Wild Hunger (The Phoenix Pack #7)(88)

Although she thought two bodyguards was overkill, Frankie said nothing. The last two times he’d left her, she’d been hurt. First by Drake, then by Rio. It made sense that he’d want her to be adequately protected.

“Onto a different subject, any news about Geoffrey?” he asked.

“I spoke to Edna just before I went to bed. According to her, he’s fine.” She’d thought about calling him to check in, but if they were going to make their way back to each other, it was something they should do in baby steps.

“Good. I wouldn’t be surprised if he contacts you soon, inviting you for lunch. Your family thinks of shifters as monsters. The shooting reminded them that humans do bad things too.”

She nestled closer to him. “Yeah, I guess it did.”

Soon after breakfast, Marcus drove Frankie, Roni, Lydia, and Cam to Bjorn Pack territory. To give Clara, Lydia, and Frankie the emotional space to go through Iris’s possessions, Cam went fishing with Cesar while Roni and Marcus relaxed on Clara’s back porch.

As Clara was swathing one of Iris’s many knickknacks in bubble wrap, she asked Frankie, “So how are things with you and Trick?”

“Great,” replied Frankie, packing clothes into a box.

“Nothing can quite beat a mating bond, can it? It’s a gift that most humans will sadly never experience. I’ve always pitied them that.” Clara sighed, her smile nostalgic. “I was very young when I realized Cesar was my mate.”

Lydia’s brows lifted. “Really?”

“Fourteen. He was sixteen. It was too early for us to claim each other. Our parents wanted us to wait until I was seventeen, so we did. I didn’t let him claim me straightaway, though. No, I insisted that he court me proper.”

“Court you?” echoed Lydia, mouth twitching.

“Oh yes. I’d been reading a lot of Jane Austen novels at the time. I wanted romance. He gave it to me, bless his heart. Iris did the complete opposite when she realized Alfie was her mate. Like with Frankie, it took her a few months to see the truth. When she did, she wasted no time at all in stating that he was hers and demanding that they claim each other. The poor man was practically railroaded, but it was obvious that he was happy to be.” Clara sealed a box with tape as she spoke. “Do the Newmans know that you’re mated yet?”

“Yes,” replied Frankie. “They saw my claiming bite when I spoke to them a week ago after Geoffrey was shot.”

“Shot?”

“An old court case came back to haunt him.”

“Ah.” Clara began wrapping up another ornament with tissue paper. “How did they react to the bite?”

“They didn’t, but they didn’t chase me out of the hospital. Geoffrey admitted to making mistakes, but unless he’s willing to accept Trick, it’s neither here nor there to me. My grandparents and uncle have to know that Trick and I come as a package deal. I’m not saying they need to welcome him into the family, but they do need to accept that he’s part of mine.” The best and most important member of her family.

“It should be enough for them that Trick makes you happy,” began Lydia, “but it won’t give them any reassurance, because Christopher made Caroline happy, and yet . . .”

Frankie sighed. “And yet.” She glanced out the window, catching sight of her old home. “I have something I need to do.” She cut her gaze back to the other two females. “I want to go to the old cabin.”

Lydia’s eyes glinted with anxiety. “Frankie, I’m not sure that’s the best idea.”

“Maybe not, but I need to do it.”

“Can you at least wait until Trick gets here?” begged Lydia. “You shouldn’t do it alone.”

“He’ll try and talk me out of it. Josh granted permission for me to walk through it. I keep asking Trick to bring me here, and he keeps putting it off.” She’d be an old woman before he finally let her do it. “If it was possible that I’d have flashbacks, I’d get why you’re concerned. But whatever memories I have of that night are buried deep. For me, walking through the cabin will mean facing my past. Accepting what happened. Getting some closure.”

Clara’s eyes lit with understanding, but Lydia still seemed anxious.

“Trick once said to me that I need to accept my past and my heritage,” said Frankie. “He’s right. Our mating bond isn’t complete yet. What if it won’t fully snap into place until I do as Trick said and accept my past?” She lifted her chin. “I really do need to do this.”

Lydia raked a hand through her hair. “I’ll go with you. Please don’t argue. I can’t stand the thought of you doing it alone.”

“It’ll be hard for you,” Frankie warned her. After all, the female’s brother had died there.

“I didn’t see anything that night. They didn’t even let me near the cabin. The only memories I have of that place are good ones.”

Frankie sighed. “All right. Clara, will you be okay here?”

“Of course,” replied Clara with a wave of her hand. “Take whatever time you need. For what it’s worth, I think this will be a good thing for you. I’ll let Roni and Marcus know where you’ll be.”

“They’ll probably follow us over there,” said Lydia. “But they won’t go inside—they’ll give you the privacy you’re due.”