A crow heckled us from the treetops.
“Do you regret it?” I asked.
April cupped her elbows when a gust of wind blew back her blond tresses. “I wanted to be upset, but I couldn’t cry. I wanted to be furious, but there was no one to blame. I just lay in bed this morning thinking about how selfish it was to feel sorry for myself when this family is facing a pack war. Immortality scares me right along with the energy buzzing in my fingertips. But how is fear going to help anything? That’s why I made myself get out of bed, put on clothes, and figure out how to live with my decision. I just don’t want to let anyone down.”
April had the heart of a Shifter, whether she knew it or not. “How do you feel?”
She shrugged. “No different, I guess. Except when I get upset, it feels like static tickling my fingertips. Am I supposed to know how to control that?”
“Yeah, and from what Charlie said, you can also conceal your energy from other Breeds, like what he did with us for all those years. Not that he did it because of us, but it sounds like he wanted to cut himself off completely from the Breed world and probably didn’t want to take the chance of a Mage walking in and finding out what he was. I don’t know. The man has issues.”
“If he’s always hated being a Mage, then why would he turn me into one?”
I shook my head. “Maybe he’s coming to terms with what he is and realizing it’s not a curse. I guess. Look, you’re alive, and that’s all that matters. I don’t know what I would have done if… For a minute there, I thought you were gone.” I shoved away the cruel thought when I felt a catch in my throat. “At least this happened in your prime instead of when you were younger.”
She lowered her chin. “What do you mean by that?”
“You were always pretty, but the years turned you into Grace Kelly. Plus, you don’t look like Reno’s daughter anymore.”
“He is not that old.” She slapped my shoulder playfully, and then her eyes went wide with horror. “Oh! I’m so sorry—I forgot.”
I touched the bandage on my forearm. “I’m not a glass figurine. Whatever magical salve Edward gave me is keeping it numb.”
Denver strolled up, chewing on a sausage. “Try it again, April. I bet you can do it this time.”
April backed up and took a deep breath, focusing on the end of the driveway. Her hands balled up into fists, and when she ran, she executed the most hilarious leap—freezing in midair before tripping and landing in the grass.
Denver chortled. “That gets me every time.”
I snatched the sausage from his hand and tossed it on the ground. “You did that on purpose. Why don’t you actually help for a change? Can’t you see how difficult this is for her?”
He bent down and picked up the sausage, blowing off the dirt. “Five-second rule.”
“Your five-second rule is going to give you worms.”
“Maybe you and the little bean need to eat breakfast so you have less of an attitude.”
“Don’t call it a little bean,” I said, pushing Denver toward the house. “Can you ask Austin to come out here? I need to talk to him about something important.”
“What am I, your messenger girl?”
While Denver did an exaggerated feminine skip toward the house, I helped April dust off her clothes. We stood still for a moment, watching Katharine and Melody in the center of the yard. Katharine had nailed a target board to a tree and was helping Mel improve her aim with the recurve bow.
I folded my arms when the wind picked up. “What did Maddox say when he found out about Charlie? I overslept when all the excitement was happening.”
“Um, it went well,” she said, obviously lying.
“Huh. Maybe we should invite Charlie over for dinner then.”
She kicked a few pebbles. “I thought he’d be mad about Charlie still owing him, but I think Maddox was embarrassed to find out he’d participated in covering up my father’s accident. He still wants to kill Charlie for what he did to me.”
“You mean the part about saving your life?”
“As far as Maddox is concerned, Charlie had no right.” Her gaze drifted upward, and a quiet moment passed. “Maybe it was all meant to happen. Do you believe in destiny?”
Melody released her grip, and the arrow whistled through the air, puncturing the tire on Denver’s Jaguar.
“Yeah, I believe in destiny. Or at least Karma.”
The front door opened, and Austin swaggered out, eyes on Mel as she took another shot at the target.
Damn, he looked good. His white undershirt was tight, making his arms and shoulders look rock solid.
Spartacus rubbed against the back of my leg, and I turned, giving him a frosty glare. “Do you have psychic powers and know that I don’t like cats? We’ve been through this already.”
“He’s trying to win your love,” Austin said from behind me. “That’s not an easy thing to do. Take it from an expert.”
I spun around, my brows drawn together. “You’ve had claim of my heart since I was five.”