Autumn Sacrifice by Bronwyn Green Page B

and laid her head on his shoulder, loving the closeness and the companionable silence they shared yet knowing it would be destroyed soon. Sooner or later, they’d have to talk, but right now, she wanted this—this closeness—for just a little bit longer.
    The crunch of tires on gravel caught her attention. It was likely one or both of the guys. A nervous flutter settled in her belly at the memory of the last time they’d been together. She lifted her head and froze as the car rounded the corner.
    Her father turned off the engine and got out.
    Brenna moved to scramble off Caleb’s lap, but he locked his arms around her, and there was no getting free.
    “Let me go,” she whispered, pushing against his chest.
    He looked at her. “I won’t let him hurt you anymore.”
    “I—” she almost said love but stopped herself in time. “I appreciate it, but it’s not your battle to fight.”
    “You’re my mate,” he murmured. “It’s mine, too.”
    She closed her eyes in frustration, took a deep breath and pinned him with her gaze. “Don’t do this now. Please. And if you care about me—at all—don’t mention that in front of him.”
    His lips tightened, and his eyes brightened with the gold of his wolf, his anger bleeding through. But to her relief, he nodded. However, he kept his arms tightly around her. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but having him here, supporting her gave her the strength to look her father in the eyes.
     
    Caleb tried to keep his emotions contained as he watched Joe climb the porch steps. He’d never seen the man look so pleased.
    “It’s about time you finally did something right,” the older man said, clapping his daughter on the shoulder.
    Brenna’s gray eyes turned to slate—cold and flat. Her chin lifted slightly, and she stared at her father. “So having ridiculous amounts of sex with someone you think of as a son is ‘doing something right’?”
    Joe looked a little uncomfortable. His smile faltered slightly but didn’t fade entirely. “Well, we’ve got to get shifters back in the family somehow, don’t we?”
    Caleb’s rage surged to the surface, and he gripped the armrest of the swing. The wood cracked beneath his grip. Brenna shifted on his lap, moving to stand. He didn’t stop her this time, but more than anything, he wanted to plow his fist into her father’s face.
    Brenna took several steps toward Joe. “So as far as you’re concerned, my only value lies in my ability to produce shifter children?” she asked, her voice even and deadly.
    Only an idiot would answer in the affirmative.
    “Of course, that’s not your only value,” Joe blustered. “But since you didn’t end up with this gift yourself, this is the next best thing.”
    Caleb cringed. Apparently, Joe was that idiot.
    “Would it have killed you to, I don’t know…maybe take just a little fatherly interest in me?”
    Pain vibrated off Brenna in waves, but Joe seemed oblivious. This didn’t seem like the same guy who had befriended him and his brothers. But what did Caleb know? The majority of his time spent with Brenna was when her father wasn’t around. And she was rarely around when he was with Joe.
    “I tried to get you to develop an interest in your heritage, but you wanted nothing to do with it.”
    “No. You wanted to live vicariously through me, because the family genes skipped you, too.” She glanced at Caleb, regret in her eyes and turned back to Joe. “When that didn’t work, you found yourself a new family.”
    The older man opened his mouth, but she didn’t give him a chance to speak.
    “Just so you know, I’m not looking for apologies.”
    Joe’s face turned red, and his hands tightened into fists at his side, but he held his tongue.
    “I just want you to understand that you lost your right to parent me a long time ago.” The fight seemed to leave her with the last of her words.
    Her father took several unsteady steps toward her. “Why the hell would I