Her eyes widened. “Four?”
“Only one of them was related to a Phoenix wolf. The other three were strangers, and each had a shitty story of their own, but they were offered a place there.” Bracken tilted his head. “The shifter who runs the shelter is a cougar, if that makes you feel more comfortable.”
Andie bit her lip, still uneasy.
“I get that you have no reason to trust us,” began Zander, “but what do you have to lose at this point? If you want the truth, my main reason for proposing you go there is that I’m hoping that, with time and space, you’ll find the strength to go before the council and speak up for yourself. You should. You deserve justice. And I don’t want Gwen doing it alone.”
Andie’s hands balled up. “I told her she should just back down.”
“I won’t let Brandt get away with what he did,” Gwen declared. “I couldn’t live with myself if I did.”
Sighing, Andie rubbed her temple. “I need some time to think about it.”
Zander inclined his head. “Take a few days to consider our offer. Come by the house when you’ve decided.”
At Andie’s nod, Gwen threw her a supportive smile. “You know where I am if you need anything.” With that, they returned to the boat.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lounging in the rocker on the B&B’s porch later that day with a cold beer in hand, Zander gave Makenna a call and relayed the cougar’s situation. He was glad when she confirmed there would be room at the shelter for Andie if she needed it. He was just ending the call when a small van came toward the B&B. Instantly alert, he slowly rose to his feet. As the van pulled up outside the house, Zander noticed it was a delivery van.
Soon, a young male wearing a baseball cap came jogging up the steps and onto the porch with a bag in hand that carried the scents of spicy food. He froze at the sight of Zander, but then the front door opened and a smiling Yvonne stepped out, holding a wad of cash.
“Keep the change,” she told the human, who hurried away.
Zander followed Yvonne inside, down the hallway, and into the kitchen. Gwen, Marlon, and Bracken looked at the bag with covetous eyes as Yvonne placed it on the table at the center of the kitchen and pulled out several takeout boxes.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Chinese,” said Marlon, sliding a pile of plates on the table. “Grab whatever you want.”
After they’d all plated some food and settled on the stools at the table, Zander turned to Gwen. “I spoke to Makenna. She said there’s room for Andie at the shelter.” Gwen nodded but didn’t appear relieved. “Not totally sold on the idea of the place, are you?”
She shrugged. “I just want to be sure she’s somewhere safe.”
Yvonne swallowed a chunk of curried chicken. “Aidan called me. Said he came by earlier and was chased away.” She gestured at Zander and Bracken with her fork, adding, “He’s concerned that you two aren’t what Gwen needs right now.”
Little bastard. “Is he?” Zander said evenly.
“What did you say?” Bracken asked her.
“I told him you’re exactly what Gwen needs and that he shouldn’t worry.” Yvonne looked at Gwen. “He wants me to convince you to resume therapy.”
Zander, Bracken, and Marlon all cursed.
Yvonne jerked back. “Am I missing something?”
Gwen didn’t answer, not wanting to bother Yvonne with it.
Marlon scooped more food onto his plate. “Gwen ended the sessions because he declared that he loved her.”
Yvonne gawked. “What?”
Gwen shot her foster brother a hard smile. “Thanks, Marlon.”
Yvonne dropped her fork. “Why didn’t you tell me, Gwen?”
“She was embarrassed,” said Marlon.
Gwen widened her eyes at him. “Seriously, Marlon, you can shut up now.”
Yvonne looked at her in disbelief. “Why would you be embarrassed?”
“Because she didn’t see it coming, and she’s totally weird,” Marlon explained.
Gwen threw a handful of white rice at him. “I’ll destroy your new shirt, I really will. Right now, I’m seeing red.”
“You are? What’s it like?”
She growled. “You are not color-blind.”
“And you can know this how?”
Yvonne rubbed at her arms. “You should have told me, Gwen. Aidan is the one who should be embarrassed, not you. You need to tell Julie.”
Gwen had seen this coming. “No. He really does seem to help her. She never spoke of her childhood until she started her sessions with Aidan. Now she talks about it all freely, and Chase says she rarely has nightmares these days.”
“She should still know,” Yvonne insisted.
Zander leaned slightly toward Gwen. “He might have done to her what he did to you.”
Gwen shook her head. “If he’d told Julie he loved her, she’d have freaked out and told Chase.”
“I don’t mean that.” Zander took a swig of his beer. “I mean he might be trying to make her dependent on him, like he tried with you.”
“I thought of that, which was why I asked her a few questions to get a feel for how he treated her. I never got the impression that he was anything but professional with her.” Or Gwen would definitely have told her. “If anything, he’s made her feel like she can lean on Chase and confide in him.”
“I’m still telling Julie,” Yvonne announced. “She needs to know.”
Gwen rubbed her temples. “She’ll be pissed at me.”
Marlon waved a dismissive hand. “Julie can’t be mad for more than ten minutes at a time.”
The back door opened, and Donnie strolled into the kitchen, no doubt lured by the smell of food. Without a word to anyone, he took a seat and dug in.
“Back to the matter of the shelter,” said Marlon. “Do you think Andie will actually agree to stay there?”
Gwen puffed out a breath. “I don’t know.”
Donnie’s brow furrowed. “What shelter?” After Bracken quickly explained, Donnie said, “Your kind is gonna need to build more of those shelters. Maybe underground. You’ll need them for the casualties.”
Yvonne blinked. “Casualties?”