ra's

the mirror, still wear

my goddamn mind. I couldn't get

eating me like a disease, and now he acted as thou

one b

tes, Canadian. Tel

how to wait lik

ust don't

my face at once, which was poin

e to Seattle. Lucas made that easy. Tonight I would have a norm

in the foyer in a fitted navy shirt; his smile w

ow

all you

ed working." He pressed a hand to his

to people seeing what I couldn't do. Lucas loo

ou," I m

let's leave before my bro

uin every

where people

lack, watching us leave with no expression at all. I looked a

was easy. Lucas asked about Vancouver, and actually listened. When I ad

ins he

he sam

is r

say when they don'

I'd arrived, my shoulders loosened. I wasn't thinking about my mother or t

know our parents are married, but it fe

pped. "It's

nodded instead. "Okay. You do

ul he wasn't pus

leaned back, twirling his wine glas

to know?" I asked,

ing you

s, thinking of rain on the seawall, the sme

in the Silver Falls Pack. She's beta-born, so she neve

de her s

dn't treat me like I was bro

ay behind. We'd sneak into the pack kitchen and steal ingredients, make these terrible experimental co

wo sound like you wer

n high school art class. It's chipped, the handle is wonky, but she painted a

bring it. It was fragile for the move

table, his fingers brushi

di

" he said quietly, "I'll

ant to use the restroom." I said, s

long, baby sist

m before walking away. I should

he restroom when I heard

able with two friends, weari

" Lucas s

he Alpha's stepdaughter. You've been here less than a week, and you're already

," Lucas

pack got in." She tilted her head. "Especially s

y back in Vancouver, standing on two legs while everyone

y face and smiled

h," Lucas sai

ea

ng invited into a powerful pack doesn'

d found their way under my skin. I hated

epped closer. "Do

t to ruin yo

o leave," he said gently. "No

obody had ever handed me a c

side, the cold a

ong," I admitted. "Abou

n't know what happened in Vancouver, but y

ok my hand

ned to me, no teasing left in his

l think

strand of hair behind my ear. "Go ins

as I wa

e, watching me. I lifted my chin and walked

elf?" His vo

you hoping

latter y

st me, you're the last per

y from my

d. "Exc

You don't understa

because you think everyone n

ineteen years believing I wasn't good enough, and I wasn't goin

ight,

oking back. Even so, I felt his