Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 109853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 549(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Downing the last of her wine, she switched off her laptop and once again stared at the framed photo of Caroline on her mantel. She wondered if her mother would be upset with Frankie for seeking answers—hell, Marcia and Geoffrey would, and they’d no doubt see her meeting with Lydia as a betrayal. But Frankie didn’t view it as a betrayal. In her opinion it was perfectly natural that she’d want some answers and to know about her past.
This was her life; she was entitled to know every part of it. And if her maternal family couldn’t accept that, well, it wouldn’t be the first time that they’d disapproved of her choices. Still, she didn’t relish the idea of going head-to-head with the people who’d raised her. Loved her.
But they never really accepted you, a little voice in her head whispered.
Frankie couldn’t argue with it. And then another voice was playing in her head—a voice that wasn’t her own.
“You will not meet with those wolves, Francesca. I forbid it.”
Frankie scowled at Marcia’s words. Forbid it, huh? That was so the wrong thing to say to a dominant female wolf.
CHAPTER THREE
Sitting in the coffeehouse, Trick set down his half-empty mug. Around him were the murmur of voices, the clattering of dishes, the whir of blenders, and the ding of the cash register. The place was nice. Cozy. It was also busy as hell.
He stared out the large glass window, keeping a lookout for Francesca. It was almost noon, but there was no sign of her.
Cam laid a hand over Lydia’s, stilling her tapping fingers. “Breathe, you’re going to be fine.”
Leaning forward, Lydia braced her elbows on the round bistro table and took a centering breath. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”
“Of course you’re nervous,” said Trick. “You want it to go well. This is important to you.”
“If she didn’t initially know the truth about her paternal family, I’m guessing her grandparents will have told her everything by now.” Lydia worried her lower lip. “She might not want anything at all to do with us.”
“If that’s the case, we’ll find out soon enough,” said Ryan. He and Trick had accompanied Lydia and Cam for their protection. And, yes, because Trick was curious to see how Frankie had turned out.
Massaging his mate’s nape, Cam asked, “Do you think she’ll bring someone along?”
Ryan leaned back in his seat. “In her position, I would. To her we’re strangers. Shifters too. The fact that we were once all part of the same pack probably won’t make her any less wary.”
Lydia nodded. “If she doesn’t remember me, she probably won’t remember any of you.”
“I don’t know about that,” joked Trick, rolling his shoulders. “I’m pretty memorable.”
Lydia snorted. “I can’t even deny that.” After a moment the amusement faded from her eyes. “She’s not coming, is she? Damn, I should have just left well enough alone.”
“She’ll come,” said Trick.
Cam tilted his head. “You sound real sure of that, but I’ll be surprised if she does. Maybe it’s best if she doesn’t, considering it’s pretty likely that she’ll be a snob. Her grandparents are serious snobs.”
“Caroline wasn’t,” Lydia pointed out. “She was a total sweetheart. Fragile, though. And very pliant and eager to please. Caroline’s parents have very strong personalities and insisted on compliance.”
Ryan straightened in his seat, eyes on the view outside. “What are those little bastards doing?”
Following his gaze, Trick noticed a group of teenagers checking out their SUV. Admiring the new model, or gearing themselves up to plant a GPS tracker? Whoever had planted the trackers originally might want to replace the ones that had been removed.
“I’ll deal with it.” Trick chugged the last of his coffee and strode out of the coffeehouse. He didn’t speak to the boys. Just stood near the hood of the SUV, arms crossed.
One of them spotted him and froze. That got the attention of the others, and they all looked at Trick.
He gave them a toothy smile. “There a reason why you’re hanging around my vehicle?”
The tallest lifted his chin, belligerent. “We didn’t do anything. We were just looking.”
“Now you’re finished looking. Move on.”
Muttering harsh, derisive words under their breath, they swaggered away. Trick kept his eyes on them . . . right until a silver Audi whipped into the space beside the SUV. A female slid out, and Trick stilled. He knew instantly that it was Francesca—she just looked so much like her mother. Cute with her big eyes, round face, flawless skin, spiral curls, and the sprinkle of freckles across her nose.
He raked his gaze over her. Designer clothes. Healthy skin. Good posture. Aura of confidence. It wasn’t hard to tell that she’d grown up in a family that had a housekeeper, skied once a year, ate at Michelin-starred restaurants, and sent its kids to private schools.
He’d bet she’d also strained against whatever confines that lifestyle put on her, because the signs of a rebel were all there—rose-gold hair dye, smoky-eye look, dream catcher tattoo on her upper arm, and multiple ear piercings. He liked the piercings; the tiny diamond studs dotted the outer edges of her ear. He wondered if she had them anywhere else.