moon—the Blood Moon—hung low on the horizon. Fingers of red and orange spread across the October sky. She stared out over the vast churning waters and tried to think of what to tell Roxy.
Her cousin put her hand on Brenna’s shoulder. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
The lie was already on her lips when she whirled to look at the other woman. But it died as soon as she looked into Roxy’s eyes. “It’s stupid. But, yeah. I am.”
Roxy’s eyes clouded. “Why is it stupid?”
Brenna sighed. “He might want me, but he doesn’t love me.” She wasn’t convinced that shifters could fall in love—at least, not without the assistance of pheromones and biological predisposition. And that really wasn’t love. Not as far as she was concerned, anyway. It was more like genetic coercion.
“You don’t know that.” Roxy said. “You should see the way he looks at you.”
Brenna wanted to share everything—shifters, mates, her father, but Caleb’s secret wasn’t hers to tell. Roxy was her cousin on her mother’s side of the family and didn’t have a clue that the creatures most people considered fantasy were real.
Most people believed shape-shifters were nothing more than myths or folklore. Typically, their existence wasn’t known beyond mates or immediately family. Having been the son of a shifter, her father had known. Without seeing any signs in her, her father never should have revealed that shifters exist. But he’d never let little things like ethics get in the way. She sighed, her heart aching at the building pain.
“I think it’s more the novelty,” she finally said, needing to fill the silence.
Roxy slung her arm around Brenna’s shoulder and smiled sadly. “Can’t blame a girl for a little wishful thinking.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was just thinking how great it would be if you and Caleb fell in love and you moved back home. See? Totally selfish, wishful thinking.”
She wouldn’t admit it aloud, but she couldn’t help but want the same thing. Blinking back tears, she returned Roxy’s smile. “I do miss living here.” Brenna turned and looked at the riot of colored leaves that covered the trees on the shore. Scarlet, gold, russet and orange, all bright against the darkening sky—she’d never seen a more beautiful place. “But I don’t see that changing any time soon.”
“Is it because of your dad, or are you happy there?”
Brenna smiled. “You always did know how to get to the heart of it.”
“It’s the therapist in me; what can I say?”
“Before, I would have said it was mostly about my dad.”
Roxy nodded. “He really is an ass. Nothing’s changed since you’ve been gone.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“But now?” her cousin prodded.
Brenna took a deep breath and forced herself to be as honest as she could without revealing Caleb or his brothers’ secret. “Now, I’m in love with Caleb, and honestly, I think it would kill me to see him all the time when this doesn’t work out.”
“That’s a pretty depressing outlook.”
Brenna shrugged. She couldn’t really argue with that assessment. It might be different if she could trust that he wanted her for her—not because nature thought she’d be a great breeding partner. It was almost funny. Her father didn’t want her for what she couldn’t give him and Caleb wanted her for what she could. Irony at its best.
Of course, maybe she was assuming that was what Caleb wanted. But mates were meant to reproduce. It was how nature worked. And God knew her father had drilled the importance of increasing the shifter population into her head for years. She sighed. She should give Caleb the benefit of the doubt on that one and find out how he felt. But since she planned on leaving no matter what, bringing it up wouldn’t help anything.
After Roxy left, she found Caleb reading on the porch swing. He pulled her onto his lap and set the swing to rocking. She wrapped her arms around his neck
Her cousin put her hand on Brenna’s shoulder. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
The lie was already on her lips when she whirled to look at the other woman. But it died as soon as she looked into Roxy’s eyes. “It’s stupid. But, yeah. I am.”
Roxy’s eyes clouded. “Why is it stupid?”
Brenna sighed. “He might want me, but he doesn’t love me.” She wasn’t convinced that shifters could fall in love—at least, not without the assistance of pheromones and biological predisposition. And that really wasn’t love. Not as far as she was concerned, anyway. It was more like genetic coercion.
“You don’t know that.” Roxy said. “You should see the way he looks at you.”
Brenna wanted to share everything—shifters, mates, her father, but Caleb’s secret wasn’t hers to tell. Roxy was her cousin on her mother’s side of the family and didn’t have a clue that the creatures most people considered fantasy were real.
Most people believed shape-shifters were nothing more than myths or folklore. Typically, their existence wasn’t known beyond mates or immediately family. Having been the son of a shifter, her father had known. Without seeing any signs in her, her father never should have revealed that shifters exist. But he’d never let little things like ethics get in the way. She sighed, her heart aching at the building pain.
“I think it’s more the novelty,” she finally said, needing to fill the silence.
Roxy slung her arm around Brenna’s shoulder and smiled sadly. “Can’t blame a girl for a little wishful thinking.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was just thinking how great it would be if you and Caleb fell in love and you moved back home. See? Totally selfish, wishful thinking.”
She wouldn’t admit it aloud, but she couldn’t help but want the same thing. Blinking back tears, she returned Roxy’s smile. “I do miss living here.” Brenna turned and looked at the riot of colored leaves that covered the trees on the shore. Scarlet, gold, russet and orange, all bright against the darkening sky—she’d never seen a more beautiful place. “But I don’t see that changing any time soon.”
“Is it because of your dad, or are you happy there?”
Brenna smiled. “You always did know how to get to the heart of it.”
“It’s the therapist in me; what can I say?”
“Before, I would have said it was mostly about my dad.”
Roxy nodded. “He really is an ass. Nothing’s changed since you’ve been gone.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“But now?” her cousin prodded.
Brenna took a deep breath and forced herself to be as honest as she could without revealing Caleb or his brothers’ secret. “Now, I’m in love with Caleb, and honestly, I think it would kill me to see him all the time when this doesn’t work out.”
“That’s a pretty depressing outlook.”
Brenna shrugged. She couldn’t really argue with that assessment. It might be different if she could trust that he wanted her for her—not because nature thought she’d be a great breeding partner. It was almost funny. Her father didn’t want her for what she couldn’t give him and Caleb wanted her for what she could. Irony at its best.
Of course, maybe she was assuming that was what Caleb wanted. But mates were meant to reproduce. It was how nature worked. And God knew her father had drilled the importance of increasing the shifter population into her head for years. She sighed. She should give Caleb the benefit of the doubt on that one and find out how he felt. But since she planned on leaving no matter what, bringing it up wouldn’t help anything.
After Roxy left, she found Caleb reading on the porch swing. He pulled her onto his lap and set the swing to rocking. She wrapped her arms around his neck
Similar Books
