“Just what?”
“I miss my sister, and when I don’t get to see her, it’s hard on my animal.”
“Okay. This is good.”
“That this is hard on my animal? Thanks, asshole.”
Dr. Monroe snorted a laugh. “No, that you’re more open about the process now. Remember the first few weeks she was in here? You were so shut down and fought every step. You were overprotective until you figured out we’re here to help. Until you began to trust me and the staff.”
“Because I started seeing good changes in her.”
“Rhett…” Dr. Monroe opened and closed his mouth like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
“Just lay it on me,” Rhett said, relaxing back into the seat.
“I know what you sacrificed to protect her. She told me.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
“No, it really is. I can’t name another person in the world who would’ve done that. And Sharon said you were late on your payment this month.”
Rhett ripped the corner of the bag of burgers and rolled it into a ball between his fingers. “My accounts got frozen. I paid the late fees already. I just needed a couple extra days to work so I could cover her stay here.”
“What you’re doing for your sister…” Dr. Monroe nodded. “Well, I wish more of our patients had support like you. Sara is one of the lucky ones.”
“Oh please. She’ll always be a dweeb. Tell her I said as much when she Changes back. Can you put these in the fridge and heat them up for her later?” he asked, handing him the burgers.
Dr. Monroe took the bag from his hands and stood. “Sure. Try back tomorrow. Her Changes don’t last more than twelve hours now. She has so much more control over them. Progress.”
Rhett huffed a breath and stood to leave. “Yeah, progress. Give her to the Saga Pride, and they’ll undo everything she’s worked for here.”
“You’re a good brother, Rhett,” Dr. Monroe called after him. “But you can’t be her legs forever. At some point she needs to learn to stand on her own.”
He understood what Dr. Monroe was saying, really he did. But the doctor was human, and before Sara, he’d only treated a handful of shifters. And none of those were lions. And none of those were the daughters of an Alpha. And none of those had dealt with the pressure Sara had since birth.
It had started snowing again, so Rhett zipped his winter coat up to his neck. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, and then he called a number he never thought he would’ve called again. Dad’s.
“I figured you’d call,” Dad answered. “I know with Sara’s return, I’ll get you back, too.”
“You think so?” he growled.
“Of course. You two are inseparable. Always have been.”
“No matter what Sara decides, I’ll never be part of a Pride who destroys its own lions.”
“If you’re talking about Sara, you’re wrong. She’s stronger than you think she is.”
“Oh, I know how strong she is. I’m the one who’s here, Dad. I’m the one visiting her, watching her progress, watching her growth. Where were you? Huh? Where the fuck were you when she lost her animal to those fucking drugs you shoved down her throat?”
“I didn’t shove any—”
“Bullshit. Seriously, I will call bullshit on every single lie you try to feed me. Give them to your damn Pride. They still have faith in you. I don’t.”
“I thought I was doing what was best—”
“For you,” Rhett snarled. “You wanted a perfect albino lioness princess to sit right beside you and make you look good. And you wanted a perfect albino lion prince to sit at your right hand and wage war on whoever you pointed at. And look at us. I turned singer for the masses, and she got addicted to the shit you gave her. I’m not calling to tell you I’m coming back with Sara. I’m calling to tell you that if she ever gets hurt again, I’ll kill you. And you and I both know you can’t call bullshit on that. I’m not my father. I don’t lie. Guard your neck, Dad. Take care of her like you should’ve always taken care of your daughter, and you’ll keep breathing. Screw her up, and I will steal that last breath from you so fucking fast your ghost will stand in your territory for a day, trying to figure out how the fuck he even came to be. Guess how many nights of sleep I’ll lose killing you.”
He could hear his father swallow audibly over the phone, but he didn’t answer.
“Guess the number, and I’ll hang up, and you won’t have to deal with me until you fuck up again. Guess, Dad.”
“Zero.” His father’s voice broke on the word.
Rhett hung up and almost, almost gave into the rage boiling in his veins. He almost, almost chucked his phone against the side of his old Chevy just for the satisfaction of seeing it shatter into a hundred pieces.
He drove the entire way back to the mountains pissed at the world. It wasn’t in his nature to stay angry, but as long as he lived, he would never forgive what had been done to his sister. Or to him.
It was dark by the time he turned by the mailbox onto the single lane road leading up to the trailer park. Part of him wanted to go home to his singlewide and drink until he got a song out of him and onto paper, because that’s the only way his muse worked nowadays. If he was obliterated, the words came. If he wasn’t, he just sat in this life, his feelings building up with no escape until he wanted to drown himself in booze and release all the tension. With a pen. With paper. And with an old guitar his mom had bought him the day he’d told her music sang to his soul. She should’ve been Alpha, not his dad. She was a queen paired up with a sack of shit who called all the shots in a Pride that would always be stagnant.
