its existence on his body.
The next thing his senses picked up was the quiet in the house. No sign of her heartbeat nor her breathing.
No Glory at all.
She’d left.
Why? Why after what they’d just done? Her scent was still strong. She hadn’t been gone long.
Should he give chase?
Near him, on the coffee table the loud sound of a cell phone vibrating on wood disrupted the alarming peace. He flinched from the jarring sound and leapt to his feet, heading toward the offending noise.
Hopefully it was Glory with an explanation as to why she vanished without a word.
Picking it up, he saw the name.
Mae Forester.
Uncle Frank’s note said to call her. Should he talk to her now or go after Glory?
Aunt Mae could keep. He pressed Decline and pocketed the phone. He dressed to go after Glory.
In his pocket the phone began its insistent buzzing. Could it be Glory?
Again Mae.
Again he declined the call.
On the third ring, he decided if she was going to work that hard to reach him, he should talk to her.
Tapping on the Accept icon, he put the phone to his ear and gathered his clothes.
“Dane?”
“Hey, Aunt Mae.”
“I was beginning to worry when you didn’t take my call.”
“Worry about what?”
“That something had happened to you. That you’d been hurt…” On the other end he heard her breath being sucked in. “Or worse.”
“I’m fine.” Except I’m headfucked again. Over Glory. Again. “ Uncle Frank’s note said to call you, that Glory’s parents were killed by the same shifters.”
“Yes. I was supposed to talk to you, if something happened to him.”
“How long have you known that the same shifters that killed my father and Uncle Greg were the same ones that killed Glory’s family?”
“Not long.”
Long enough. “Aunt Mae, that’s not very definitive.”
“Here’s something definitive for you. They’re coming back. This time for you. I’ve had them tracked.”
“It’s time for you to stop protecting me. I want to know why they’re killing my family and why they did the same to Glory’s.”
“Glory’s family was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The rovers ran into them while they were hunting for you and Frank. They’d heard that the ivy shifter girl was involved with you, so they thought she’d have answers. They mistakenly assumed Honor was the one. They never knew about Glory. Her family never told about her.”
Dane knew Mae well enough to know she was skirting. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“They tortured her family. Clearly they never gave you or Frank up.”
“Why? Why do they want my family dead?”
“It’s a vendetta. Your mother…”
“My mother? She died giving birth to me, what could this have to do with her?”
“She was mated to a cruel shifter — a badger. He tormented and beat her mercilessly. One night, at a poker game, he was drunk and losing. Your mother was the stakes.”
Dane took a seat. “My father won my mother in a poker game?”
“He won her for a night. A night wasn’t enough. You should have seen the way your parents loved, Dane. I’ve never…” Her voice became choked up. She coughed, sniffled, and then continued. “I’ve never seen a couple so in tune with each other. The badger was furious and shamed. He died trying to kill your mother. The badger’s father swore vengeance that the Forester bloodline would be erased. Here we are.”
“Holy hell. That’s…” Dane didn’t even know what to say. What could he? “That’s fucking crazy. Sorry, Aunt Mae.” He’d never cursed around the woman who’d been as close to a mother as an orphaned, wandering man could have had.
“They’re back in Woodland Creek. And my sources say they know you’re there. They haven’t figured out that Dane Forester is Dane Snow.”
“How can they not know what I look like?”
“You can thank Frank for that.”
Dane knew his aunt Mae. He also knew the unspoken words. She and Uncle Frank both worked hard to
The next thing his senses picked up was the quiet in the house. No sign of her heartbeat nor her breathing.
No Glory at all.
She’d left.
Why? Why after what they’d just done? Her scent was still strong. She hadn’t been gone long.
Should he give chase?
Near him, on the coffee table the loud sound of a cell phone vibrating on wood disrupted the alarming peace. He flinched from the jarring sound and leapt to his feet, heading toward the offending noise.
Hopefully it was Glory with an explanation as to why she vanished without a word.
Picking it up, he saw the name.
Mae Forester.
Uncle Frank’s note said to call her. Should he talk to her now or go after Glory?
Aunt Mae could keep. He pressed Decline and pocketed the phone. He dressed to go after Glory.
In his pocket the phone began its insistent buzzing. Could it be Glory?
Again Mae.
Again he declined the call.
On the third ring, he decided if she was going to work that hard to reach him, he should talk to her.
Tapping on the Accept icon, he put the phone to his ear and gathered his clothes.
“Dane?”
“Hey, Aunt Mae.”
“I was beginning to worry when you didn’t take my call.”
“Worry about what?”
“That something had happened to you. That you’d been hurt…” On the other end he heard her breath being sucked in. “Or worse.”
“I’m fine.” Except I’m headfucked again. Over Glory. Again. “ Uncle Frank’s note said to call you, that Glory’s parents were killed by the same shifters.”
“Yes. I was supposed to talk to you, if something happened to him.”
“How long have you known that the same shifters that killed my father and Uncle Greg were the same ones that killed Glory’s family?”
“Not long.”
Long enough. “Aunt Mae, that’s not very definitive.”
“Here’s something definitive for you. They’re coming back. This time for you. I’ve had them tracked.”
“It’s time for you to stop protecting me. I want to know why they’re killing my family and why they did the same to Glory’s.”
“Glory’s family was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The rovers ran into them while they were hunting for you and Frank. They’d heard that the ivy shifter girl was involved with you, so they thought she’d have answers. They mistakenly assumed Honor was the one. They never knew about Glory. Her family never told about her.”
Dane knew Mae well enough to know she was skirting. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“They tortured her family. Clearly they never gave you or Frank up.”
“Why? Why do they want my family dead?”
“It’s a vendetta. Your mother…”
“My mother? She died giving birth to me, what could this have to do with her?”
“She was mated to a cruel shifter — a badger. He tormented and beat her mercilessly. One night, at a poker game, he was drunk and losing. Your mother was the stakes.”
Dane took a seat. “My father won my mother in a poker game?”
“He won her for a night. A night wasn’t enough. You should have seen the way your parents loved, Dane. I’ve never…” Her voice became choked up. She coughed, sniffled, and then continued. “I’ve never seen a couple so in tune with each other. The badger was furious and shamed. He died trying to kill your mother. The badger’s father swore vengeance that the Forester bloodline would be erased. Here we are.”
“Holy hell. That’s…” Dane didn’t even know what to say. What could he? “That’s fucking crazy. Sorry, Aunt Mae.” He’d never cursed around the woman who’d been as close to a mother as an orphaned, wandering man could have had.
“They’re back in Woodland Creek. And my sources say they know you’re there. They haven’t figured out that Dane Forester is Dane Snow.”
“How can they not know what I look like?”
“You can thank Frank for that.”
Dane knew his aunt Mae. He also knew the unspoken words. She and Uncle Frank both worked hard to
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