judge me. Or him. You know nothing about either of us and the little I know of you makes you a hypocrite—and someone I’m ashamed to call my sister.”
I opened my mouth and closed it again. Owen was watching me with a smug look on his granite face. I ignored him on purpose, but I couldn’t meet Charlie’s eyes either. Not now. Is that what she thought of me? After all the progress we’d made? And more importantly, why did it bother me so much? She was the one in the wrong.
Carter was right, though. If I ratted them out, it would only hurt Charlie. The most Owen would get is a slap on the wrist. And Dad seemed too set on the treaty going through to really care. But Sheridan and the others in the pack—they’d punish Charlie. More than they already had by shunning her. As much as Charlie hated me, I couldn’t let her be hurt. So I protected her. Again.
“Come on, Carter. We’re done here,” I said. Carter hesitated and I gave him a hard look. “Are you coming?” I asked.
“Regan, I think…” He winced as if bracing himself before finishing. “We should tell them.”
“What? Absolutely not,” I said, knowing full well what he meant. And furious that he’d suggested it.
“We need help figuring this out. Someone on their side would be perfect, and Owen’s clearly not going to do anything to hurt Charlie if he’s in l—”
“Don’t say it,” I hissed and Carter fell silent.
“Tell us what?” Charlie asked.
I didn’t answer. Mentally, I plotted all the ways I planned to kill Carter.
“Do you know something about the heart?” Charlie asked.
Owen caught my eye and I was shocked to see concern knitting his features. His hand wrapped protectively around Charlie’s shoulder. I clenched and unclenched my fists and then blew out a breath. God, I hated when Carter was ri
ght. We’d found our ally—his motivation to help us was airtight.
“The vamp that followed us that day we went shopping,” I said slowly, purposely avoiding Carter’s gaze. “Carter and I ran into him earlier. He told me some things about my mom and about the pack. It’s a long story—”
“We have time,” Owen put in, his words too earnest for me to argue.
As quickly as I could, I relayed my conversation with Valentino. First in my room and then tonight. Charlie’s eyes grew wider and wider the longer I talked. Carter moved in beside me and hovered there. I wasn’t sure how to feel about his protective stance, so I ignored him. When I was finished, Owen was the first to talk. Charlie wiped at a fallen tear and I ignored that too.
“Valentino. I know him. He works in the orchard,” Owen said.
“He used to be on your father’s council,” I told him. “An ambassador of some kind.”
He nodded, assessing me shrewdly. “I remember that. No one talks about why he stepped down.” He frowned. “It seems if we’re going to solve this, we’ll have to work together.”
I grimaced. “It seems that way, yes,” I said in a clipped voice.
“Regan, I’m really sorry about you mom,” Charlie said, stepping free of Owen’s touch and coming toward me. I realized her intention too late. I let her pull me into a hug, my arms awkward as they came around to pat her back. Charlie pretended not to notice my stiff response and squeezed me quickly before letting go. “Thank you for trusting us with all this,” she said. “I know it was hard for you.”
Her words made my eyes water.
“You’re right,” Carter said, stepping in when I didn’t answer. “We’re placing a lot of trust in you both.” He flashed a pointed look at Owen. “And we’re asking for that same trust. We won’t say anything about what we’ve seen here tonight if you’ll agree to help us.”
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