“Get yourself together.” I pulled the sheet gently over Parker’s face and stood, tugging Kent up with me. “You’re going home today.”

“You’re going to let me go?” He scrubbed tears from his face and stared at me like he’d heard me wrong.

“I’m going to make you go. You’re not welcome here, Kent. Ever again. And Parker stays with us. The rest of your family can come to the funeral, but you keep your father at home. Do you understand?” Because I couldn’t afford to let him close enough to launch a counterattack with what men he had left.

Kent bobbed his head. “Thank you.”

I nodded curtly, then left him to mourn his brother in relative solitude, while I made my way toward Owen. He sat on the grass at the end of the triage line, a makeshift bandage wrapped around his thigh, cell phone cradled in his lap.

I sank onto the ground next to him. “How you doing?”

“I’m scared,” he said, and I could tell from his expression that his fear had nothing to do with the battle, and everything to do with the phone call he’d just finished. “I talked to Manx, but Teo had already called her. He brought down six toms, Faythe, and he said he did it for her. To protect her freedom. He can protect her better than I can. But…”

“But she loves you,” I finished, when he couldn’t.

“Yeah.” However, his obvious despair belied such good news. “I know it’s crazy, but she does. She swore she did. But we don’t have a Pride, and even if we did, I’m not Alpha material. I know that. But I love her, and I love Des, and I want him to be mine. I want to give her more, if she wants, to make up for what she lost.”

I put one arm on his shoulder. “Owe, that’s not crazy. That’s love, and love doesn’t always make sense.” It didn’t ever make sense, in my experience. “And you do have a Pride. You have this one. And you both always will.”

“But we already have a tabby,” he pointed out, obviously meaning me.

“No, you have an Alpha bitch. And even if I become a dam someday, so what? We’re already the weird Pride. Why can’t we have two tabbies? Or three? This is a brave new territory now, Owen. Manx and her children will be safe here. We’ll all protect them. And you will love them.”

And maybe someday, if Bert Di Carlo was willing to institute a similar compromise, depending on her own romantic interests, Kaci might see fit to give his territory a second chance at life. At a new generation.

“You’re serious?” Owen’s expression hovered on the edge of a smile, as if he didn’t dare make that leap.

I grinned. “Are you questioning your Alpha?”

“Hell, no.”

“Good. Make your phone call.”

Owen was grinning from ear to ear, already dialing when I stood to make my way back to Jace, my heart thumping painfully. I dreaded the next moment with every cell in my body. But the universe had delivered my miracle—given me a second chance—and I could not mess this up again. Not and live with myself.

Jace leaned against the back porch rail, alone, and I stood close enough that my arm touched his. “Are you okay?” I asked, and he only hesitated an instant before nodding.

“Calvin’s dead. I’m better than I’ve ever been. With one exception.” He looked up, and I followed his gaze toward the woods. To where the strays and the bruins had congregated. With Marc.

I sighed, and my heart felt so bitterly, unbearably bruised. “He came.”

“Yeah. He did.” Jace stared at the ground and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Jace…”

“Don’t.” He turned to face me and ran one hand down my arm slowly, as if to make the contact last. “I know. I knew the moment you saw him. You were happier that he came back than you were that I stayed. I know when I’ve lost.”

I sniffed back tears and reached up to hug him. “I’m so sorry, Jace,” I whispered, as his arms wound around me for the last time, squeezing me hard enough to hold my fractured heart together, even if just for the moment.

“Don’t be.” His cheek scratched mine, and I breathed in his scent, trying to memorize it. “We do what we have to do.”

“This doesn’t mean I don’t—”

“Stop.” He pulled away from me, and the pain in his eyes echoed deep inside me. “Don’t say you still love me. That’ll just make this harder.”

I nodded, swallowing the words that wanted to be said. “What are you going to do?”

He sighed. “I’m going to take Cal’s body home to my mother. Then I’m going to kick Alex’s ass and take back my father’s Pride. Someone’s going to have to run things until Melody eventually has a husband qualified to take over. Who knows, maybe I can undo some of what Cal did to her. Show her that she has options.”

I smiled. “If anyone can do that, it’s you. Is there anything I can do to help?”

Jace glanced at the ground, then met my gaze again. “Yeah, if you believe in me, recognize me. As Alpha. I’ll have to be confirmed, even for temporary control, and I could use a few votes…”

“You’ll have mine.” And I was sure my own allies would help too. We could all use the extra support a Jace-controlled Appalachian Pride would represent.

Jace’s smile faded, and his gaze intensified. “Thank you, Faythe.”