She handed Griffen her bowl and turned to face Miles, cupping his cheek and brushing away the next tear with her thumb. Her giant burly wolfman was vulnerable. Maybe just for this moment in time, but he needed her. “I’m so sorry, Miles.” She leaned in and kissed his lips gently.
He sucked in a breath and pulled her tight against him, burying his face in her hair.
The room was heavy with sorrow and regret and pain. But they were all alive. They would survive.
Rebecca realized there were still several pieces missing from the puzzle. She leaned back to look at Miles. “How did Randal Junior know we had mated? Why didn’t the officers out front notice him taking pictures of us?”
Griffen cleared his throat. “He didn’t take the pictures.”
“Who did?”
“One of the officers.”
She gasped. “What? Why?”
Miles explained. “Louis. He was a childhood friend of Randal Junior. His father was one of our elders alongside Randal—the older Randal. Louis has been on the police force for nearly thirty years. He’s in custody now too. The hatred that man has harbored for his entire life is filled with such venom, it’s amazing he has managed to keep it under wraps.
“When the police found Randal’s computer in his car, they realized there had been e-mail correspondence between Randal and Louis. A lot of e-mails, including the pictures taken of us that morning.”
“But why?” Rebecca asked.
Miles grabbed her hand and held it tight. “Randal Junior and Louis were raised by some very sick bastards who believed in keeping the tribe pure at all costs. Randal was a drunk and an asshole. After he raped my mother, he left town and rarely returned. He was always in touch with Louis, however. Louis lived life marginally cleaner—or at least put up the appearance he did.
“Inside he has always burned with the need to keep the pack clean. When Grandma left us that first morning, she headed into town. She ran into Louis’ mother at the store and told her about our mating. She was excited. Meredith is a close friend. There was no way Grandma could have known the domino effect of talking to Meredith that morning.”
“I should have kept my mouth shut,” Mimi mumbled.
Melinda turned toward the older woman again. “This isn’t your fault, Grandma. And you know it. Everyone would have found out eventually. You talking to Meredith changed nothing.”
Miles continued. “She’s right, Grandma. Stop beating yourself up.”
Rebecca looked at Miles. “So Meredith told Louis?”
Miles nodded. “Innocent conversation with her son. She had no idea he was so volatile. The men in their family had ideas they never shared with the women. Louis was the one to trash the house, probably looking for confirmation that we had mated. And when he got the call to come out here the following day and protect us, the first thing he did was contact his buddy Randal and let him know his kid was following in his mother’s footsteps.” Miles’ tone was thick with sarcasm and anger, deep, gravelly.
“But they have him in custody now, right?” she asked.
Miles nodded. “And he has been very forthcoming with information, probably hoping if he talks, he’ll get off easier.”
“Such hatred. And all this was because he didn’t want you to mate with a white woman?” Rebecca lifted Miles’ hand and held it to her cheek.
“Or anyone outside the tribe who wasn’t a Native American shifter. The elders who killed my mother have dwindled down to just Randal Peaceman and whatever offspring still harbors that kind of racist hatred.”
“There could be others.” Rebecca shivered. Would she always be looking over her shoulder in fear?
“Let’s hope not too many. The way Louis is blabbing, I think it’s safe to say there aren’t many of our tribe left who believe in such strict ethnic purity.”
It was over. The two-week insanity chasing around a phantom and a real live threat was finally completely over. They would move forward without fear of something always chasing them on their heels.
There was still so much to decide. Their homes were too far apart. The thought of returning to that hospital and resuming her job where she knew most of regular society would dog her made Rebecca cringe.
They would figure it out. They had to. They were a unit now.
One.
Three that became one.
They would survive.
Epilogue
Ten months later…
Rebecca stood on the edge of the deck of their new house, her eyes closed, a smile on her face, the wind blowing her long hair all around. She figured she looked like Medusa, but Miles and Griffen had a thing for her hair. They liked it down and wild, and she tried to please them with it as often as possible.