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“Honey?” Mom pulled me out of my thoughts. We’d just said goodbye to Toby and were waiting for the twins to ready the boat. He’d walked away from the dock after the twins insisted on it. I think they thought he was going to make a run for it. What they didn’t realize was if he was going to do that, he’d just fly.

I glanced over my shoulder. Toby was still there watching with a half-smile. He didn’t want me to go any more than I did, but we both knew there was no other option. If I didn’t find someone to help me, there would be no ‘us’ to worry about.

“Yeah, sorry.”

Mom smiled lightly. “It’s hard to say goodbye to people we love.”

“It’s not goodbye, just I’ll see you really soon.”

She laughed. “You didn’t get your optimism from me.”

“Well I doubt I got it from Robert either.” I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth, but that regret was made worse when I saw my mother’s face.

I quickly tried to back pedal. “I’m sorry.”

She squinted her eyes a little. “I never intended for it to happen, but I’m glad it did.”

“That’s what he said.”

“Yeah?” She blinked a few times as in surprise. “He said he was glad?” Her body relaxed.

“He was surprisingly sentimental.”

“I hardly know him. Or really I don’t know him at all.” She looked so sad. “It’s crazy how someone I don’t know could have changed my life so much.”

“What really happened?” I needed to know. How did Robert not remember yet she did?

“It’s a long story I only want to tell once today.”

“Only once?”

“Trust me. I’ll be telling it after we cross.”

I didn’t push her. Instead I waited for her to continue. “I’m glad he didn’t take things out on you. I was afraid something like that would happen.”

“He seemed glad to have a daughter, but maybe it was all an act. I don’t really know him either.” My gut told me that his words were genuine, but my gut had been proven wrong time and again.

“Trusting your instinct is usually a good thing.”

“But not always,” I whispered.

“No. Not always.” Her echoed words were full of raw sadness. What had happened to make her do what she did? Who was she really? Clearly she wasn’t the same suburban office manager I thought she was.

“I need to warn you of something.”

“Warn me? Is there more?’ I waited with baited breath. Was there really anything worse than what I already knew?

“You may not be welcomed with open arms. They will see you as family, but that doesn’t mean the reception will be an easy one.”

“Because of me? Because of what happened?”

“I don’t want to recount everything yet, but what I will say is when everything happened I got scared, so I ran. I took my best friend with me.”

“Dad? He’s your best friend?”

“Yes. Chris. He did such a great job raising you. He loves you, you know.”

“I miss him. He’s the only one I’ll ever really consider my dad.” I closed my eyes for a second, picturing my dad’s warm eyes, and his ability to forgive so easily.

“I know, honey.”

“Is he a bear too?”

Mom nodded. “Yes. He’s from the same clan as me.”

“Clan? Don’t you call them pacts?”

“Not the group I’m from. We don’t view ourselves in the same way as other shifters.”

I glanced at the twins waiting at the dock. “I know we don’t have much time, but can I ask you something?”

She glanced in the same direction before answering. “Yes.”

“When were you going to tell me? Or were you?”

She shifted her weight from foot to foot. “I was going to tell you when I thought you were ready.”

“You didn’t think I was ready?”

“Why do you think I didn’t want you going away to school? I wanted to protect you.”

“Why is it?” I tried to keep my temper in line. “Why is it that everyone is so set on protecting me?”

“I take it you’re not referring to Toby.” She looked over at him.

“No. I mean he’s protective, but that’s not who I’m talking about. Vera said she left to protect me.”

“And in her way she was. She thought she was dangerous to you.”

“Did she tell you she was leaving? She told Rhett.”

“She didn’t tell me, but she never tells me anything.”

“I could say the same thing about you.”

She took my face in her hands. “I’ve spent the last eighteen years doing everything I could for you. I left my family—my mate. Everything. But I don’t regret it. A mother would do anything for her children, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I never planned to bring you back here, but you need to understand where you came from, and I can see you need help.”

“It was magic.”

She nodded. “I can tell.”

“How?”

“You seem different, and it’s not just the confidence you’re exuding. Your whole aura is different.”

