Finding Chrissten by N. J. Walters

Author:N. J. Walters [Walters, N. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781609287214
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Published: 2012-05-08T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

“What the hell was that?”

Chrissten watched Hank leave, missing his calm and steadying presence already. “Don’t start with me, Quinn.” She turned her back on him and went to the chair where she’d stacked her clothing. She needed to get dressed and go downstairs and deal with her father. Just saying the word felt wrong. Father. He’d never been that to either of them. But that’s exactly who he was.

“Don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you.” Her brother grabbed her arm and she whirled around, her teeth bared. A low growl came from deep within her and Quinn took a step back, his eyes showing a world of hurt.

Chrissten sighed and rubbed her face. “I’m sorry. But you have no idea what I’ve been though.”

“No, I don’t,” he replied softly. “Because you won’t tell me.”

Guilt threatened to crush her. She didn’t want to hurt her brother, but there were some things she simply couldn’t talk about. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat closed over. She shook her head instead.

He touched her face. “I know it’s hard.”

She nodded. “It is.” She cleared her throat and tried again. “Be happy for me. I thought my wolf might be lost from me forever.”

“I’m sorry for that.”

“Me too. But it wasn’t your fault.” She willed him to understand. “I had to see if I could reach her. And after that, I needed to see if I could truly accept others of my kind. So when Hank offered to show me his wolf I couldn’t resist.” There was so much more to it than that, but nothing her brother needed to know. What had happened between her and Hank was special and very personal.

“Chrissten.” The pity-laced compassion in his voice threatened to drive her to tears.

“No.” She waved off whatever it was he wanted to say. “I can’t talk about this right now. Not if I have to deal with Donovan Brody.”

“You don’t have to see him if you don’t want to.”

She recognized the signs and knew Quinn was digging his heels in. He could be very stubborn at times. “Yes, I do. I’m not stupid, Quinn. He’s a pureblooded werewolf, plus he’s a friend of Isaiah’s. We can’t insult him, and we may need him if it comes down to a fight.”

“I know.” She could tell he didn’t like that fact any more than she did. The Lawton clan was used to taking care of themselves. It wasn’t easy for any of them to depend on others, to trust them to be there when they were needed.

“I’ll get dressed and then we can go downstairs and meet with Donovan.”

“I’ll wait.” Quinn walked to the window and gazed out over the city.

Chrissten wanted to go to him and reassure him everything was going to be all right. But she couldn’t. She wasn’t sure she believed it herself. What she did know is that she’d protect both her brothers no matter what happened. No one was as important to her as her family.

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