And she was looking at him with awe in her eyes. Not fear.
Hope filled his chest as Ty gave her a loaded look, full of meaning. He hoped she could read the reassurance, the love, in his eyes, but he couldn’t take the time to find out. He had to protect her from the unknown shifter right now.
He looked forward to see the wolf hunched in the corner, head down and posture defeated. She knew she was outnumbered, with no hope of escape, now. The tiger disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving a big man with long black hair in hi
s place. Ian.
“I ran across her scent and followed her here. She was just inside the woods, staring at the house, not moving. I don’t think she meant to, but she saw me coming and panicked. I chased her and cornered here, where we’ve been since. She’s tried to get free and leave, but she hasn’t tried to attack. I’m not sure what to make of her.”
Ty studied the wolf as she huddled into herself. He needed answers but he didn’t want to shift and leave Parker unprotected. He wasn’t sure he could trust her safety to anyone but himself.
The female wolf suddenly lunged up, a snarl in her throat. Ty shot forward, growling long and low in his throat, tensed to attack.
“Ty, stop! Now!”
Ty watched from the corner of his eye as Garret crept forward, arms held out in front of himself. Ty snarled at Garret for stopping him. He wanted this over, and his pregnant mate out of danger. Now.
“Ty, don’t attack. You’ll regret tearing her throat out, I promise you that.”
Ty growled, not so sure of that, but he reluctantly backed down. Garret’s shifter talent was powerful, and when he spoke, they all tended to listen.
Garret gave him a satisfied nod, motioning for Ian to back off, too. “Hey there, pretty wolf. It’s okay. They won’t hurt you, I promise.” Ty growled low at that, and Garret shot him a quelling look. “Can you shift for us? You’re safe.”
The cream wolf whined as her eyes darted between Garret and Ty. Ty huffed a sigh and backed toward Parker, sitting in front of her and trying to appear less aggressive. He started when he felt Parker brush her fingers through his fur and rest her hand on his back. He turned his head slightly to look at her, and she gave him a soft smile, appearing calm and collected.
Mate, his wolf sighed.
Yeah, they were definitely coming back to that.
Garret took a couple more steps toward the wolf. She allowed it, but tried to back into the fence when Chase approached the group in his human form. Chase stopped by Ty, watching.
“What the hell is going on?” Chase said in a low voice.
Garret hushed him. “Come on, pretty wolf. Change back.”
The wolf just watched them all warily, whining in the back of her throat.
Garret sighed. “Are you in there, Kelsey? Come on. Shift back. Wolf, let Kelsey come on out. You’re safe.”
Kelsey? Who the hell was Kelsey?
The wolf watched them for a moment before a smattering of bones popping rang out. A moment later, there was a girl huddled on her knees where the wolf had just been. Girl, woman, Ty couldn’t tell. She was skinny and dirty, hair matted with dirt and even a few twigs as it hung in front of her face, concealing her from them. He wasn’t sure, but he thought maybe it would be a light brown when it was clean, kind of like his own.
“Do you know this girl, Garret?” Chase asked, voice puzzled. “Kelsey, was it?”
Garret shook his head. “I don’t know her, but you guys will.”
What the hell? Chase and Ty exchanged puzzled looks while Garret shrugged out of his shirt, approaching the girl slowly and laying it in front of her. He told her to put it on in a hushed voice before he stepped back.
A long moment later, the girl reached a trembling hand out and grabbed the shirt, pulling it over herself awkwardly before she shakily stood up. The shirt devoured her small frame, the sleeves hanging halfway down her forearms and the hem almost hitting her knees. She took a breath before looking up at them, pushing the hair off of her face with a hand that still trembled.
Ty inhaled sharply as he caught a glimpse of her face. He heard Chase curse under his breath, and Ty knew he saw it, too.
Kelsey was a delicate, much more feminine, version of his dad.
That’s why Garret said he would regret it if he killed the wolf. She was his sister.
Parker’s hand tightened in his fur as she leaned into his side. “Ty, she looks just like you.”