The reason for the secrecy? People would have trailed along for sure, particularly her girls. They’d been pretty clingy lately. Plus, not only did they not like to miss out on anything, they also had the best time poking at Camden on occasion. The two females had actually gatecrashed camping trips in the past.
She and Camden often camped at the local national park. They tended to choose a different spot each time. This particular clearing was ringed by shrubs and tall trees. It was unbelievably peaceful. No sounds of traffic or crowds. Just the creaking of trees, rustling of leaves, chirping of crickets, burbling of the nearby brook, and the cracking and popping of the fire. And it was wonderful to breathe in fresh air that was untainted by car exhaust.
“Did you enjoy the ceremony?” he asked before taking a swig of his beer.
“I did.” The ritual words held no power, but it wasn’t about the words. It was about what it meant to have Camden stand at her side and declare she was his in front of their entire pride. “You?”
“I’d have enjoyed it more if James and Isaak hadn’t spent most of it quietly arguing—I couldn’t hear exactly what they said. Charles Manson was mentioned, and something about the evolution of psychopaths. I got the impression Isaak considers James to be one.”
Aspen snickered and drained her mug, which she then set on the ground. “The uncles are crazy. Did you know they requested to have your old apartment as one of their ‘safe houses?’”
Camden’s brows lifted slightly. “No, I didn’t.”
She and Camden had officially moved into a new apartment literally the day after both Wayland and Julius were killed. It was an effortless step to take, considering they’d shared each other’s living space for many years. They already had a rhythm and already knew each other’s quirks and habits. The only difference was that they were now not only best friends but partners in every sense of the word. Her bearcat was the epitome of content.
Corbin was particularly happy for them. He’d apparently suspected that she and Camden were mates. The only person who had a real problem with it was Randy, but no one really cared about that.
He’d declared that he was “done” with the center. She suspected that was mostly because Bailey chased him in her snake form after discovering he’d signed Ginny’s petition to have Bailey fired. The petition wouldn’t get Ginny anywhere, so the whole thing seemed kind of stupid to Aspen. Even Bailey’s asshole ex-boyfriend hadn’t signed it, though that was probably because he feared how the mamba—being the living personification of revenge—would react.
Camden knocked back more of his beer and glanced around. “We should let our animals go play in the woods later.”
Aspen arched a brow. “You sure that’s wise? My bearcat plucked out two of your tiger’s whiskers last time they played, and she won’t hesitate to pull out more if he doesn’t stop biting her at random times.”
Camden’s shrug was unapologetic. “He likes to remind her that she’s his.”
“He likes to remind her who he thinks is boss, which isn’t him—he needs to get that.”
“He views them as equals. He only gets bossy when she gets too hyper and won’t settle down.”
“Well, if he wasn’t more interested in lazing around like a giant lap cat instead of playing with his energetic mate, they wouldn’t have that problem.”
“My beast resents the giant lap cat remark,” he said before downing the last of his drink.
As he exposed his throat, her gaze dropped to the faint scar there. Helena’s healing energy was potent, but some of his wounds were so deep there was a little scarring in places. Fucking Julius had deserved the beating he got. From what Sheridan had told Camden, Gustavo was enduring similar suffering on a daily basis.
According to Camden, his uncle had been furious on hearing of Gustavo’s plot. In the minds of the Crescent tigers, he’d betrayed them all—including Judith, who’d allegedly returned home but hadn’t yet forgiven him—by working alongside Julius and had risked inciting a war between the two prides.
It turned out that Gustavo hadn’t actually written the letters he’d given to Julius. He’d merely found them. Apparently, Judith had taken most of Dirk’s belongings after he’d died, including an old office desk. Gustavo had discovered the pile of letters in a false drawer but kept them secret from everyone—even Judith.
He’d allegedly also found old letters from Judith to Dirk in that same drawer. She’d often written to Camden’s father during the time she went traveling—which was before he’d met and mated Esme. They were essentially love letters, and maybe reading how his mate had felt about another male—a male she couldn’t quite let go of—had acted as the catalyst that spurred Gustavo into choosing to rid the world of every remaining trace of Dirk, including the man’s son. It would also have inadvertently punished Judith.