He didn’t see the bear until it was almost too late. She came right out of the woods and into the road. He locked up the brakes, knowing he would hit her. Knowing it was too late to stop the momentum. The truck skidded sideways, and he saw the fear in her eyes just before he slammed into her. Pretty silver eyes.
He heard the shocked grunt that whooshed out of her, felt her fur through the open window as he lurched to the side on impact.
The truck rocked to a stop, and he winced away from the window, expecting an instantaneous and violent reaction from the she-bear. Grizzlies were terrifying, and even more so when they were hurt.
And from the deep limp she had as she trotted a few steps away from the truck, he’d hurt her.
“Shit,” he muttered. “I’m so sorry.”
The enormous brown bear had her profile to him, just at the edge of his headlights, staring at him with wide eyes. She looked so scared. Danger. It was dangerous when they were scared.
But he couldn’t just leave her out here. The way she glanced around the woods, she looked…lost.
Breath shaking, Rhett shoved open the door beside him and got out slowly, hands up. “Whoa,” he murmured when she stood up on her hind legs. She went unsteady on her injured side and fell, barely catching herself on her front paws. She looked from him, to the woods, to him, and back again, as if she wanted to leave but didn’t know how.
He didn’t understand. She should be charging him right now. Ripping into him for hurting her, but she didn’t feel angry to his animal. Just confused.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, taking another step to her. “It’s unfamiliar territory. Juno, right?”
She sat there, tensed like she would run at any moment.
“You’re Remi’s friend, yeah? Grew up together or something. I think I heard her say that when I was spying on her and Kamp. I do that a lot. It’s boring here, and they talk all the time. Nothing better to do than listen to their blabbering. She said you two grew up in Damon’s Mountains together.” Truth be told, he was just yammering out loud so it wouldn’t be so intimidating to approach an injured grizzly. He cleared his throat and took another step toward her, hands out, head angled, exposing his throat in submission. Did that work for bears? It sure as shit worked for lions. He should’ve listened better when Remi talked about her people. “You said you know me, right? Rhett Copeland. I used to sing. Now I just fail at lumberjacking and drink a lot of beer. You could say I’ve found my calling.”
“I miss my sister, and when I don’t get to see her, it’s hard on my animal.”
“Okay. This is good.”
“That this is hard on my animal? Thanks, asshole.”
Dr. Monroe snorted a laugh. “No, that you’re more open about the process now. Remember the first few weeks she was in here? You were so shut down and fought every step. You were overprotective until you figured out we’re here to help. Until you began to trust me and the staff.”
“Because I started seeing good changes in her.”
“Rhett…” Dr. Monroe opened and closed his mouth like he wanted to say something but couldn’t.
“Just lay it on me,” Rhett said, relaxing back into the seat.
“I know what you sacrificed to protect her. She told me.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
“No, it really is. I can’t name another person in the world who would’ve done that. And Sharon said you were late on your payment this month.”
Rhett ripped the corner of the bag of burgers and rolled it into a ball between his fingers. “My accounts got frozen. I paid the late fees already. I just needed a couple extra days to work so I could cover her stay here.”
“What you’re doing for your sister…” Dr. Monroe nodded. “Well, I wish more of our patients had support like you. Sara is one of the lucky ones.”
“Oh please. She’ll always be a dweeb. Tell her I said as much when she Changes back. Can you put these in the fridge and heat them up for her later?” he asked, handing him the burgers.
Dr. Monroe took the bag from his hands and stood. “Sure. Try back tomorrow. Her Changes don’t last more than twelve hours now. She has so much more control over them. Progress.”
Rhett huffed a breath and stood to leave. “Yeah, progress. Give her to the Saga Pride, and they’ll undo everything she’s worked for here.”
“You’re a good brother, Rhett,” Dr. Monroe called after him. “But you can’t be her legs forever. At some point she needs to learn to stand on her own.”
He understood what Dr. Monroe was saying, really he did. But the doctor was human, and before Sara, he’d only treated a handful of shifters. And none of those were lions. And none of those were the daughters of an Alpha. And none of those had dealt with the pressure Sara had since birth.
It had started snowing again, so Rhett zipped his winter coat up to his neck. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, and then he called a number he never thought he would’ve called again. Dad’s.
“I figured you’d call,” Dad answered. “I know with Sara’s return, I’ll get you back, too.”
“You think so?” he growled.
“Of course. You two are inseparable. Always have been.”
“No matter what Sara decides, I’ll never be part of a Pride who destroys its own lions.”
