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He squeezed her nape "Yeah, baby, we can go" He signaled to Trey, who tipped his chin Trusting his Alpha to gather the rest of their pack ether, Trick slid an arm around Frankie’s shoulders and led her outside The moment they stepped on the porch, those shoulders stiffened He frowned "You okay?"

No, Frankie wasn’t When she’d stepped out onto the porch, a familiar scent of rain, brine, and burned wood had reached her nostrils That hen her ent ape-shit--snarling, snapping her teeth, and raking Frankie’s insides with her claws

Frankie stiffly turned to face Cruz, Eke, and Wendel While they exchanged greetings with her and Trick, she worked hard to soothe her wolf

"It was good of you to corief "My mother appreciates it"

Cruz nodded "She needs faht now"

Wendel opened his mouth to speak, but then he shook his head "Sorry, it’s justyou look soin front of me"

The affection hich he said her mother’s name unsettled Frankie She lifted a brow "You knew her well?"

"Not well, but I’d like to think ere friends So within a pack Not Caroline She took to pack life as if she were a shifter"

Mouth curving into a nostalgic sain "Christopher was so proud of that He’d have been so proud of your success too He’d have liked that you were an artist, like hiht cry Instead he gave her a wobbly smile

As if eager to change the subject and rescue Cruz’s hts, Frankie I’m sure you’ve noticed there were many pictures of you around her cabin"

"There was one of my sculptures too," she told him

Wendel blinked "She didn’t tell me she had one of your pieces"

Before Frankie could tell him that she suspected Iris hadn’t known it was one of hers, a dark-skinned feh the doorway and shouted, "Boys, your ed a little helplessly "We have to go You take care now, Frankie" He tipped his chin at Trick and then headed inside the cabin Muttering their goodbyes, Wendel and Eke followed their brother

Relief scuttled down Frankie’s spine, and she rolled back her stiff shoulders It wasn’t until she was inside the SUV, though, that her wolf finally si deeply, she clicked on her seat belt, hoping that Lydia and Cam would hurry their asses up

Trick rested one hand on the wheel "Okay, baby, here’s where you tell itated, Frankie threw her hands up "It’s not me It’s my wolf"

His brow creased "Your wolf?"

"She loses her shit around them The scent they all share sets her off every time I don’t knohy, but she despises thelanced at the cabin, thoughtful "I don’t recall the to upset you ere kids But if your wolf behaves that way, thereelse, but then he noticed that his parents were nearing Iris’s cabin It appeared that they’d walked fro, and he wondered if his father had insisted on it out of respect for Iris--hoping that Trey would be gone by the tiot there so that any aard scenes could be avoided

Noticing him, they stopped at the driver’s side of the vehicle Trick wound down theand inclined his head

Michael nodded, face drawn "Son" He looked past him and said with a strained smile, "You must be Francesca I’m Michael, Trick’s father This is Uain, Francesca, though it would have been much better if it had happened under other circurand woreed "Yeah, she was"

Uood"