Tangled Innocence (21 page)

Lexi blinked at Cailin’s impassioned speech.

Well then.

A blush crept over Cailin’s cheeks, and she ducked her head.
The look suited her and made her look her age, rather than the image of the sex
goddess she usually presented without trying.

“Sorry. I get a little worked up thinking about all the shit
my family has been through.”

“And the fact that you haven’t been able to help,” Lexi
whispered, knowing they had begun to attract the attention of the others. A few
Jamensons glanced their way, but it was mostly the others not of the family
that looked out of the corner of their eye or blatantly stared at them. Those
had their normal sneer on their faces whenever they were near.

Lucky her.

Cailin’s head shot up, and she blinked. “I hate it.” She
looked over her shoulder at her family, who had no doubt quieted to hear her
words. Werewolves, after all, had exceptional hearing. “We can talk about it
later.”

Lexi nodded then watched the young woman, who looked so sure
of herself but clearly wasn’t, walk toward the pile of pups and start to play.

“I’m glad she talks to you when she won’t talk to anyone
else,” a voice said from behind her, and she froze.

Hell, he was freaking quiet when he wanted to be.

North slid to her side but didn’t look at her. Not that she was
looking at him—oh no, she couldn’t do that and breathe nowadays—but she could
see him out of the corner of her eye.

Lexi swallowed hard and tried to regain the cool, collected
composure she used when she had no earthly idea what else to do.

“She doesn’t talk to the rest of you?” She found that hard
to believe, considering Cailin had wonderful parents, six big brothers, a
brother-in-law, and five sisters-in-law.

North shrugged. She felt the touch of his overheated skin
against her arm, and she held back a shiver.

She would not show the man how he affected her.

Ever.

“She’s so much younger than the rest of us. Yes, she’s the
same age as a few of my brothers’ mates, but it’s different. They’re family now
but still new. Cailin’s never felt comfortable about showing who she is to
outsiders, and it’s even worse really within the family. She’s great with that
façade of hers—the bitchy, twenty-something power attitude—but she doesn’t
break down with us. Not since she was a little girl.”

Lexi’s heart ached for Cailin and even more so for the man
she felt a connection to, despite all the reasons she shouldn’t. It wasn’t as
though Cailin was any different than the rest of them, but she was so much
younger than her brothers, and there were things the woman might not even want
to share.

“I’ll do what I can. I like her.” Lexi had no idea why she’d
said that first part. She couldn’t even take care of her own crap, let alone
another person’s. Okay, she could take care of Parker and Logan, but they
were…hers.

North moved so he blocked her view of the pups again, and
she sucked in a breath.

Gods, he was beautiful. Tanned skin created by genetics and
touched by the sun covered a hard body that she’d seen naked only because of
his shifts, not for anything more. And damn, she wanted to have that be for
something more. He had those Jamenson jade-green eyes, framed by light lashes,
that Lexi knew she could fall into if she didn’t watch herself. Unlike most of
his brothers, he and his twin Maddox had inherited their mother’s hair, a dark
blond, unruly mass that looked damn good on him.

She really needed to stop looking at him that way.

“Thank you for taking care of my sister,” he whispered,
tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

She didn’t dare breathe. She knew once she caught a whiff of
that spicy scent, latent or not, her wolf—or what she thought of as her
wolf—would want to hunt.

That wouldn’t be happening.

Ever.

His fingers lingered on her cheek, and her body shuddered.

Traitor.

She pulled back, the loss of his touch like a deep abyss she
knew she’d never be able to cross.

“I need to go.”

She didn’t even bother to lie. Not this time. She turned
tail and ran back to her home. No, not her home, the place where her family
slept.

Her name carried across the wind as North called her back,
but she ignored it.

Ignored him.

She kicked the door closed, then turned, bracing her back
against it. Her legs gave out, and she slid to the floor, the sobs wracking
through her body as memories flooded and attacked her.

The darkness of his eyes tearing into her.

The feel of those callous fingers digging into her when she
screamed.

She shut her eyes against the nightmares and banged her
fists against her temples.

“Get out! Stop!” she screamed into the empty room, tears
rolling down her cheeks.

She had to get it under control. The others couldn’t know
what had happened, or her baby boy’s life would be forfeit.

It was a dangerous game living with the Redwoods as it was.
It would be even more dangerous to get close to the one man who could break
her.

Even though her body told her, just as his was no doubt
doing to him, that they could be mates, she knew that would never happen.

The wolf in her dreams begged for the man—at least that was
what she thought since she couldn’t actually hear her wolf—she could feel the
man’s touch on her cheek and knew it was useless to dream.

To hope.

There would be no future with North Jamenson.

She was already mated.

To continue reading
Hidden Destiny, check out Carrie Ann Ryan’s website or your online bookstore.

www.CarrieAnnRyan.com

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