“If you’re talking about Sara, you’re wrong. She’s stronger than you think she is.”
“Oh, I know how strong she is. I’m the one who’s here, Dad. I’m the one visiting her, watching her progress, watching her growth. Where were you? Huh? Where the fuck were you when she lost her animal to those fucking drugs you shoved down her throat?”
“I didn’t shove any—”
“Bullshit. Seriously, I will call bullshit on every single lie you try to feed me. Give them to your damn Pride. They still have faith in you. I don’t.”
“I thought I was doing what was best—”
“For you,” Rhett snarled. “You wanted a perfect albino lioness princess to sit right beside you and make you look good. And you wanted a perfect albino lion prince to sit at your right hand and wage war on whoever you pointed at. And look at us. I turned singer for the masses, and she got addicted to the shit you gave her. I’m not calling to tell you I’m coming back with Sara. I’m calling to tell you that if she ever gets hurt again, I’ll kill you. And you and I both know you can’t call bullshit on that. I’m not my father. I don’t lie. Guard your neck, Dad. Take care of her like you should’ve always taken care of your daughter, and you’ll keep breathing. Screw her up, and I will steal that last breath from you so fucking fast your ghost will stand in your territory for a day, trying to figure out how the fuck he even came to be. Guess how many nights of sleep I’ll lose killing you.”
He could hear his father swallow audibly over the phone, but he didn’t answer.
“Guess the number, and I’ll hang up, and you won’t have to deal with me until you fuck up again. Guess, Dad.”
“Zero.” His father’s voice broke on the word.
Rhett hung up and almost, almost gave into the rage boiling in his veins. He almost, almost chucked his phone against the side of his old Chevy just for the satisfaction of seeing it shatter into a hundred pieces.
He drove the entire way back to the mountains pissed at the world. It wasn’t in his nature to stay angry, but as long as he lived, he would never forgive what had been done to his sister. Or to him.
It was dark by the time he turned by the mailbox onto the single lane road leading up to the trailer park. Part of him wanted to go home to his singlewide and drink until he got a song out of him and onto paper, because that’s the only way his muse worked nowadays. If he was obliterated, the words came. If he wasn’t, he just sat in this life, his feelings building up with no escape until he wanted to drown himself in booze and release all the tension. With a pen. With paper. And with an old guitar his mom had bought him the day he’d told her music sang to his soul. She should’ve been Alpha, not his dad. She was a queen paired up with a sack of shit who called all the shots in a Pride that would always be stagnant.
He didn’t see the bear until it was almost too late. She came right out of the woods and into the road. He locked up the brakes, knowing he would hit her. Knowing it was too late to stop the momentum. The truck skidded sideways, and he saw the fear in her eyes just before he slammed into her. Pretty silver eyes.
He heard the shocked grunt that whooshed out of her, felt her fur through the open window as he lurched to the side on impact.
The truck rocked to a stop, and he winced away from the window, expecting an instantaneous and violent reaction from the she-bear. Grizzlies were terrifying, and even more so when they were hurt.
And from the deep limp she had as she trotted a few steps away from the truck, he’d hurt her.
“Shit,” he muttered. “I’m so sorry.”
The enormous brown bear had her profile to him, just at the edge of his headlights, staring at him with wide eyes. She looked so scared. Danger. It was dangerous when they were scared.
But he couldn’t just leave her out here. The way she glanced around the woods, she looked…lost.
Breath shaking, Rhett shoved open the door beside him and got out slowly, hands up. “Whoa,” he murmured when she stood up on her hind legs. She went unsteady on her injured side and fell, barely catching herself on her front paws. She looked from him, to the woods, to him, and back again, as if she wanted to leave but didn’t know how.
He didn’t understand. She should be charging him right now. Ripping into him for hurting her, but she didn’t feel angry to his animal. Just confused.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, taking another step to her. “It’s unfamiliar territory. Juno, right?”
She sat there, tensed like she would run at any moment.
“You’re Remi’s friend, yeah? Grew up together or something. I think I heard her say that when I was spying on her and Kamp. I do that a lot. It’s boring here, and they talk all the time. Nothing better to do than listen to their blabbering. She said you two grew up in Damon’s Mountains together.” Truth be told, he was just yammering out loud so it wouldn’t be so intimidating to approach an injured grizzly. He cleared his throat and took another step toward her, hands out, head angled, exposing his throat in submission. Did that work for bears? It sure as shit worked for lions. He should’ve listened better when Remi talked about her people. “You said you know me, right? Rhett Copeland. I used to sing. Now I just fail at lumberjacking and drink a lot of beer. You could say I’ve found my calling.”