“You see auras?”

“Not in detail, but I can see some outlines. Yours is off.”

“What if they don’t help me? What if they hurt me instead?”

“You are of ursus blood—and of this clan. They won’t hurt you. Now me, after the way I left, that’s another story.”

“Then don’t come.” I tried to push her back. “Why put yourself in danger?”

“Because running away isn’t going to help anyone.” She took one of my hands. “And I’d do anything to protect you, to help you. I wasn’t there for you through everything you’ve been through these past few months, and I wish I could have been. But I’m here now.”

“Why weren’t you?” I was too tired to soften my words. I hoped she understood.

“There’s more going on than you know. You’re only at the tip of the iceberg.”

“There’s more? More than a psycho with magic trying to take over The Society?”

She leaned in. “Can you handle more? With everything else, can I really add more to your plate?”

“Does this involve you?”

“Not directly.”

“Then tell me.”

“There’s talk of more than a takeover of the crown.”

“More than the crown?”

“Yes.”

“Taliana? Casey? You ready?” Daria called.

“We’ll finish this later,” Mom whispered. “We’re coming.”

I wanted to hear more, but I was sure my mother was shutting her mouth for a reason. Whatever she’d been about to confide in me, she didn’t want the twins knowing about.

“Are you ready?” Mom squeezed my hand slightly the way she used to do whenever I tried something new. The gesture reminded me that no matter what she kept from me, she was still my mother. If I couldn’t trust her, who could I trust?

A voice in the back of head that didn’t feel like my own voice answered.
No one
. “I think so.” I squeezed her hand back. “Are you?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

I smiled. She used that phrase a lot.

“Ready when you ladies are.” Maddock motioned for us to board the ferry boat.

I took a deep breath. I could do this. I could fly without fear, yet I was about to fall over with panic over getting into a boat? I stepped carefully onto the boat. I glanced back at Toby again. He waved and gave me an encouraging smile.

“Does Gareth know you’re coming?” Daria asked.

“No.” Mom shook her head. “I haven’t told anyone but you two yet.”

“Oh.” Daria and Maddock exchanged worried looks.

“It will be fine. As long as they can help Casey, it will all be worth it.”

“What exactly does Casey need help with?” Maddock looked me up and down. “She looks fine to me.”

“Don’t forget she’s related to you,” Mom wagged a finger at him.

“Not all that directly. I mean we’re talking third cousins.”

“Maddock.”

He untied us from the side and the boat lurched out into the lake. I glanced back to where Toby still waited. Leaving him was so hard. I’d gotten used to having his comfort. Maybe separating was a good thing. Maybe I needed to regain my confidence of being on my own. I needed to distract myself, so I glanced at the twins. “How old are you?”

“How old do you think we are?” Maddock grinned. Once we were on the boat his formal personality seemed to melt away. Was that all a show for Toby?

“You look like you’re my age, but you know my mom so well. She hasn’t been back since I was a baby…”

“We’re the same age as your mom.”

“Oh.” I looked between the twins. “You just age really well?”

Daria laughed. “It’s the nymph part that helps.”

“Nymph?” Toby seemed to know what that was, but I certainly didn’t unless it meant exactly what it sounded like.

“Yes, nymph. We shift into bears, but we’ve got some added extra appetites.”

Mom laughed. It was a light laugh I hadn’t heard come out of her in years. “Yes, some added appetites indeed. But you know what tree nymphs are, don’t you?”

Ugh. I didn’t need to listen to my mom discuss sexual appetites. “Yeah, vaguely.” I blocked them all out, but that just made it easier to concentrate on the fact that we were on water, and that wasn’t a good thing either.

I looked back at the shore. Toby looked tiny in the distance, but he was still there. Despite everything I’d really gotten lucky in that department.

Mom cleared her throat. “Casey, when we get across you need to follow instructions very closely.”

“Instructions?”

“We will likely be separated, but just do what they tell you to do. No one is going to hurt you. They’ll be able to tell you’re one of the family.”

“What if they can’t?” Panicking about that seemed easier than thinking about the boat. “What if they don’t believe us?”

