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a ball. The blanket Summer had crocheted was wrapped around her,
and her head was buried in her knees as she sobbed.
    “Claire…”
Summer neared when the little girl didn’t look up. “Remember me?”
    The
little girl let the blanket fall away from her, revealing just what kind of
state she was in. Dirt covered her clothes, and her fingers were raw as if she’d
tried to dig her way out of the room. She came to Summer’s open arms.
    “Get
away from her!” Ashley screamed in the background. “That’s my sister.”
    “Summer
was the woman caring for her. She visited her while she was locked away. Shut
up and let her help,” Jinx ordered. “Claire’s fragile body can’t take much
more.” He stood guard at Summer’s back.
    “I’ll
care for her. No one else.” Ashley tried to push past Jinx, but he wouldn’t let
her.
    “How
can you be expected to do that when Claire is terrified of you? She won’t come
to anyone. Do you understand what that means? I’ve seen children give up their
will to live without the touch of another. Shifters are more likely, because
they need it to survive.”
    “Ash,
he’s right. There’s nothing you can do for Claire right now. Let Summer help her.”
    Ashley
spun on her mate, anger heating her body and words. “You just don’t want to
take responsibility for her.”
    “Think
about what this is doing to our own child.” Michael ran his hand over her
stomach. “We have our own family to care for. If Summer can help Claire, then
let her.”
    “She’s
my sister.” She sobbed.
    Tex
interrupted them. “She’ll always be your sister. Since your father left her in
the clan’s care and she’s a minor, as Alpha I’m responsible for doing what’s
best for her. Right now, Summer is what’s best for her.”
    “You’d
let her take Claire?” Ashley turned to look at Tex. “Even when you know it
means she’ll go to another clan?”
    “If
Claire can’t open up and trust someone in this clan, what choice do we have?
Would you condemn your sister to a life of suffering, solitude, and possibly
death just to keep her in Texas?”
    Ashley
looked at Claire and Summer, sobs making her tremble, and shook her head.
    “If
it comes to that, Summer will bring Claire back often,” Tex reassured Ashley.
    Throughout
it all, Summer sat there with Claire in her arms unable to believe what she was
hearing. She was expected to care for the child. What did she know about being
a full-time mother? Nothing. She had been a part of Claire’s life since she was
born, always spending time with her each day, but taking on the responsibly of
motherhood when she’d only just mated might be too much. What about starting
her own family?
    She
pushed all of it away for the moment and focused on the child. “I’ll work with
her, try to get her to open up. Right now, let me get her fed and cleaned up.
She’s starving and exhausted.”
    “Why
don’t you go back to your room and rest?” Jinx suggested to Ashley. “Summer
will call you when Claire wakes, and maybe you can try visiting her then.”
    Ashley’s
mate wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Ash, they’re right. This isn’t
doing any good right now. Come on.” With some reluctance on her part, he led
her from the room. After the door shut behind them, Summer turned to Tex. “Are
you honestly suggesting I become a surrogate mother to her?”
    “From
the looks of it, you already have.” Tex nodded at the girl’s grip around
Summer’s neck.
    Ben
stepped closer, coming to her other side. “As Tex said before, what choice do
we have? Claire needs someone and right now that has to be you.”
    She
looked at Jinx, hoping he’d throw in some logic as to why she couldn’t do it.
Instead he agreed. “Mate, I believe you’ve just become a mother.
Congratulations.”
    “How
can you take this lightly?”
    “What
would you like me to do? Rant and rave?” He slipped his hands into the pockets
of his jeans. “Lass, you must know that