“They will. Gareth will not hurt you.”

“Who’s Gareth?”I had a feeling I knew, but I asked anyway.

“My mate. Vera’s father.” Vera’s father. It was still so strange to think about us not having the same father. Accepting Robert in theory was one thing, but accepting all the other parts that came with it was even harder.

“Are you sure he won’t hurt me?” I was the evidence of why she left, although I still didn’t understand what happened.

“No. He won’t.”

“Will he hurt you?” I hated to ask in front of the twins, but it needed to be said. She was scared of something, and I was almost positive it was him.

“No!” The twins glared at me. “How could he hurt his mate?”

“Because she left after having someone else’s…” I stopped what did they know?

“You can finish. They know about that. They helped me leave.”

“Oh. Then wouldn’t he be angry?”

“More like heartbroken.” Daria pulled her knees up to her chin. “He’s never taken another mate.”

“It’s not as though I have either.” Mom looked off into the distance.

“You mean you and Dad…”

“Never. He’s a good friend.”

“A good friend who shared the same bed with you for eighteen years?” How was that even possible? Wasn’t it awkward? Did they have any feelings for each other?

“Exactly. I don’t expect you to understand.”

I didn’t. I didn’t understand anything about my life, but that didn’t mean I had to make a big deal about it. “I guess I’ll understand eventually.”

Mom smiled. “There’s that positive attitude again.”

I looked back at the shore. I couldn’t even see Toby anymore. That meant that we were getting close to the other shore. I glanced over my shoulder and regretted it. We were almost there, and there were people waiting for us—or not people. Bear shifters.

“Casey?” Mom put a hand on my arm. “Are you okay, hun?”

I breathed in and out heavily a few times. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

“From the boat? From nerves?”

“Maybe a little of both.”

“Daria, can you do something?” Mom asked worriedly. She wasn’t looking so good herself, but she didn’t nearly as sick as I felt.

“Of course.” Daria put a hand on my forehead, and I was immediately overcome by a cooling sensation. My nausea faded away.

“Wow.” I smiled. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” Daria grinned.

“Can you both do that?” I looked at the twins.

“Nope. But I could warm you up.” Maddock arched an eyebrow.

“You have the power to create warmth?” Was it the nymph side giving them these special abilities?

Daria elbowed her brother. “No, he’s being gross.”

“Oh.” Understanding dawned on me. “No thanks.”

Maddock laughed. “I wasn’t actually offering. We are distantly related.”

“Yeah.” I really had a much bigger and weirder family than I could have imagined. Georgina and Robert were intense, but these people were just plain old quirky. I wondered what else would be waiting for me when the boat reached the shore.

Watching the boat disappear across the lake was painful. I’d promised Casey I’d always be there for her, and yet somehow here I was sending her away to face who knew what all alone. It took every ounce of strength I had to let her go. Casey needed help, and unfortunately I wasn’t the one who could give it to her.

“Depressing, huh?”

I spun around coming face to face with Hailey. “Very, but what are you doing here?”

“Georgina suggested I head this way.” She stuffed her hands in the back pockets of her jean shorts. “How is she?”

“She’s freaked out, overwhelmed, but unbelievably brave.”

“Sounds about right.”

“How did Georgina know where we were?”

“What doesn’t Georgina know? She’s already pacing the floors waiting for you guys.”

“I bet. We probably should have told her everything—”

“She already knows.”

“Really?” I’d assumed she did, but if she was openly telling Hailey… well, then she
really
knew.

“Uh huh. She figured it out.”

“Is she pissed?”

“That you guys didn’t tell her?” She sat down on a rock.

I sat down beside her. I wasn’t tired, but standing was getting old. “Yeah.”

“No. She thinks it’s a sign of your protective instinct.”

“That I know I have.”

“So what now? What are your plans while you wait?”

“Plans? You mean other than staring at the water?”

“Yes.” She tossed a small stone into the lake. “I mean you can’t stay here for days.”

“You think this is going to take days?”

She shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

“You want me to do something.” I turned to look at her. “Just spit it out.”